Compliance Resources
The Compliance and Policy Office is collecting and providing information and guidance about the major compliance areas at W&M. The initial offerings will be expanded; please contact us with suggestions for additional content or requests for guidance.
Campus Safety
Numerous federal and state laws impose compliance obligations related to safety and security. Information about one of the most significant federal laws, the Clery Act, including W&M's annual Campus Safety Report (pdf), is available on the Office of Institutional Analysis and Effectiveness's website.
William & Mary has policies and procedures designed to ensure its Campus Safety Report is accurate. The primary policy is the Crime Reporting Policy.
Child Abuse - Virginia Law Requiring Reporting of Suspected Abuse of a Minor (individual 17 years or younger)
Under Virginia law, effective July 1, 2012, every William & Mary employee (including faculty) is required to report suspected abuse or neglect of a minor – any individual under the age of 18. The reporting requirement arises when the employee, in his or her professional or official capacity with the university, has reason to suspect abuse or neglect.
In limited circumstances, attorneys and certain religious officials are exempt from the reporting requirement. (§ 63.2-1509(A)(18))
The law requires reports to be made as soon as possible, but no longer than 24 hours after having reason to suspect the abuse.
Reports must be made to the Department of Social Services toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline (in Virginia: 800-552-7096) or to the local department of social services. The Department of Social Services provides an online list of local social services agencies; the abuse or neglect can be reported to the department of the county or city where the minor resides or where the abuse or neglect is believed to have occurred.
If the individual suspecting the abuse or neglect has actual knowledge that the same matter has already been reported, he or she does not need to report.
The person reporting must disclose all information that is the basis for the suspicion of abuse or neglect; if requested, the person reporting must make available any information, records, or reports that document the basis of the report, unless disclosure violates FERPA, a federal law that protects student records. (Information about FERPA is available in the university’s Student Records Privacy Policy.)
Good-faith reporters will be immune from any civil or criminal liability resulting from such report.
Anyone who is required by the law to report but fails to do so in a timely manner will be fined up to $500 for the first failure, and not less than $1,000 for any subsequent failure. Anyone who intentionally fails to report rape, sodomy, or object sexual penetration will be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
More information, including guidance on what constitutes and how to identify child abuse, is available in the Guide for Mandated Reporters (pdf) published by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Social Services.
Discrimination Compliance
The university is committed to providing a discrimination and harassment-free environment for its students and employees. This commitment is expressed in W&M's Code of Ethics, its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, and policies and procedures. These policies and procedures are collected on the university's policy library under "Discrimination-Related Policies and Procedures." Guidance regarding these policies is provided by W&M's Office of Diversity & Equal Opportunity.
The Office of Diversity & Equal Opportunity helps ensure compliance with discrimination laws in recruitment and hiring, processes disability accommodation requests by applicants and employees, and provides guidance and assistance with other discrimination concerns and complaints, including information on the ways to report or complain of discrimination, including discriminatory harassment and retaliation.
Sexual assault is the most severe form of sexual harassment. Student Affairs provides resources regarding sexual assault.
William & Mary's compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (which prohibits sex-based discrimination against students, including by requiring equal opportunities in athetics), the Americans with Disabilities Act and Sections 503 (which requires affirmative action plans for individuals with disabilities and prohibits disability-based employment discrimination) and 504 (which prohibits disability-based discrimination and requires reasonable accommodation of disabilities and accessibility) of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Age Discrimination Act (which prohibits age discrimination in educational programs and activities) is coordinated by the Chief Compliance Officer.
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces Titles VI (which prohibits race and national origin-based discrimination) and VII (which prohibits race, color, national original, sex, or religion-based discrimination) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, certain violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and other federal discrimination laws applicable to employees, provides guidance on the various types of discrimination on its website.
The federal Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education, which enforces certain elements of the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act, Title IX, and certain other federal discrimination laws applicable to students, provides guidance on various discrimination topics in its online reading room.
Environmental and Workplace Safety Compliance
The Environmental, Health and Safety Office, within Facilities Management, provides services related to many workplace and research safety and environmental compliance obligations, including:
- fire safety
- asbestos
- hazardous waste
- radiation and lasers
- bloodborne pathogens.
Research Compliance
The VP for Research is W&M's Research Institutional Official and has responsibility for compliance issues associated with the conduct of research.
Research is regulated in three primary ways:
- Research involving federal monies -- grants -- is heavily regulated. Regulations relate to research integrity, cost accounting and cash management, and conflicts of interest -- among other matters. Information on institutional and federal requirements is provided by the Office of Sponsored Programs.
- Research involving hazardous chemicals, radiation, animals, human subjects, biological waste, lasers, recombinant DNA, infectious and other biological agents. Information is available through the Office of Sponsored Programs and the Office of Environmental Health & Safety.
- Research involving work with certain foreign nationals, travel to certain foreign countries, release of certain information to foreign nationals, or research involving technology or devices that may have military or intelligence application. Information is available from the Technology Transfer Office.
In addition, restrictions on use of intellectual property and copyrighted materials, and on conflicts of interest, are applicable to all researchers. Guidance on these restrictions is found in university policies.
Information regarding research compliance is compiled in the Grants & Research Administration Policy Handbook.