Clery Act Guide: Frequently Asked Questions

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, is a federal law that requires all U.S. colleges and universities (including foreign campuses of U.S. institutions), both public and private, participating in federal student aid programs to maintain and disclose certain crime statistics and campus security/fire information. The Clery Act mandates requirements for incidents of sexual violence and emergency situations.

The Act is named in memory of Jeanne Clery who was raped and murdered in her residence hall room by a fellow student on April 5, 1986 at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Disclosures about required crime and fire statistics and summaries of security and fire policies are made in an Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report on Student Housing. Information about specific crimes and emergencies is made available on an ongoing basis through the daily crime log, fire log, timely warnings and emergency notifications.

The Act was designed to assist students, parents and other members of the campus community in making decisions which affect their personal safety.  The Clery Act requires institutions of higher education to provide current and prospective students and employees with accurate, complete and timely information about crime and campus safety.