SECURITY AND SAFETY

THE PERSONAL SAFETY AND WELL-BEING of the students, faculty and staff at Eastern Arizona College are always an important concern. You are encouraged to take responsibility for your own security and the security of others.

Many people are involved in keeping the campus safe and secure. A truly safe campus, however, can only be achieved through the cooperation of all students, faculty and staff.

Anyone at any campus location who becomes aware of a crime (or is the victim of a crime) or any emergency should make an accurate and prompt report of the occurrence to police or appropriate campus staff.

Thatcher Campus Police/Security Physical Address:
620 N. College Avenue
Thatcher, AZ 85552

CAMPUS POLICE/SECURITY
EAC Campus Police Department is dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment for students, faculty and staff, and the surrounding community. The department is staffed by fully certified law enforcement officers and part-time security officers who provide safety and security services 24 hours-a-day. Our law enforcement officers meet Arizona Peace Officer standards and training requirements and are given the authority to enforce all campus rules, city ordinances, and state statutes.

SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE OF CAMPUS FACILITIES

Physical Resources (Maintenance) Department maintains and regularly inspects the buildings and grounds with a careful eye for safety and security. They also respond to reports of potential safety and security hazards (i.e. broken windows, locks, etc.) making prompt repairs. Campus Police/Security regularly patrols the campus and reports any hazardous conditions to the Physical Resources Department (i.e. malfunctioning doors, lights, etc.) which falls under their purview.

College classroom facilities must remain locked when not in use. To request access, individuals should submit a Facility Request form through Coursedog at least two weeks prior to use or contact the Vice President of Administration's office for permission to use a specific room or facility.

Students and employees are encouraged to report any maintenance-related, safety and security or potential safety and security hazards to:

Thatcher Campus

Safety and Security procedures and Alert Notifications
Timely warnings will be issued, as prescribed by policy, to alert the campus community of certain crimes that pose a serious threat to safety to aid in the prevention of similar crimes. Students in residence halls are further instructed in areas of crime prevention through meetings in which printed and visual materials are reviewed and discussed. For additional safety information, Clery Act crime and fire statistics, policies and procedures relating to sexual violence, emergency response and other safety factors, review The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report at https://eac.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/security-and-fire-safetyreport.pdf. To ensure that you receive timely warnings and emergency notifications, make sure your contact information is current. Report any updates to College’s Admissions and Registration Office. All EAC students will receive these notifications through their Monster Mail account, and cell phones that have been included with your contact information.

Illegal Drugs or Alcohol Not Permitted on Campus
Eastern Arizona College seeks to encourage and sustain an academic environment that both respects individual freedom and promotes the health, safety and welfare of all members of its community.

In keeping with these objectives, the College has established a policy and set up guidelines governing the possession and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages and illegal substances.

Alcohol is not permitted anywhere on the College campus at any time. Likewise, the College does not permit the use of marijuana, LSD, cocaine or any other illegal drug on the College campus. Individuals possessing, using or distributing such drugs are subject to disciplinary action (such as formal reprimands, community service, referral to counseling, suspension and expulsion) and possible arrest, imprisonment or fine, according to Arizona state law.

Who Can Help if I or a Friend Have a Problem with Substance Abuse?
Eastern’s Academic Advising Department provides professional and confidential counseling and referrals to help students with substance abuse problems.

The Academic Advising Department is located in the Student Services Building at 615 North Stadium Avenue, Thatcher, Arizona or may be contacted by calling (928) 428-8253.

All students and employees will receive a copy of regulations 4710.01 and 5800.01 regarding the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act.

Personal Safety and Protection against Sexual Assault or Violent Crime
Eastern Arizona College considers the personal safety of students, employees, and visitors an essential element in the maintenance of a learning environment and has a responsibility to ensure they can enjoy the benefits and opportunities the College has to offer in this environment, free from:

• Dating Violence

• Domestic Violence

• Sexual Assault

• Stalking

• Bullying

• Sexual Harassment

• Sexual Misconduct

• Retaliation

Every member of the College community should be aware that the College is strongly opposed to sexual assault, violence, and other threatening or endangering behavior (see full list above). Federal law and EAC’s Student Code of Conduct and policies, prohibits such behavior.

DUTY TO REPORT
Any employee who receives a complaint of discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct or becomes aware, directly or indirectly, of a behavior that violates Title IX is required to report the alleged misconduct immediately to the Title IX Coordinator.

EAC is required by law and College policy to investigate good faith complaints of sexual misconduct. All complaints, formal or informal, will be investigated in a manner that is prompt, adequate, and impartial.

TITLE IX - SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Eastern Arizona College adheres to all federal, state, and local civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination in employment and education. The College does not discriminate in its admissions practices, in its employment practices, or in its educational programs or activities on the basis of sex/ gender. As a recipient of federal financial assistance for education activities, the College is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to ensure that all of its education programs and activities do not discriminate on the basis of sex/gender.

Any member of the campus community, guest, or visitor who acts to deny, deprive, or limit the educational, employment, residential, or social access, opportunities and/or benefits of any member of the College community on the basis of sex is in violation of Regulation 2075.01- Procedures for Alleged Violations of the Title IX Sexual Harassment Regulations.

Any person may report sex discrimination (whether or not the person reporting is the person alleged to have experienced the conduct), in person, by mail, by telephone, by video, or by email, using the contact information listed for the Title IX Coordinator (below). A report may be made at any time (including during non-business hours) by emailing the Title IX Coordinator or using this electronic form https://eac.edu/about/title-ix/.

Questions regarding Title IX, including its application and/or concerns about noncompliance, should be directed to the Title IX Coordinator. For a complete copy of the regulation or for more information, please visit Regulation 2075.01 or contact the Title IX Coordinator or go to: https://eac.edu/about/title-ix/index.php. Individuals who believe they have experienced sex discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation in violation of this regulation may contact an Official With Authority or the Title IX Coordinator directly.

EAC TITLE IX TEAM

TITLE IX COORDINATOR
Laurie Pennington
Director, Risk Management
(928) 428-8488
laurie.pennington@eac.edu

TITLE IX DEPUTY COORDINATOR
Candee Skousen
Director, Residence Life
(928) 428-8605
candee.skousen@eac.edu

TITLE IX INVESTIGATOR
Paul Demuth
Director, Athletics
(928) 428-8414
paul.demuth@eac.edu

TITLE IX ADVISORS
Dr. Aaron Westerfield
Director, Accreditation and Effectiveness
(928) 428-8342
aaron.westerfield@eac.edu

Kenny Smith
Dean of Student Services
(928) 428-8291
kenny.smith@eac.edu

Patti Wren
Student Life Administrator
(928) 428-8384
patti.wren@eac.edu

Dr. Nan Pennington
Professor Psychology
(928) 428-8350
nan.pennington@eac.edu

APPEALS OFFICERS
Alma Flores
Associate Director, Assistant Controller
(928) 428-8220
alma.flores@eac.edu

Nathan Smith
Director, Budgets and Purchasing
(928) 428-8919
nathan.smith@eac.edu

Reporting
The guiding principle in the report of a sexual assault or violent crime is to avoid re-victimizing the survivor by forcing the person into any plan of action. Assistance with the well-being of the survivor is the primary goal. Victims may contact any one of several College departments or community agencies for assistance. The following resources provide immediate aid or ongoing consultation:

In the event of a medical emergency, medical response personnel will be contacted. In the case of a sexual assault, emergency medical personnel are required to report the assault to the local law enforcement agency. However, the assault survivor who does not wish to see the police will be encouraged to seek a medical exam to treat physical problems and address the potential for injury, venereal disease, HIV, or pregnancy. The Rape Crisis Hotline can assist with these arrangements whether or not the survivor chooses to report the incident.

It is recognized that a sexual assault survivor may be undecided in reporting the assault to the police. A report to the police can empower the survivor in exercising legal rights and aid in the protection of others. If a report is to be made to the police, the survivor will be encouraged not to destroy evidence by cleaning up their person, clothing or bedding in any way. If the sexual assault survivor is undecided in reporting, the survivor will be encouraged to preserve evidence anyway in case it is decided to file a police report at a later date.

If the survivor has decided not to report the assault, the report recipient will maintain confidentiality. Other alternatives include:

• Make an anonymous report to police

• Make a report at a later date with the understanding that a report made after 72 hours may limit prosecution efforts.

Sexual assault survivors may seek counseling at any time from the College's counseling services or the Rape Crisis Hotline.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASE TRANSMISSION CONTROL
When Eastern Arizona College officials have probable cause to believe that a student or employee has contracted a communicable disease which, through transmission, may present significant injury and/or risk to the health or safety of others, those individuals will be required to seek immediate medical attention (at personal expense), or be removed from all campus activities and/or facilities. Following medical attention, and upon recommendation from an attending physician or other qualified medical provider, the Dean of Students, or the Director of Human Resources, or other official as designated by the College President, may require the student or employee to be isolated. This isolation may include, but not be limited to, temporary removal of the student from a residence hall, campus employment and classes or, for an employee, removal, or reassignment of workspace. Individual cases will not be prejudiced; rather, decisions will be made based upon the recommendation of the attending physician, medical provider, and/ or public health guidelines.

The College has established specific areas in the residence halls for accomplishing the isolation or quarantine of a student living in a residence hall with an identified communicable disease. In the event that space is not available in a residence hall, it will be the responsibility of the student living in the residence hall to secure other accommodations. An official from the County Health Department will most likely notify the College in the event of an outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic, and that a student in a College residence hall has been identified as having a communicable disease; but it is also the responsibility of a student or employee to disclose this information to the Dean of Students or Director of Human Resources in order to avoid transmission of the communicable disease to others.

Students and employees with certain identified communicable diseases not related to an outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic, may attend classes, or be employed on the College campus(es), through an accommodation, when the risk of transmission of a disease and/or the risk of further exposure/ injury to others is sufficiently remote in such setting so as to be outweighed by the detrimental effects resulting from the individuals’ exclusion from the campus. Anyone requesting an accommodation for a disability should contact the College’s Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Candace Lines, who is located in the Academic Advising Department in the Student Services Building, Office of Disability Resource Services, 615 N. Stadium Avenue, Room 139, Thatcher, Arizona 85552, or by calling (928) 428-8425, or by email at candace.lines@eac.edu. For more information related to the College’s Disability Resource Services, visit its website at: https://eac.edu/current-students/disability-resource-services/.

The College shall respect the right to privacy of any student or employee who has a communicable disease. The affected person’s medical condition shall be disclosed only to the extent necessary to minimize the health risks to other students and or staff. The Dean of Students or Director of Human Resources, or other official as designated by the College President, shall determine appropriate dissemination of information.

HEALTH SERVICES
All students are expected to provide their own health and accident insurance. When hospitalization or ambulance service is considered necessary, the College assumes no financial responsibility. Brochures describing health insurance programs for domestic and international students and dependents are available upon request from the Student Life Office on the Thatcher Campus.

For more information regarding campus health and wellness matters, visit the College’s website at https://eac.edu/current-students/activities-campus/about-the-flu/.

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
Eastern Arizona College complies with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, 20 U.S. Code §1092(f) and the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, by distributing an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report is intended to inform the campus community of campus safety information, Clery Act crime statistics, on-campus housing fire data and statistics, and policies and procedures relating to sexual violence, emergency response, and other safety factors. A copy of EAC’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available for review at https://eac.edu/student-life/campus-safety.php. Additional copies are available in EAC’s District Office.

DAILY CRIME LOG AND FIRE LOG
A daily crime log listing all crime and alleged criminal incidents reported to campus police/security is available on-site, during normal business hours, at each of the campuses.

A fire log containing all reported fires that occurred at any of EAC’s on-campus student housing facilities is available during normal business hours at the Housing Office located at 900 N. College Avenue, Thatcher AZ.

SEX OFFENDER COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION
Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13 - Criminal Code §13-3821 requires persons convicted of sexual offenses as described in that code to register within 72 hours with the Sheriff of the county they reside in after their release or move to a new location. The responsible law enforcement agency conducts a risk assessment of the offender’s likelihood to re-offend and assigns a risk level to the sex offender. Level 1 (low risk), Level 2 (intermediate risk), and Level 3 (high risk).

Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13 - Criminal Code §13-3826 establishes a Community Notification Guidelines Committee composed of the State Attorney General, state legislators, representatives from the state’s sheriffs, chiefs of police, county attorneys, adult probation officers, and parole administrators, the Director of the Department of Public Safety or their designee, the Director of the Department of Transportation or their designee, and a licensed psychologist examiner. This committee has established guidelines and monitors their implementation that provide levels of notification based on the risk that a particular offender poses to their community.

For Level 3 (high risk of re-offending) offenders and Level 2 (intermediate risk of re-offending) offenders, §13-3826 states the notification shall be made to the surrounding neighborhood, area schools, appropriate community groups, and prospective employers. The notification shall include a flyer with a photograph and exact address of the offender as well as a summary of the offender’s status and criminal background. A press release and a level three flyer shall be given to the local electronic and print media to enable information to be placed in a local publication.

The Eastern Arizona College Police Department will be placing Level 2 and 3 Sex Offender notifications on its website at the following location https://eac.edu/student-life-campus-safety-sex-offender/ as part of its compliance with the above requirements when it is determined that a Level 2 or 3 sex offender is a student or employee of the College. Additional sex offender information can be obtained on the Arizona Department of Public Safety Sex Offender website at https://azdps.gov/content/basic-page/106.

Social Security Number Use
EAC does not use the social security number of faculty, staff and students as that individual’s EAC Identification Number. Faculty, staff and students are assigned a random EAC identification number at their first enrollment or employment with EAC. Students are requested, but not required, to provide their social security number to facilitate awarding of financial aid, for learning or tuition credits for income tax purposes, and for supplementary identification purposes when necessary. Neither the social security number nor the EAC identification number are shared to third parties without the written consent of the student.

Veterans Information
Every Veteran claiming Veteran’s Educational Benefits is responsible for notifying the Veteran’s representative at Eastern Arizona College of any change in his/her schedule which causes an increase or decrease in credit hour load as soon as the change occurs. For questions, please contact the Veteran’s Representative in the Financial Aid and Veterans Services Office on the Thatcher Campus of Eastern Arizona College or phone (928) 428- 8287, or 1-800-678-3808, Ext. 8287.

Voter Registration Forms
Mail in voter registration forms for Graham and Greenlee Counties are available for all enrolled students and the public. Forms can be obtained at the reception desk in the Student Services Building on the Thatcher Campus. Voter registration forms may also be requested from the following:

Arizona Residents: Call toll free 1-877-THE VOTE (1-877-843-8683) or Access the Vote Arizona web page at www.azsos.gov for election information, voter information, and registration forms. You may also register to vote at https://vote.gov/register/az/.

New Mexico Residents: Call 1-800-477-3632 and ask for the Bureau of Elections

All Other States: Access the National Voter web page at www.vote.gov.