Dec 14, 2024  
2023-2024 College Catalog and Student Handbook 
    
2023-2024 College Catalog and Student Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Campus Security



RCC endeavors to maintain campuses on which everyone is secure and safe. Each campus has trained security staff, “best practices” procedures and planning, convenient emergency call boxes, ample lighting, and surveillance cameras. Additionally, the College maintains a threat assessment team  of trained administrators, staff, external professional service providers, and law enforcement representatives. It is each individual’s responsibility to maintain his/her own situational awareness and to be familiar with college emergency procedures. Emergency procedures, instructions, and other emergencies, security, and safety information can be found on the RCC website. Students can promote their own safety and the safety of others by doing the following:

  • walk with others to vehicles at night or request escort by campus security
  • report suspicious behavior to campus security or receptionist
  • keep possessions with you at all times
  • lock vehicles at all times
  • sign up for RCC Alert to receive safety and inclement weather messages

Threat Assessment

The College has established a formal and effective process for identifying and addressing violent threats. If you feel you or anyone else is threatened by violence, it is your obligation to report it to faculty, staff, campus security, an advisor, or directly to the Threat Assessment Team . If there is a clear and present danger of violence, a crime, or an act of violence is occurring, call 911 immediately. Likewise, campus security staff can be alerted using a blue light emergency call box at locations around campus or a red emergency telephone in each classroom. Local or state police authorities will be contacted promptly for criminal offenses such as theft, robbery, assault, or other criminal acts.

Purpose of the Threat Assessment Team

As a requirement of Virginia Code Section 23-9.2:10, each public college or university shall have in place policies and procedures for the prevention of violence on campus. RCC is committed to providing a safe campus environment that promotes student learning. As part of this commitment, RCC has established the Threat Assessment Team , a multi-disciplinary group responsible for evaluating and managing risks associated with behaviors that may present a threat to the campus community’s safety. The RCC Threat Assessment Team  (TAT) will help develop policies and procedures for violence prevention, including assessment and intervention with individuals whose behavior may pose a threat to campus safety. The RCC TAT members include the Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, Academic Deans, Dean of Student Development, Human Resources Manager, counselors, law enforcement, and legal counsel. All members of the TAT are considered to be school officials and will have complete access to student records when necessary to do their job. The TAT is responsible for addressing reported behavioral or mental health incidents involving students, faculty, staff, or visitors which occur on an RCC campus or site.

Anyone may make a referral to the TAT; this includes students, faculty, staff, and parents. Behavior that warrants a referral to the TAT includes behaviors that might compromise safety, erratic behavior that disrupts teaching or college activities, self-injurious behaviors, and suicidal ideation. You do not need to make the decision about whether a situation is an issue for TAT or should be handled by another department; when in doubt, make a referral. The TAT members will review the information provided in the referral and take the appropriate action.

Report a Threat

If you feel there is an immediate threat, dial 911, and contact campus security:

  • Glenns 804-758-6765
  • Warsaw 804-333-6765
  • Kilmarnock Center, King George, and New Kent site: call 911

To make a report in person, you may provide a report to one of the deans, administrators, or staff. Your report will be forwarded to the TAT.

You may report a threat online. With online reporting, you may remain anonymous or self-identify and request follow-up communication.

Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act

Rappahannock Community College intends to provide a safe environment for all students and employees and be in compliance with the Campus Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990. Procedures are in place to aid students and employees in reporting criminal actions or obtaining information on crime statistics.

How to Report Criminal Actions

Criminal actions should be reported to campus security or the college receptionist. Reports may be made:

  • by personal contact
  • by dialing -0- on any office phone during business hours (8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday)
  • by depressing the button on blue lighted emergency call boxes located on the Glenns and Warsaw Campuses
  • by calling 911

Local or state police authorities will be contacted promptly for the following criminal offenses:

  • murder
  • rape
  • robbery
  • aggravated assault
  • burglary
  • motor vehicle theft
  • liquor law violations
  • drug abuse violations
  • weapons possession

The Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services will determine if local or state police authorities are to be contacted for other crimes.

Timely Warning Policy

It is the policy of Rappahannock Community College to issue a timely warning to the college community for any Clery Act crime that occurs on RCC’s Clery geography. Timely warnings are issued for crimes that have been reported to campus security or local police agencies and that are considered by the institution to represent a serious or continuing threat to students and employees. Timely Warnings may be issued for threats to persons or to property. Timely Warnings may be issued for non-Clery crimes as the individual situation warrants if such crimes pose a serious or continuing threat to the campus community. Issuance of a timely warning will be made on a case-by-case basis to be determined by the nature of the crime, the continuing danger to the campus community, and other factors that may be pertinent to the particular situation. Timely warnings will be issued to the campus community as soon as pertinent information regarding the crime is available. It is not the intent of the college to compromise law enforcement efforts in issuing a timely warning to the college community.

Security of and Access to Facilities

Facilities will be locked during non-operating hours. Access to campus facilities will be during normal operating hours. Access to the off-campus sites (Kilmarnock, New Kent, and King George) will be determined by offerings and events, as scheduled.

Importance of Reporting Criminal Actions

It is important to report all crimes, no matter how minor they may seem. Most importantly, crimes or suspicious activity should be reported immediately, so action can be taken right away.

Drug or Alcohol Abuse

Rappahannock Community College prohibits the illegal possession, use, and sale of illegal drugs and alcohol. The college adheres to the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act and the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Policy on Alcohol and Other Drugs. Copies of these policies are available in the human resources office.

Crime Definitions

Following are the Uniform Crime Reporting Program definitions of reportable crimes:

  • Murder is “the willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.”
  • Rape is “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”
  • Dating violence is violence committed by a person: (A) who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and (B) where the existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of the length and type of relationship and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.
  • Domestic violence is crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child, by a person who is cohabitating or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse, by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under Virginia’s domestic or family violence laws, or by any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under Virginia’s domestic or family violence laws.
  • Stalking is engaging in the course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for his/her safety or the safety of others; or suffer substantial emotional distress.
  • Robbery is “the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.”
  • Aggravated Assault is “an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury.” Burglary is “the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft.”
  • Motor vehicle theft is “the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle.”