Case in Point

Spring graduation season is upon us, which means summer is right around the corner. One benefit of living in a college town is the range of programming the university offers for children in the community. Auburn sponsors more than 100 summer youth programs across many subjects and disciplines. This month, I asked Kim White, Institutional Compliance Manager and Youth Protection Officer, to share her perspective as she helps Auburn prepare for a full and busy summer.

At this time of year, many campuses are gearing up for summer camps, working diligently to meet the requirements of the policies and procedures designed to keep youth and our staff safe during youth programs. While more and more universities have built robust youth protection frameworks—including event registration, background checks, training, supervision plans, and collecting and securely storing information about youth participants—site visits are a critical component of internal monitoring and oversight that help youth protection move from policy to practice.

What Site Visits Tell Us
Many of the compliance requirements for summer camps and other youth programs happen before the programs begin. Site visits, whether formal or informal, are real-time checks that youth programs are operating in compliance with the university’s policies and procedures. Site visits usually verify basic youth protection requirements:

• Have the adults involved with the youth program completed background checks and youth protection training?

• Are the minors being effectively supervised?

• Do staff avoid one-on-one interactions with minors?

• What are the program’s procedures for check-in, check-out, and medication collection?

• Do staff know what to do if there is a problem, whether that’s a behavioral issue, an accident or injury, an angry parent, or a situation that involves mandatory reporting?

Site visits aren’t intended to be “gotcha” exercises—they allow compliance professionals to see youth programs in action, address issues, and discover if there are common struggles or risks across programs that require additional assistance or resources. When multiple programs are experiencing the same roadblock, policies or procedures should be reviewed to determine if a policy that looks good on paper isn’t workable in practice. If done thoughtfully, these visits can remind program directors that the university wants to ensure safe program operations and will assist in problem solving.

When Non Compliance Is Identified
When site visit observations show that expectations are not being met, the university’s response should be timely, proportional, and corrective. Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, actions may include:

• Required corrective action during the program

• Follow up training or procedural changes

• Removal of specific staff from youth programs

• In serious or repeated cases, suspension or prohibition of future programs

These measures are intended to protect minors, address risk promptly, and ensure consistency and accountability across campus programs. The site visits underscore that compliance isn’t a checkbox—it’s a continuing responsibility.

The Takeaway
Youth programs are a visible and important outreach activity for universities, but they come with risks. Site visits give compliance professionals a more accurate view of how summer camps operate in practice, helping to deliver on the promises made about care, supervision, and protection.

Thank you for that important insight, Kim. Protecting minors who visit our campuses is a critical responsibility for all higher education institutions. We invite you to review your university’s youth protection policies, as well as all the risk-related stories that have been in the news in the last month. As always, we welcome your comments and feedback. 

Apr 13: Audit Dings Eastern Connecticut State University for Insecure IT - Data Security: Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic failed to fully secure its data center and lacked sufficient control over who could access a "sensitive" information technology area, a new state audit concluded. Other findings criticized the university for not maintaining sufficient maintenance logs, having an incomplete emergency response plan and not providing documentation on how employees were trained on contingency plans.

Apr 09: Tulane employees’ social security numbers, banking details exposed in data breach - Data Breach: Multiple Tulane University employees are victims of a data breach that exposed names, social security numbers, direct deposit and banking information, according to letters sent by the university. It is unclear how many employees are affected.

Apr 06: Harvard faces ‘active and specific cybersecurity threat’ - Phishing: Online actors are posing as Harvard University IT personnel and setting up phony websites, designed to look like official Harvard login pages, as part of a targeted campaign to intrude into the university’s network, The Harvard Crimson reported Friday.

Apr 01: Ransomware group claims it stole data from Monmouth University - Ransomware: The PEAR (Pure Extraction and Ransom) cybercriminal group this month took credit for a ransomware attack against Monmouth University in New Jersey, claiming it made off with 16 terabytes the institution’s data. The PEAR group has claimed credit for 64 ransomware attacks, 13 of which have been confirmed by their victims. Six of those attacks were against educational institutions, including two community colleges.

Apr 23: State Auditor: NC A&T gave millions to students because of connections, not merit - Financial Misconduct: The North Carolina State Auditor's Office found that millions of dollars in financial aid went to out-of-state North Carolina A&T University students who did not meet certain criteria for it and were tied to former university officials.

Apr 13: Alleged fraudster wanted in multiple states arrested in West Virginia - Theft: A Virginia man accused of fraud in multiple states is behind bars in Kanawha County after allegedly stealing checks from West Virginia University buildings while pretending to be a building inspector. According to a criminal complaint, on April 10, officers with the Charleston Police Department met with a victim who reported that a check belonging to her worth $850 had been "fraudulently cashed" at a credit union in Charleston.

Apr 09: Beware of scam: Imposters posing as UMass Amherst Police - Scam: The University of Massachusetts-Amherst Police have issued a warning stating con artists are using their business line, demanding money to avoid arrest and deportation. UMass police say that the scam involves an incoming call using the department’s phone number to defraud people by claiming that they have a warrant and need money to avoid arrest and deportation.

Apr 07: Former Cooper employee accused of $2.5-million medical supply theft - Occupational Fraud: A former employee is accused of stealing approximately $2.5 million worth of medical supplies from Cooper University Hospital in Camden. [The employee] allegedly sold the stolen goods to a wholesale firm in South Carolina, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

Apr 29: Trump administration probes Stanford University over diversity practices - Civil Rights Investigation: The U.S. Department of Education said on Wednesday it was ​starting a probe into Stanford University over practices aimed at increasing ‌diversity that the Trump administration has called discriminatory.

Apr 28: Sports betting integrity violations involving 2 men’s basketball student-athletes occurred at Fordham - NCAA Compliance: Two former Fordham men's basketball student-athletes are permanently ineligible as a result of violations involving potential game manipulation for sports betting reasons, according to a decision released by the Division I Committee on Infractions.

Apr 28: Students injured in Brown University shooting sue school over alleged security failures - Negligence Lawsuit: Three students who were injured in the December campus shooting at Brown University are each suing the Ivy League school, alleging it ignored prior warnings about the shooter and did not provide adequate security that could have prevented the tragedy.

Apr 24: University of Tennessee associate professor placed on paid leave following aggravated domestic assault charge - Employee Conduct: The University of Tennessee has placed an associate professor on paid administrative leave after he was charged with a felony.

Apr 23: Emory professors take on their own university after arrests at 2024 Israel-Hamas war protest - First Amendment: Three professors at Atlanta’s Emory University filed a lawsuit Thursday over their arrests during a 2024 campus protest over the Israel-Hamas war, saying the university broke its own free speech policies when it called in police and state troopers to aggressively disband the protest, making 28 arrests.

Apr 23: UMass Amherst chef charged with wife’s killing at on-campus hotel - Employee Conduct: An award-winning chef at the University of Massachusetts Amherst appeared in Eastern Hampshire District Court Thursday, accused of beating his wife to death at Hotel UMass Wednesday night.

Apr 23: DSU football player sues university, coach DeSean Jackson over alleged locker room assault - Negligence Lawsuit: A former Delaware State University football player is suing the university, several members of its football staff, and a former teammate over an alleged locker room assault that he says caused severe and permanent injuries.

Apr 22: BYU professor arrested on suspicion of enticing a minor - Employee Conduct: A Brigham Young University professor has been arrested and placed on administrative leave after he was accused of inappropriately messaging an individual he believed to be a minor.

Apr 21: Towson U campus shooting liability case tossed by MD Supreme Court - Liability: The Maryland Supreme Court dropped a case on Tuesday over Towson University’s liability for an on-campus shooting, stating that it shouldn’t have granted review of the case in the first place. The order tossing the case means that TU is not liable for the shooting, and its victories in Baltimore County Circuit Court and the Maryland Appellate Court will stand -- though the Supreme Court ordered Towson to pay the costs of the appeal. It also means the state’s high court won’t set precedent on the issue of universities’ liability for acts of violence by third parties on their property.

Apr 22: Judge approves landmark Title IX settlement: 'These women have made history' - Title IX: A federal judge has approved a landmark settlement that will pay former female athletes at San Diego State a combined $300,000 in damages after they sued the school and accused it of violating Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sexual discrimination in the workplace.

Apr 17: Federal Accessibility Deadline Will Be Delayed One Year - ADA Compliance: One week before the deadline for state and local governments to make all digital products and services accessible for people with disabilities, the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) is extending the deadline with an extra year to comply.

Apr 16: Georgia professor arrested for sending 'obscene material' to minor, investigators say - Employee Conduct: A college professor in Georgia was arrested for sending explicit material to a minor, according to police.

Apr 15: Texas Tech law student sues to block discipline related to Charlie Kirk comments - First Amendment: A Texas Tech University law student is suing university leaders and faculty, arguing they violated her free speech rights by disciplining her over comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Apr 14: UCLA gynecologist pleads guilty to 13 sexual abuse charges and is sentenced to 11 years in prison - Employee Conduct: A former University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) gynecologist pleaded guilty to 13 felony sexual abuse charges on Tuesday in connection with the sexual assault of several patients over his career, and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. [He] was originally sentenced in 2023 to 11 years in prison after being convicted of five counts of sexual battery and penetration involving two patients. That sentence was overturned by an appeals court in February.

Apr 13: Tufts ordered to pay nearly $4 million in damages for breaching tenure contracts with School of Medicine faculty, state court rules - Breach of Contract: A state court ruled in favor of eight Tufts School of Medicine basic science faculty members earlier this month in a lawsuit over compensation plans that were determined to have violated tenure’s promises of "economic security," ordering the university to pay nearly $4 million in damages.

Apr 10: Kansas governor signs bill to curb race-related instruction at public colleges - State Law: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation Wednesday that will prohibit the state’s public colleges from requiring students to take "DEI-CRT" courses, a move that critics warn could censor classroom instruction. The legislation is part of a wave of bills targeting college classroom instruction related to diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory, a decades-old academic framework that in part teaches that racism is systemic.

Apr 10: College president's bizarre obsession with 23-year-old student exposed as probe reveals lavish handouts and hand-written notes had her HIDING on campus - Employee Conduct: A college president suddenly retired after an investigation found he developed an obsessive and inappropriate relationship with a student. [The 63-year-old man] stepped down as president of Cape Cod Community College in March following an external probe into his behavior toward a 23-year-old female student he initially intended to mentor.

Apr 09: Ball State settles lawsuit over firing of employee for Charlie Kirk online post - First Amendment: A former Ball State University employee has settled her lawsuit against the Muncie school for firing her over a social media post about Charlie Kirk’s death.

Apr 08: Political oversight reaches Texas college classrooms, with Texas Tech and A&M at the forefront - First Amendment: In late February a group of students and faculty gathered at Texas Tech University in Lubbock to protest changes to course content that the university had imposed on professors. Ahead of the spring semester, both the Texas Tech and the Texas A&M University Systems announced restrictions on what professors can teach about race, gender and sexual orientation. To ensure compliance, they implemented a review of course materials.

Apr 08: OSU-Cascades Chancellor under investigation, accused of alleged sexual misconduct involving students, according to sources and documents - Employee Conduct: Sources and documents uncovered by KTVZ News appear to show that the dean and chancellor of Oregon State University-Cascades is under investigation for alleged inappropriate sexual conduct involving students.

Apr 06: Trump Administration Pulls Out of Civil Rights Settlements Backing Trans Students - Title IX: The Trump administration on Monday terminated multiple civil rights settlements aimed at ensuring transgender students’ rights to equal opportunity to an education, forcing school officials to choose whether to comply with the government’s interpretation of federal anti-discrimination laws or to abide by conflicting state statutes.

Apr 23: Cedarville professor arrested on rape, sexual assault charges - Employee Conduct: A Cedarville University professor has been indicted by a grand jury on multiple sex-related charges eight months after he was placed on administrative leave and barred from campus.

Apr 02: Rutgers grad sues school over ‘gross negligence’ in racking up $516 million sports debt - Lawsuit: A Rutgers University graduate has filed a class action lawsuit against his alma mater alleging that the school’s athletic department "has squandered tens of millions in taxpayer funding" through "wasteful spending, lack of oversight, and other gross negligence" and has "harmed New Jersey taxpayers" while racking up a half-billion dollar deficit over the past decade.

Apr 01: Federal Judge Approves Trump Effort to Obtain List of Jews From Penn - Title VI: The Trump administration was within its rights to demand that the University of Pennsylvania turn over information about Jews on campus as part of a federal investigation into discrimination at the school, a federal judge decided Tuesday. The government’s investigation had united Penn leaders with Jewish students and faculty members as they opposed the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s subpoena.

Apr 01: Diné College provost says she was fired for being white - Discrimination: Seventeen days after taking office, [the] Diné College President terminated Provost Alysa Landry and wrote in the dismissal letter that she was replacing her with "a qualified Navajo individual." Landry said Saturday evening that she was fired without cause and received the termination letter by email from human resources.

Apr 01: Pikes Peak State College instructor facing more than 70 counts of sexual assault on student under 18 - Employee Conduct: An instructor at Pikes Peak State College (PPSC) is facing dozens of charges related to an investigation into an alleged inappropriate sexual relationship with a minor student, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO). According to the sheriff’s office, investigators found he used his role as a professor to manipulate the victim into the relationship, including allegedly promising an internship, giving special attention and ensuring high grades on exams.

Apr 30: Murder suspect captured inside USC fitness center after chase ends on Columbia campus - Campus Security: A murder suspect wanted out of Anderson County was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after a pursuit ended on the campus of the University of South Carolina, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Richland County Sheriff's Department.

Apr 29: Ohio college student allegedly vandalizes TPUSA booth, calls members 'neck gushers' - Speech: A student at Kent State University allegedly vandalized a Turning Point USA booth, calling members "neck gushers," according to a video posted by FRONTLINES TPUSA.

Apr 29: Man accused of running meth lab at Michigan State University's Wells Hall - Drugs: A man was arrested for allegedly running a meth lab inside Wells Hall at Michigan State University, police say. The MSU Department of Police and Public Safety says it received a report of property damage inside the building last week and determined the damage was caused by "alleged criminal activity."

Apr 29: Man arrested at Ga. college for allegedly filming underneath woman’s skirt - Voyeurism: A disturbing crime led to the arrest of a man on Kennesaw State University’s (KSU) campus. The suspect allegedly filmed underneath a woman’s skirt inside an academic building, according to an arrest warrant.

Apr 29: New report details suspect's worsening behavior before 2 USF students' killings - Student Deaths: The behavior of a suspect in the murders of two University of South Florida students from Bangladesh worsened over time from marijuana use, family members told deputies after his arrest three years ago for punching his brother in the face and kicking his mother in the back.

Apr 29: Penn State fraternity suspended for at least 4 years after hazing investigation - Hazing: Penn State has imposed a four-year suspension on the Delta Chi fraternity after an investigation into reports of hazing, while another fraternity was placed on interim suspension earlier this month for alleged violations of university guidelines.

Apr 28: Man accused of threatening Duke Energy CEO at NC State commencement - Threat: A man was taken into custody for threatening Duke Energy's CEO during a planned commencement speech at NC State.

Apr 27: Stony Brook University student arrested for allegedly selling drugs on campus - Drugs: A 20-year-old Stony Brook University student was arrested Monday and charged with selling narcotics from his dorm room.

Apr 24: Three University of Arizona fraternities facing serious hazing allegations - Hazing: Six University of Arizona fraternities are under investigation. Three of them, Sigma Alpha Mu, Sigma Chi, and Phi Delta Theta, face the most serious allegations. The fraternities received a letter from the Dean of Students citing hazing allegations. Two of them were placed on Interim Loss of Recognition.

Apr 22: Ohio State revokes status of Kappa Delta Rho fraternity for violating alcohol, hazing policies - Hazing: Ohio State University has revoked the registered student organization status of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity for violating hazing and alcohol policies. That means the fraternity is no longer recognized by the university and can't get any of the benefits that registered university organizations are able to receive.

Apr 20: West Chester University police investigating campus sexual assault - SA: West Chester University police are investigating a reported sexual assault on campus. Officials say the incident occurred in a student housing facility between late Thursday night and early Friday morning. Police say the victim knows the suspect and the investigation is ongoing.

Apr 20: Police charge robbery suspect who shot himself in Towson University dorm - Robbery: The man who police said shot himself during an alleged attempted robbery inside a Towson University dorm faces criminal charges, Baltimore County police said Monday. The shooting Thursday night took place inside the Glen residence hall complex while the university was already under heightened security for TigerFest weekend on campus.

Apr 20: Skydiver from Middletown-based team crashes into scoreboard at Virginia Tech spring game - Accident: A member of the Middletown-based professional skydiving team Team Fastrax crashed into a stadium scoreboard Saturday, April 18 before Virginia Tech’s spring football game, delaying the start of the event.

Apr 15: Fayetteville man accused of rape, aggravated assault at UA frat house - SA: A Fayetteville man arrested on accusations he raped a woman at a University of Arkansas fraternity house has been released from jail on a $100,000 bond.

Apr 14: Mount Royal University acknowledges problems with its safety alert following knife scare - Communication: Mount Royal University said problems with its emergency alert system prevented messages from reaching many of its students during a shelter-in-place incident on campus Monday. On Monday, multiple police units responded to MRU following reports of an armed person on campus. Officers contained the area and issued a shelter-in-place order for the university and surrounding communities after confirming witness reports. While clearing the area, officers confirmed that the individual was a staff member working as a chef for the university.

Apr 11: No FIU students are suspended over racist group chat yet. It’s roiling campus - Speech: Florida International University President Jeanette Nuñez is being sued for bringing conduct charges against students in a racist group chat -- and protested on campus for not doing enough. None of the involved students have faced suspension or expulsion since the slur-filled chats came to light five weeks ago and Nuñez announced stiff punishments were on the table. The university has been investigating the chats since last fall, according to a federal First Amendment lawsuit filed by four of the students facing conduct charges.

Apr 09: ECU shuts down troubled fraternity for hazing - Hazing: For the second time in less than 10 years, the same East Carolina University fraternity has been suspended and ordered shut down. The university today confirmed the Phi Kappa Tau was suspended for four years by ECU’s Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

Apr 07: KU suspends Alpha Tau Omega fraternity for 5 years following hazing investigation - Hazing: A University of Kansas investigation into allegations of hazing and other harmful behavior at Alpha Tau Omega’s fraternity house has earned the chapter a five-year ban from campus.

Apr 07: IU puts Alpha Kappa Lambda on cease and desist over hazing allegations - Hazing: Alpha Kappa Lambda has been placed on cease and desist by Indiana University’s Office of Student Life for allegations of hazing. It’s the third fraternity to be placed under suspension measures this semester.

Apr 06: Boston University pauses flag, sign removal after backlash over free speech - Speech: Boston University is pausing the removal of outward-facing signs after the campus community was outraged by the administration’s decision to take down flags and political posters, according to an internal email obtained by MassLive.

Apr 06: CCU Pi Kappa Phi hazing probe cites injuries - Hazing: A Coastal Carolina University fraternity is under investigation following allegations that hazing occurred during a fall trip to Charleston. Newly obtained documents detailed witness accounts that included reports of injuries and a student becoming ill and dehydrated.

Apr 06: Police investigating sexual assault on University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s campus - SA: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department is investigating a sexual assault reported on the university’s campus. According to UNLPD, the sexual assault happened at the Village sometime between 11:14 p.m. on Saturday and early Sunday morning.

Apr 04: Sexual Assault Reported on University of Iowa Campus - SA: A sexual assault has been reported on the University of Iowa campus. UI Campus Safety received a report of a sexual assault that occurred early Friday morning in a west side residence hall, with the assault allegedly perpetrated by an acquaintance of the victim.

Apr 03: Investigation into UO fraternity details hazing allegations - Hazing: Troubling details emerged about the University of Oregon fraternity that was suspended through 2030 last month over hazing-related violations. Delta Sigma Phi was banned from operating until winter 2030 following a third-party investigation that found violations of university policies pertaining to hazing, safety, furnishing alcohol to minors, "retaliation or obstruction" and theft.

Apr 03: Chapter of Kappa Sigma loses WKU recognition following investigation into hazing - Hazing: A fraternity chapter is losing its university recognition following an investigation into hazing. According to Western Kentucky University spokesperson Jace Lux, a disciplinary committee investigated a hazing complaint made against a chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. The report was filed in the fall 2025 semester.

Apr 01: Brief fire causes evacuation but no injuries at historic Detroit college building - Campus Safety: A fire on Wednesday caused the evacuation of a historic building owned by Wayne State University in Detroit. Video from TV stations showed thick rolling clouds of black smoke near the top of the 14-story Maccabees Building, a nearly century-old building designed by Albert Kahn, along Woodward Avenue, just north of downtown.