BOG Finance and Administration Rule 5.3 - Emergency Management and Campus Safety

Finance and Administration

BOG Finance and Administration Rule 5.3 - Emergency Management and Campus Safety

Responsible Unit:  Office of Strategic Initiatives; University Police

Amended: [TBD]

Adopted:  September 21, 2018

Effective:  October 15, 2018

Review Date:  April 2024

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1. PURPOSE & SCOPE.

   1. The Board of Governors seeks to outline the guiding principles for establishing and maintaining a safe and secure campus, and for the mitigation, preparedness, and response and recovery activities due to an emergency or emergencies.
   2. This Rule applies to West Virginia University, including West Virginia University Institute of Technology and West Virginia University Potomac State College.

2. DELEGATION TO PRESIDENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.

   1. Delegation. To enable the University to function in a safe and secure manner and to advance the University’s mission and objectives, the Board delegates to the President the following authority:
      1. To develop, maintain, and implement necessary policies, procedures, and other pertinent plans regarding Emergency Management;
      2. To articulate the coordination of effective planning for, response to, recovery from, and mitigation of Emergencies;
      3. To organize and direct available resources toward an effective response to, and recovery from, Emergencies; and
      4. To establish and maintain a framework of policies, procedures, and other plans aimed at keeping a safe and secure Campus.
   2. State of Emergency. Subject to the control of the Board of Governors and applicable law, to respond to an Emergency and the related circumstances, the President shall declare a state of emergency and take any or all of the following actions or other appropriate actions:
      1. Close any part of the Campus for any length of time, or limit use of certain parts of the Campus to certain persons at certain times;
      2. Enlist the aid of any public authority, police or otherwise, as may be necessary to restore order, protect persons, property, health, safety or welfare; and
      3. See to the enforcement of the laws of the State of West Virginia; the policies, rules and regulations of the Board of Governors; and the policies, rules and regulations of the University, including any emergency orders imposed because of the declared state of emergency.
   3. At least annually, the Board shall be provided with an update on matters relating to the Emergency Management, Campus security, and Campus safety; provided, however, the Chair of the Board shall promptly be notified of any state of emergency declared by the President.

3. EMERGENCY PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS.

   1. There shall be an Emergency Plan in place at the Morgantown campus, the Keyser campus, and the Beckley campus that addresses, but it is not limited to, the following: natural disasters, such as earthquakes, flooding, or tornados; violent acts, such as active shooters and hostage situations; and health related emergencies, such as the outbreak of an infectious disease.
      1. The President shall identify other Campus locations which require an Emergency Plan.
      2. Emergency Plans shall be reviewed annually.
   2. The University shall develop and maintain a threat assessment committee or team charged with meeting on a regular basis to discuss potential human and physical threats to the University community.

4. UNIVERSITY POLICE DEPARTMENT.

   1. Consistent with state law, the University shall maintain a department of uniformed police officers to prevent crime, preserve the peace, and protect lives and property by enforcing the laws of West Virginia in a just, impartial, and equitable manner.
   2. The University Police Department (UPD) shall cooperate with federal, state and other local authorities on all manner of subjects, including the following:
      1. Development, implementation and execution of community and statewide emergency response plans;
      2. Sharing of personnel, resources, and expertise with other law enforcement agencies;
      3. Efficient and effective communications about matters requiring widespread notification; and
      4. Training and education on matters relating to crime prevention and campus safety.
   3. Among other related administrative responsibilities, the UPD shall collect, maintain, and report statistics and other data as required by law.
   4. Subject to the review of the President, the UPD may, as necessary, adopt policies or procedures regarding the internal affairs of the department.

5. DEFINITIONS.

   1. “Campus” means, for purposes of this Rule, the real property owned, leased, or controlled by the University, including, without limitation, academic campuses, research farms, and locations used for or by Extension Services programming.
   2. “Emergency” means an event or set of circumstances, as determined by the President, which (1) requires responsive action to protect life or property, or to provide relief to any part of the University or community overtaken by such occurrences; or (2) reaches such a dimension or degree of disruptiveness or destructiveness to warrant a comprehensive organizational response.
   3. “Emergency Management” refers to the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which the University reduces vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters and other hazards.
   4. “Emergency Plan” means the systematic response procedure that clearly details what needs to be done, how, when, and by whom immediately before and after the time an anticipated Emergency occurs.
   5. “UPD” refers to the University Police Department.
   6. “President” means the President of the University or the President’s designee.

6. DELEGATION.

   1. The Board of Governors delegates to the President the authority to adopt additional internal policies and procedures to effectuate the implementation of this Board of Governors Rule. Any actions taken pursuant to this delegation must be consistent with the guidelines provided by this Rule.

7. AUTHORITY.

   1. W.Va. Codes §18B-1-6, § 18B-4-5, § 18B-4-5a, and §15-5-22

8. SUPERSEDING PROVISIONS.

   1. This Rule supersedes and replaces Higher Education Policy Commission (“HEPC”) Series 54 (W. Va. Code R. §§ 133-54-1 to 45-4.1) which became effective on January 4, 2014; and any other Rule of HEPC which relates to the subject matter contained within this Rule. This Rule also repeals and supersedes and replaces any internal University policy or procedure which relates to the subject matter contained within this Rule.

Effective Date: October 15, 2018

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