Separate and Distinct Requirements
The Clery Act requires institutions of higher education to maintain two types of notification alerts for separate and distinct purposes. Below is a reference which explains the distinctions between these two types of alerts. Use this resource to understand which alert should be sent depending on the circumstances of the incident in question.
| Timely Warnings | Emergency Notifications | |
|---|---|---|
| When should this alert be sent? | When Clery crimes reported to a campus security authority or local law enforcement pose a serious or ongoing threat to the campus community. | When there is confirmation of an immediate threat to the health and safety of the campus community. |
| Does the location of the incident matter? | Only required for Clery crimes occurring within Clery geography that pose a serious or ongoing threat. | On-campus emergencies only. |
| What should this alert contain? | Date, nature, location of incident; prevention tips; how to report a similar occurrence. | Information about the nature of the emergency and what changes one needs to make immediately as a result; evacuation procedures if necessary; assurance that an all-clear will be sent when emergency is over |
| Who should receive this alert? | Must reach entire campus community | Can be segmented, if appropriate |
| How is a determination made to send the alert? | Case-by-case analysis if the factors above are present | Procedure in place to confirm whether a significant emergency exists |
| Who issues the alert? | Not prescribed by the Clery Act—should be an individual or office with authority and capability to issue campus-wide communication | Not prescribed by the Clery Act—should be an individual or office with authority and capability to issue campus-wide communication |
| How should it be disseminated? | Not prescribed by the Clery Act—should be an individual or office with authority and capability to issue campus-wide communication | Multi-modal system is best to ensure delivery; segmentation of messaging is permitted, if appropriate |
Last Updated January 17, 2023