Section I: Purpose and Scope  

Purpose. The purpose of this Policy is to provide for the safety and holistic well-being of all minors participating in College-sponsored activities or programs or who participate in programs held on College property, and to promote a safe, ethical, and protective environment for all minors entrusted to the College’s care, custody, and control.

Scope. This policy applies to Kalamazoo College students, faculty, staff, volunteers, and contractors who participate in or support College-sponsored programs involving minors. It also applies to third-party organizations that operate programs involving minors on property owned, leased, or controlled by the College, to the extent specified in their facilities-use agreements or other written agreements with the College. The policy applies to College-sponsored programs conducted on or off campus. It does not apply to off-campus programs or activities involving minors that are unrelated to an individual’s role or status as a Kalamazoo College student, faculty member, staff member, volunteer, or contractor.

Kalamazoo College policies. All adults and children participating in Kalamazoo College programs and events or on the Kalamazoo College campus must comply with Kalamazoo College policies. Further, programs and events involving children may be subject to the policies of the sponsoring Kalamazoo College academic or administrative unit. Adults participating in Kalamazoo College programs or events should check with the academic or administrative unit sponsoring the event for any additional policies.

Section II: Definitions

1. Child Abuse and neglect. “Child abuse” includes harm or threatened harm to a child’s health or welfare through nonaccidental physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or maltreatment. “Child neglect” includes harm or threatened harm to a child’s health or welfare. MCL 722.622
2. Minor or Child. A minor or child is an individual under the age of 18 or as otherwise defined by law.
3. Adult responsible for a child. For the purposes of this policy, an “adult responsible for a child” includes the child’s parent, legal guardian, or individual authorized by an off-campus entity or the child’s legal guardian to supervise, care, and have custody or control of the child.
4. Event. An “event” is a single scheduled performance or activity that may be open to the general public.
5. Program. A “program” is a scheduled series of events or activities.
6. College-sponsored. A program or event is College sponsored when it is organized, funded, coordinated, or hosted entirely, or in part, by a Kalamazoo College academic department, administrative unit, or registered student organization.
7. Covered Program. A covered program is a College-sponsored program in which Kalamazoo College, a College unit or organization assumes responsibility for minors’ care, custody, or supervision or third-party operator using College property assumes responsibility for minors’ care, custody, or supervision.

Section III: General Provisions

Treatment of children. Individuals, paid or unpaid, who interact with, treat, supervise, chaperone, or otherwise oversee minors in covered programs and College-sponsored programs or events activities must:

• Not engage in, permit, or fail to report abusive, exploitative, sexually inappropriate, threatening, degrading, or retaliatory conduct toward or in the presence of a minor;
• Not strike, hit, shake, slap, administer corporal punishment to, or touch a minor in a sexual, abusive, punitive, or otherwise inappropriate manner;
• Not allow, encourage, or engage in hazing or bullying, including verbal, physical, or cyberbullying;
• Not provide, permit, encourage, or facilitate a minor’s possession or use of alcohol, tobacco, nicotine products, cannabis, illegal drugs, or controlled substances, except medication administered as authorized by law and College procedures; or
• Not administer, store, or permit access to prescription or nonprescription medication except under written authorization from the parent or legal guardian, applicable law, and approved program procedures. Emergency medication may be administered by an authorized person as permitted by law.
• Limit physical contact to what is reasonably necessary and appropriate under the circumstances as necessary to protect a minor from imminent harm, provide authorized first aid, or conduct an approved activity.
• Respect a minor’s privacy in bathrooms, changing areas, showers, and sleeping accommodations. Except in an emergency or when assistance is required and authorized, an adult must not be alone with a minor in these locations.
• Use College-approved communication channels when communicating with minors and must include a parent, legal guardian, or another authorized adult in individual electronic communications whenever practicable.

Responsibility and Liability. Parents, legal guardians, and adults responsible for a child are responsible and liable for any injuries or damage sustained to or
by their child while on Kalamazoo College’s campus or any properties owned or leased by the College, and when bringing their child on College-sponsored
trips or other activities covered under this policy, unless such injuries or damages are caused by the sole negligence of the College, its officers, agents, or employees.

Section IV: Mandatory Reporters

Mandatory reporters, as defined below, must report child abuse or neglect. If a minor faces imminent danger or needs immediate medical assistance, call 911 before or while making the required child-protection report.

Michigan law.  

• Who must report. Michigan Child Protection Law requires certain professionals to report their suspicions of child abuse or neglect to Centralized Intake (CI) at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). These people are mandated reporters and have established relationships with children based on their profession, including school administrators, school counselors, teachers, doctors, nurses, physicians assistants, and licensed professional counselors. MCL 722.623
• How to report. Mandated reporters shall make an immediate report to CI by telephone or through the online reporting system, of suspected child abuse or child neglect. Within 72 hours after making an oral report by telephone, the reporting person shall file a written report. Reporting the suspected allegations of child abuse and/or neglect to the head of the organization does not fulfill the requirement to report directly to DHHS. Verbal reports may be made by calling 855-444-3911 and online reports via Michigan Online Reporting System.

College requirements.

• Who must report. In addition to Michigan law requirements, any Kalamazoo College employee or student who has reason to believe that a child has been subjected to neglect or abuse on Kalamazoo College’s campus, or any properties owned or leased by the College, or at any off campus College sponsored program or event is required to notify appropriate campus authorities.
• How to report. Notify Campus Safety at 269-337-7321. Upon receiving the notification, Campus Safety shall immediately contact Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety; the President; the Title IX coordinator; and division head or department head as appropriate.

Section V: Children on Campus

College-sponsored events. The College sponsors a number of events in the performing arts, athletics, and other areas that may be appropriate and open to children. In order to ensure their safety and that of other guests, we require that the parent, legal guardian, or other adult responsible for each child comply with the following:

• No child under 13 may be left unsupervised by a parent, legal guardian, or adult responsible for the child at any time or for any reason.
• Children must remain in the area of campus where the event is located.
• The adult responsible for a child is also responsible for the child’s behavior, and is expected to ensure that the child complies with the directions of college personnel and does not disrupt the enjoyment of any other guest at the event.
• The adult responsible for a child is also responsible for any damage to College property caused by the child.

Events sponsored by other entities.  The provisions stated above also apply to any events on Kalamazoo College’s campus that are sponsored by entities other than the College.

College-sponsored covered programs. Kalamazoo College sponsors a number of programs specifically designed for children, such as tutoring programs, summer camps, and cultural events. Each program has specific operating protocols related to its nature and purpose, but all programs are expected to use reasonable care to minimize the risk to minors participating in the program.

• Adults supervising children in these programs are required to comply with state law pertaining to proper training, credentials and background checks.
• Children should be kept in the program area.
• A child should not be left unsupervised at any time. 
• If a child is removed from the program area, the adult who is removing the child should notify another adult working in the program before doing so.
• The recommended ratio for supervision is at least one program adult for every ten children. This ratio may be higher or lower depending on the needs and purpose of the program.
• No personal visitors are permitted at the program site except with the permission of the program director or in case of emergency.
• Photos, videos, and streaming of any child is prohibited unless for program-related purposes and only after the child’s parent or legal guardian has signed a college-provided waiver allowing the photograph, video, or live stream.
• All children participating in the program must have written permission from a parent or legal guardian allowing Kalamazoo College to seek medical treatment in case of an emergency.

Covered programs sponsored by other entities. Kalamazoo College also allows selected outside entities to rent College facilities for programs specifically designed for children. The College requires the sponsoring entity to:

• Maintain certain insurance coverage, including the College’s required minimums of commercial general liability, sexual abuse and molestation coverage, and the College listed as an additional insured.
• Comply with any applicable provisions of state law relating to training and criminal history record checks for facilities that care for or supervise children. MCL 722.623

Section VI: Children in Off-Campus Covered Programs

All Kalamazoo College participants in off-campus programs and activities are required to comply with the child protection requirements, such as training and background checks, of the off-campus site where the activities occur. All students participating in off-campus programs sponsored by a Kalamazoo College academic or administrative unit must follow the sponsoring unit’s policies for working with children as well as this Policy.

Section VII: Transportation of Children

Kalamazoo College vehicles. Any program or event that uses Kalamazoo College vehicles to transport children must have:

• Written permission from each child’s parent or legal guardian to transport the child, and
• Written permission from the program or event director to transport the child. If the program or event director is transporting their own child, they must obtain written permission from their supervisor.

Personal vehicles. Transporting children in a College employee’s personal vehicle before, during, or after a program or
event is prohibited unless the child is accompanied by their parent, legal guardian, or someone authorized by the parent. Drivers of personal vehicles should be aware that they will incur liability while driving a personal vehicle on College business as set forth in the College Transportation Policy.

Transporting minors in vehicles seating 11 or more passengers. According to Michigan law, minors involved in school-related events may not be transported in a vehicle, other than a school bus, with a manufacturer’s rated seating capacity of 11 or more passengers, including the driver (MCL 257.1810). Kalamazoo College program and event directors must comply with this law.

Section VIII: Cameras and Recording Devices

Privacy. To ensure everyone’s privacy, no cameras, cell phones, video recorders, or other recording devices may be used in any bathrooms, dressing rooms, or locker rooms on campus.

Recording. Employees and students must obtain signed authorization from the minor’s parent or guardian prior to taking photographs, motion picture films, and/or video recordings of minors for promotional purposes.

Section IX: Prospective Student Overnight Visits

College academic or administrative units sometimes arrange for prospective students to visit Kalamazoo College on an overnight stay. Any Kalamazoo College academic or administrative unit sponsoring a visit must register the visit with the Admission Office. The Admission Office informs Campus Security of the prospective student’s presence on campus. This policy’s general provisions apply to College students hosting the prospective student.

Section X: Children of Kalamazoo College Employees and Students on Campus

General. Kalamazoo College is an institution of higher learning for young adults, and as such, the environment is not always well suited for unsupervised minors. There will be times when a College employee may occasionally need or want to bring their child to campus while the employee is engaged in work or educational activities. We encourage employees to be mindful of others in the community when bringing children into the workplace and educational setting and acquire the approval of their supervisor. Supervisory approval is not required for children making brief visits to campus. 

Students with children may wish to bring their child onto campus for social events and are welcome to do so while being mindful of others around them. While bringing a child into a classroom or similar educational setting is discouraged, on rare occasions a parent may have no alternative due to sudden loss of childcare.  In such situations the student must acquire approval of the instructor as early as possible. Some educational settings, such as a chemical lab or areas of high risk, are not suitable for children. 

Responsibility for Child’s Behavior. The adult responsible for a child is also responsible for the child’s behavior, and is expected to ensure that the child complies with the directions of College personnel and does not disrupt the activity or enjoyment of any other person. The adult responsible for a child is also responsible for any damage to College property caused by the child.

Requirements. Employees or students who bring children to campus are expected to comply with the following:

• Children should not be left unsupervised by a parent or legal guardian on campus at any time or for any reason, with the exception stated below.
• The employee or student is responsible for arranging for appropriate childcare while the employee or student is at work or in class, and for any payment required for such care. Student workers paid by the College for a task other than child care may not provide child care during their regularly scheduled work hours and will not be paid by the College for child care services. However, the College may provide child care for special events from time to time and hire student workers specifically for this task.
• Children of Kalamazoo College employees or students are permitted in shared or closed work space under the direct supervision of their parent or legal guardian and with the prior approval of any other employee(s) using the space.
• Employees who live in a residence hall as a condition of their employment may leave their children supervised by someone appointed by the parent until the children reach the age of 13. Employees who live in a residence hall as a condition of their employment may exercise discretion to leave their children over the age of 13 unattended in their personal residence space.

Revocation. Allowing employees and students to bring their children to campus or on College-sponsored trips is a privilege extended by the College and may be revoked at any time and for any reason at the discretion of the College.

Approved by President’s Staff: March 5, 2014

Amended and Approved by President’s Staff: Sept. 24, 2014

Revised: October 26, 2026