A Case Study: Clery Act Policy and Implementation Strategies

The Clery Act was created as a consumer protection law to inform prospective students and their families about the safety of the campuses they consider. The law requires that post–secondary institutions participating in Title IV federal financial assistance programs remain compliant with Clery Act regulations to maintain the ability to offer financial aid funds to students. Noncompliance with the Clery Act can result in disqualification from Title IV programming and damaging institutional fines. These consequences warrant a deeper examination of the law and ways that Clery Act facilitators effectively implement compliance strategies and affect campus safety. This intrinsic case study examined how higher education administrators at a multicampus public university implement strategies to facilitate Clery Act compliance. Participants in this study were individuals employed at a multicampus institution located in the upper Midwest; 24 people were invited, and nine agreed to participate. Participants in this study included Clery officials, Title IX coordinators, and campus security authorities. Data was collected via interview, and then triangulated with artifacts and observational notes. The results of this study determined that at the site institution participants worked collaboratively between campuses and with outside stakeholders to remain in compliance with Clery Act requirements. Additional findings demonstrated that innovative approaches were being employed to improve compliance strategies and heighten campus safety efforts. Participants’ rich descriptions and narratives also evinced unanticipated findings that can serve as a springboard for future research and points of discussion to further conversations regarding campus safety and the mitigation of campus violence