Zero Tolerance of Campus Violence Policy and Plan

This policy and plan of Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is to achieve zero tolerance of campus violence. The policy and plan have been developed in accordance with state law.

Minnesota State Law

In 1992, the Minnesota Legislature adopted the following into State statute (sections 1.50 and 15.90): “The State of Minnesota adopts a policy of zero tolerance of violence. It is State policy that every person in the State has a right to live free from violence.”

In furtherance of that policy, Minnesota Statute 15.86 mandated each agency of State government adopt a goal of zero tolerance of violence in, and around, the agency location. Each such agency was also required to develop a plan describing how the agency will seek to eliminate any potential for violence (a) in and around the agency, and (b) affecting the attitudes and behavior of the people whom the agency serves or regulates.

Definition of Violence
In 1994, the Minnesota Legislature’s Violence Prevention Advisory Task Force endorsed this definition of violence as a reference for those working on violence prevention issues: Violence is the abusive or unjust exercise of power, intimidation, harassment, and/or the threatened or actual use of force which results in or has a high likelihood of causing hurt, fear, injury, suffering, or death.

Violence generally falls into three categories: (a) a violent act or threat by a current or former employee, student, supervisor, or manager, or someone who has some involvement with a current or former employee, such as an employee’s spouse, significant other, relative, or other person who has had a dispute with an employee; (b) a violent act or threat by someone receiving service from the agency; or (c) a violent act by someone unrelated to the campus environment.

Violent acts are frequently the end result of long-standing disputes or unresolved arguments which can begin with a disrespectful comment or action and escalate to more serious levels of violence. A continuum of violence often begins with such acts as namecalling or other negative comments which progress to pushing, shoving, or shouting that can continue into physical assault. The complete campus climate or environment must be assessed in order to prevent violence, rather than merely respond to incidents or violence on campus. Factors external to the campus may impact the safety of the campus environment, e.g., the spillover effects of family violence.

It is imperative Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College foster and promote a positive environment and culture for its employees, students, and visitors.

Goals
It is the goal of Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College to achieve an environment which is free from threats and acts of violence, whether perceived or real. Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will not tolerate campus violence of any type or from any source, including threatening or violent action by (a) employees, whether directed against students, visitors, or other employees; or (b) student or visitors, whether directed against employees or other students or visitors.

Policy

It is the policy of Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and the responsibility of its employees, students, and visitors to maintain a campus free from threats and acts of violence. Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will work to provide a safe campus for its employees, students and visitors.

Each employee, student, and visitor with whom we come into contact in our work at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College deserves to be treated with courtesy and respect. This will be accomplished by encouraging mutual respect among all individuals, establishing open and honest communication, and enforcing zero tolerance for any type of violent behavior.

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will work through information, training, and enforcement, to foster an environment and culture that is devoid of violence for employees, students and visitors. The policy of Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College includes these items:

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will actively work to prevent and eliminate acts of campus-related violence.
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will clarify and enforce expectations regarding behaviors for employees, students, and visitors.
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will respond promptly, positively, and aggressively to deal with threats or acts of violence. That response will include timely involvement of law enforcement agencies when appropriate.
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College hereby adopts, and will work to enforce, a policy of prohibiting possession of firearms and other dangerous weapons on college property.
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will treat seriously all incidents of campus-related threats or acts of violence. Reports of all such acts will be promptly investigated, and management will take appropriate and necessary action to address each incident.
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will take strong disciplinary action, up to and including discharge from State employment, against employees of the district who are involved in the commission of campus-related threats or acts of violence.
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will support criminal prosecution of those who threaten or commit campus-related violence against its employees, students, or visitors.
Pursuant to Minnesota Statute 15.86, this policy does not create any civil liability on the part of the State of Minnesota.
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will provide information and training for employees, students, and visitors to foster an environment that is safe, respectful, proactive, and responsive to threats or acts of violence.

Plan for Implementing Zero Tolerance of Campus Violence

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is committed to ensuring the campus provides for the safety and reasonable protection from violence, of employees, students, and visitors, all of whom will be treated with respect and dignity. That goal will be accomplished by these actions:

Safe Campus

A College Safety and Security Report will be prepared for Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College addressing the physical security requirements for on campus and including procedures for appropriate response to threats and acts of violence.

Violence Prevention

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will attempt to limit violence from both external and internal sources by positively affecting the attitudes and behavior of employees, students, and visitors.

Interaction

Emphasis will be placed on treating all people with respect and dignity, and on maintaining a calm attitude and demeanor towards others.

Behavior

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College operations will be conducted in a fair, efficient, reliable, and understandable manner.

Conduct Codes and Discipline

Standards of conduct at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will be clear, communicated, and consistently enforced, and discipline will be used fairly, consistently, and appropriately to deal with instances of unacceptable behavior.

Leadership

All employees will be expected to promote positive behavior, and to lead by example in the zero tolerance of campus violence.

Language and Behavior

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will not tolerate rude, offensive, insulting, derogatory, hateful, threatening, or violent language or behavior among its employees, students, or visitors, including, but not limited to, such things as name-calling, heated arguments, obscene language or gestures, throwing things, harassment, pushing, stalking insulting or slighting comments, bullying, hazing, unjust or unwarranted exercise of power, negative racial or sexual comments, assault, inappropriate touching, carrying weapons, making “fun of ” or showing disrespect for others, offensive, derogatory or inappropriate references to others, or any other form of language or behavior which intimidates, is offensive to, or manifests hostility toward another, whether that language or behavior occurs on campus or at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College functions away from the campuses.

Staff Training

All employees will be provided with training in how to deal with campus-related threats and acts of violence. That training will focus on threat awareness; identifying, preventing, and de-escalating violence, appropriate responses to threats and acts of violence, and identification of resources which are available for use once a potential problem has been identified or an incident has occurred. Assessment of additional training needs for employees will be made, upon request by the area supervisor, and appropriate training programs will be developed and presented. Other training and information that fosters a positive environment, such as stress reduction, conflict management, and confronting and dealing with unacceptable behavior, will be made available.

Safety Promotion

Information and instruction will be provided or posted for employees, students and visitors regarding appropriate responses to potential safety.

Valuing and Respecting Diversity

It is the policy and practice of Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College to value and respect individual differences among people. Harassment of any person on campus is strictly prohibited. Harassment can be any behavior which is unwelcome, personally offensive, insulting, or demeaning, when (a) submission to such conduct is explicitly or implicitly made a term or condition of an individual’s employment or status as a student, (b) submission to, or rejection of, such conduct is used as the basis for decisions affecting such an individual, or (c) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an employee’s or student’s performance, or of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive campus environment.

Harassment and discrimination are serious concerns, incidents of which may, if not corrected, result in violence. The Administration will treat reports of harassment and discrimination seriously; complaints will be promptly investigated, and, if necessary, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Supervisors have a primary responsibility for ensuring a safe campus environment. They are specifically empowered to take immediate action to resolve or stabilize violent situations on campus, and to protect people from harm. Supervisors will ensure appropriate incident response resources are notified immediately when a threat is made or a violent incident occurs. They will also ensure appropriate disciplinary responses to campus violence and aggression are made.

Incident Response

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College’s Chief Student Affairs Officer will be responsible for coordinating responses to violent or threatening situations on campus. The Chief Student Affairs Officer will (a) assist supervisors in the development of applicable training programs, (b) serve as a resource referral agent and information source for supervisors and others with regard to campus-related violence. This will require that the Chief Student Affairs Officer (a) perform situation assessments and evaluations, (b) assist with attempts to de-escalate and properly manage potential violent situations, (c) facilitate and coordinate response actions of appropriate resources, both internal and external, and (d) ensure appropriate follow-up action is taken, e.g., investigation, victim assistance, preventive and corrective actions.

Dangerous Weapon Prohibition

The possession of any dangerous weapon at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College by any person, other than official firearms carried by a law enforcement officer and specific exceptions accorded through the Minnesota Personal Protection Act of 2003, is strictly prohibited. Employees and students are prohibited from possessing any dangerous weapon while on the college site or at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College events.

The category “dangerous weapon” includes, but is not limited to: any weapon which, per applicable law, is illegal to possess, any firearm, loaded or unloaded, assembled or disassembled, including pellet, “BB”, and stun guns (electronic incapacitation devices); replicate firearms, as defined in Minnesota Statute 609.713; knives, and other similar instruments with a blade length of more than three inches, other than those normally present in the workplace for the specific purpose of food preparation and service; any switchblade knife; brass knuckles, metal knuckles, and similar weapons; bows, cross-bows, and arrows; explosives and explosive devices, including fireworks and incendiary devices; throwing stars, num-chuks, clubs, saps, and any other item commonly used, or primarily intended for use as a weapon; any object that has been modified to serve as, or has been employed as a dangerous weapon, or any other item considered in the professional judgment of the Chief Student Affairs Officer to be, or have the potential to be, a dangerous weapon.

Welcoming Environment

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will endeavor to create and maintain an environment that is caring and supportive, and will try to assist employees and students in positively resolving problems, losses, and other stressors that arise in their lives.

Campus Stress

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will continue to seek ways to reduce campus stress.

Campus Safety

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will continue to promote safety for employees, students, and visitors at the College.

Violence Risk Reduction

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will strive to increase awareness about general issues of violence, and to prepare employees and students to identify risk factors and to take action to reduce risk. Procedures have been implemented to screen employees prior to hiring, and training will be provided to help recognize signs of trouble in employee situations.

Incident Reporting

All incidents of threats or acts of violence are to be immediately reported to the following persons: Students – report incidents to the Chief Student Affairs Officer and/or a counselor; Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College staff – report incidents to the supervisor or, if the supervisor is not available, the Chief Student Affairs Officer should be notified. The Human Resources Office is available in any instance to accept a report should it be impractical or inappropriate to report to the other parties listed. Reports must fully detail the specific incident and identify all persons involved, including witnesses. An Incident Report Form shall be completed for each incident. All reports will be fully investigated by the Chief Student Affairs Officer, who will provide a full report to the President, including a follow-up on the response action taken. Media inquiries regarding incidents of workplace violence will be handled in accordance with the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Crisis Plan.

Critical Incidents

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will develop and implement procedures for dealing with critical incidents, i.e., any, incident (a) involving an employee which results in death or substantial bodily harm to an employee, student, or member of the public (b) in which deadly force, as defined in Minnesota Statutes 609.066, Subdivision l, is used by or against an employee or student, or (c) deemed serious enough by circumstances to warrant investigation and review. All critical incidents will be reported to the senior administrator in charge of the campus, who will report it to the Chief Student Affairs Officer, as appropriate. The Chief Student Affairs Officer will follow the reporting procedures for violent acts. The critical incidents procedures will also include appropriate responses, legal, discipline, leave, counseling, relocation, or reassignment, as appropriate for students or staff.

Copies of this policy and plan will be distributed to all students, employees, posted on all employee and student bulletin boards, and described in the Staff and Student Handbooks. Supervisors will be responsible for informing employees of the policy and plan, and for enforcing compliance with them.

The policy and plan will be discussed at new employee orientation and new student orientation. A copy of the policy and plan will also be available in the Human Resources Office. Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will continue to provide information about the services available through the Employee Assistance Program and the Health and Wellness Program to help employees deal with concerns and issues related to workplace or family violence. Training needs will be assessed and training sessions for supervisors and employees will be developed and presented. Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will work to further advance this plan and will identify and address specific action items.

Effective January 2, 1997, the Chief Student Affairs Officer assumed responsibility for coordinating the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College response to campus-related threats and acts of violence. Supervisors will continue to have primary responsibility for ensuring a safe campus, monitoring and resolving student and employee conflicts, or disputes. They will also take appropriate corrective action when potentially violent situations develop, and work with the Chief Student Affairs Officer if and when threats or acts of violence do occur.

To report any incidents, please see Damien Paulson, Interim Vice President of Student Services and Enrollment Management, 218-879-0805 (Room 147) to complete a Student Concern/Complaint/Grievance form.