Campus Safety

The Issue

Colleges and universities are committed to maintaining campus environments that are safe, supportive, and responsive so all students can benefit from the widest possible array of educational opportunities. The federal government plays a crucial role in promoting campus safety, primarily through two laws: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, which requires crime data disclosure. Collaborations with entities such as the National Institute of Justice and Department of Homeland Security further govern institutional efforts to enhance preparedness and respond to various incidents in order to maintain a safe learning environment.

Our Work
Letter to the Senate on the Stop Campus Hazing Act
November 8, 2024
Letter to the Senate on the Stop Campus Hazing Act
Letter on behalf of 12 other higher education associations to the Senate offering thoughts on the Stop Campus Hazing Act.
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ACE Policy Recommendations to 2024 Presidential Candidates
September 11, 2024
ACE Policy Recommendations to 2024 Presidential Candidates
Ahead of the November election, ACE wrote to the presidential candidates’ campaigns with recommendations for key policies to strengthen higher education.
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Letter on the Stop Campus Hazing Act
September 10, 2024
Letter on the Stop Campus Hazing Act
Letter on behalf of three other higher education associations to House Committee on Education and the Workforce leaders offering thoughts on the Stop Campus Hazing Act.
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Letter to the FBI on the Restructuring of the Office of Private Sector
May 15, 2024
Letter to the FBI on the Restructuring of the Office of Private Sector
Along with three other higher education organizations, ACE wrote to the Federal Bureau of Investigation with concerns about how the new structure for its Office of Private Sector affects the Academic Liaison program.
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Title IX Final Rule: Outline of Key Provisions
April 29, 2024
Title IX Final Rule: Outline of Key Provisions
On April 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education released its 2024 Title IX final rule. Campuses must be in compliance by Aug. 1, 2024.
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Letter on the Respecting the First Amendment on Campus Act
March 20, 2024
Letter on the Respecting the First Amendment on Campus Act
On behalf of five other higher education organizations, ACE wrote to leadership of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in opposition to the Respecting the First Amendment on Campus Act.
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A President’s Guide to the Clery Act: 2023 Edition
June 28, 2023
A President’s Guide to the Clery Act: 2023 Edition
This guide provides an overview of the Clery Act’s requirements, focusing on five core elements that senior leaders need to know to ensure that their campus has solid policies and protocols in place that are in compliance with Clery’s expectations.
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Letter to Congressional Leaders Requesting Action on Threats to HBCUs
February 14, 2022
Letter to Congressional Leaders Requesting Action on Threats to HBCUs
Letter from ACE and 63 other organizations to the leaders of the House and Senate urging Congress to promptly pass resolution condemning threats of violence against HBCUs and hold hearings into these threats.
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Comments to the Education Department's Public Hearing on Title IX
June 10, 2021
Comments to the Education Department's Public Hearing on Title IX
Comments from ACE and 42 other associations to the Education Department's public hearing on the Title IX regulations put in place by the Trump administration. The comments address concerns with the highly prescriptive, court-like processes required und...
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Letter to Education Secretary-designate About Higher Education Priorities
January 26, 2021
Letter to Education Secretary-designate About Higher Education Priorities
Letter to Education Secretary-designate Miguel Cardona about the higher education community's priorities for the Biden administration, including additional emergency COVID-19 relief.
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Executive Action Priorities for Higher Education Under the Biden Administration
November 19, 2020
Executive Action Priorities for Higher Education Under the Biden Administration
Letter to the Biden-Harris transition team on the Trump administration's executive actions of concern to students, educators, and institutions that could be reversed by the Biden administration.
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Amicus Brief to Delay Effective Date of Title IX Regulations
July 31, 2020
Amicus Brief to Delay Effective Date of Title IX Regulations
Brief submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in support of the motion to delay the Aug. 14, 2020, effective date of the Department of Education's new regulations on Title IX filed by the Victim Rights Law Center.
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Amicus Brief and Motion to Delay Effective Date of Title IX Regulations
June 24, 2020
Amicus Brief and Motion to Delay Effective Date of Title IX Regulations
Brief submitted to the District Court for the District of Columbia in support of the motion to delay the Aug. 14, 2020, effective date of the Department of Education's new regulations on Title IX filed by 18 state attorneys general.
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Request for Delay in Implementing the Final Title IX Rule
June 10, 2020
Request for Delay in Implementing the Final Title IX Rule
Letter from 15 higher education association presidents to Education Secretary Betsy Devos requesting a delay in implementing the final Title IX rule, which is scheduled to go into effect Aug. 14.
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Summary of the Key Provisions of the Final Title IX Rule
May 14, 2020
Summary of the Key Provisions of the Final Title IX Rule
An outline of the key provisions of the Department of Education's final rule on Title IX sexual assault on campus, which goes into effect Aug. 14, 2020.
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Letter to Congress in Support of Research During COVID-19 Pandemic
March 20, 2020
Letter to Congress in Support of Research During COVID-19 Pandemic
Letter from ACE, AAU, APLU, and AAMC outlining a four-point strategy to help U.S. universities continue leading in the battle against COVID-19 and ensure that research in other areas can continue.
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Comments to NASA on Sexual Harassment Reporting Requirements
August 16, 2019
Comments to NASA on Sexual Harassment Reporting Requirements
From ACE and six other higher education institutions in response to the July 17, 2019 Federal Register notice on “Reporting Requirements Regarding Findings of Sexual Harassment, other Forms of Harassment, or Sexual Assault.”
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Comments to the Department of Education on Proposed Title IX Rule
January 30, 2019
Comments to the Department of Education on Proposed Title IX Rule
Comments from ACE and 60 other higher education associations on the Department of Education’s proposed Title IX regulations published in the Federal Register in November 2018.
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Issue Brief: U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Release Joint Guidance Related to Transgender Students and Title IX
May 17, 2016
Issue Brief: U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Release Joint Guidance Related to Transgender Students and Title IX
The Departments of Education and Justice released joint guidance May 13 to help educational institutions understand their responsibilities to serve transgender students. This ACE issue brief looks at select aspects of the guidance and answers possible ...
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Issue Brief: The Department of Education's Guidance on the Role and Responsibilities of Title IX Coordinators
April 30, 2015
Issue Brief: The Department of Education's Guidance on the Role and Responsibilities of Title IX Coordinators
Issue brief on the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights new guidance package on campus Title IX coordinators. The brief summarizes aspects of the new guidance and flags selected points that OCR has not previously conveyed.
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Summary: Campus Accountability and Safety Act (114th Congress)
April 1, 2015
Summary: Campus Accountability and Safety Act (114th Congress)
This memo addresses provisions in the Campus Accountability and Safety Act relating to matters such as confidential advisors; climate surveys; Clery Act reporting obligations; agreements with law enforcement agencies; definitions; and terminology.
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​See all of our work on this topic
Latest News
Women’s Network Leadership Conference
February 13 to 14, 2025
Women’s Network Leadership Conference
The 2025 ACE Women’s Network Leadership Conference (WNLC) will convene on February 13–14 in Washington, DC. Reserve your seat for this long-standing professional development tradition of the ACE Women’s Network.
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Congress Eyes FAFSA Reforms and Anti-Hazing Bills in Post-Election Legislative Push
November 12, 2024
Congress Eyes FAFSA Reforms and Anti-Hazing Bills in Post-Election Legislative Push
Lawmakers are returning to Washington this week for the post-election lame duck session of Congress, the final legislative push before the 118th Congress adjourns.
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dotEDU Live: What Trump’s Win and a New Congress Mean for Higher Education
November 7, 2024
dotEDU Live: What Trump’s Win and a New Congress Mean for Higher Education
In this special post-election episode recorded on November 6, ACE President Ted Mitchell joined hosts Jon Fansmith, Sarah Spreitzer, and Mushtaq Gunja to discuss the 2024 election results and their implications for higher education.
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dotEDU Live Post-Election Breakdown: What the 2024 Results Could Mean for Higher Education
November 6, 2024
2:30 p.m.–3:15 p.m. ET
dotEDU Live Post-Election Breakdown: What the 2024 Results Could Mean for Higher Education
Join dotEDU Live on November 6 to break down the 2024 election results and what they could mean for colleges and universities. With control of Congress and the presidency at stake, let’s explore the potential impacts on higher ed.
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Hillel, AJC, and ACE Convene College and University Presidents for Historic Summit on Campus Antisemitism
September 23, 2024
Hillel, AJC, and ACE Convene College and University Presidents for Historic Summit on Campus Antisemitism
The summit held September 22-23 in Washington, D.C. was the largest-ever gathering of university presidents to address rising antisemitism on campus.
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ACE Calls for Policy Focus on Higher Education in Presidential Campaigns
September 16, 2024
ACE Calls for Policy Focus on Higher Education in Presidential Campaigns
​In an open letter addressed to both presidential candidates, ACE has outlined a comprehensive set of policy recommendations aimed at leveraging U.S. colleges and universities to address the nation’s most pressing challenges.
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Prepare for Fall 2024: Campus Safety and Free Speech Strategies and the Upcoming Election
Prepare for Fall 2024: Campus Safety and Free Speech Strategies and the Upcoming Election
As the fall 2024 semester approaches, campuses are working to prepare for potential challenges—with heightened concerns around student safety, free speech, and the potential impact of the upcoming elections.
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ACE Issue Brief Explores How Campus Leaders Can Prepare for a Potentially Tumultuous Fall
August 5, 2024
ACE Issue Brief Explores How Campus Leaders Can Prepare for a Potentially Tumultuous Fall
As campus leaders prepare for students to return in the fall following the protests, encampments and arrests that occurred last term, ACE's Peter McDonough posed some questions to three experts on issues such as free speech and student safety.
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Colleges and Universities Prepare to Implement New Title IX Rule Amid Fluid Legal Situation
July 29, 2024
Colleges and Universities Prepare to Implement New Title IX Rule Amid Fluid Legal Situation
While colleges and universities have been preparing for several months to implement the Biden administration’s new Title IX regulations, federal court rulings have temporarily blocked the rule from taking effect on a growing number of campuses.
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Colleges Brace for Implementation of New Federal Regulations
June 12, 2024
Colleges Brace for Implementation of New Federal Regulations
Colleges and universities, still burdened by the botched FAFSA rollout, face an unusually busy summer, as several new federal regulations will go into effect.
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The State of Student Affairs: Campus Protests, Mental Health, and Supporting Students
June 6, 2024
The State of Student Affairs: Campus Protests, Mental Health, and Supporting Students
NASPA President Kevin Kruger joins the podcast to talk about the challenges facing students—and student affairs professionals—in 2024, includng the spring protests over the war in Gaza, student mental health, and DEI.
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dotEDU Live: How Congress Is Responding to Campus Unrest
May 16, 2024
dotEDU Live: How Congress Is Responding to Campus Unrest
Jon and Sarah discuss the campus protests that have been making headlines nationwide and how Congress and the Biden administration are responding to these concerns in Washington.
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The Campus Speech vs. Safety Tightrope: A Conversation with Fred Lawrence
May 13, 2024
The Campus Speech vs. Safety Tightrope: A Conversation with Fred Lawrence
In a special episode, Fred Lawrence, secretary and CEO of Phi Beta Kappa, returns to dotEDU to help explain how tensions between free speech and campus safety can lead to the unrest happening at some campuses in response to the war in Gaza.
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Resources on Title IX and Campus Sexual Assault Regulations
April 30, 2024
Resources on Title IX and Campus Sexual Assault Regulations
The U.S. Department of Education released its final Title IX campus sexual assault regulation​ on May 6, 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rules are effective Aug. 14, 2020.
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2024 Changes to the Title IX Regulations: What Campuses Need to Know Now
April 29, 2024
2024 Changes to the Title IX Regulations: What Campuses Need to Know Now
Hear from a panel of Title IX legal experts who will provide an overview of the key changes in the final rule, identify its challenges, and discuss next steps for campuses as they work to ensure compliance by the August 1 deadline.
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Biden Administration’s Final Title IX Rule Goes Into Effect Aug. 1
April 22, 2024
Biden Administration’s Final Title IX Rule Goes Into Effect Aug. 1
​The Biden administration’s long-awaited final rule overhauling Title IX was unveiled on Friday, ushering in a yet another new era for how colleges and universities handle cases of sexual harassment and assault.
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Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on the Biden Administration's Final Title IX Rule
April 19, 2024
Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on the Biden Administration's Final Title IX Rule
ACE President Ted Mitchell applauds the Biden administration's final Title IX rule while expressing concerns about increased complexity and the short implementation timeline.
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Beyond Berkeley: Lessons from a University Chancellor on the Front Lines
February 8, 2024
Beyond Berkeley: Lessons from a University Chancellor on the Front Lines
Nicholas Dirks joins Jon, Sarah, and Mushtaq to discuss his new book City of Intellect and his time as chancellor of University of California, Berkeley.
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Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on Biden Administration Actions to Help Campuses Combat Antisemitic Incidents
October 30, 2023
Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on Biden Administration Actions to Help Campuses Combat Antisemitic Incidents
We appreciate the actions announced today by the Biden administration to help campuses combat the rising wave of antisemitic incidents and threats of violence against Jewish students.
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Guide to Clery Act Provides High-Level Overview for Campus Leaders
July 3, 2023
Guide to Clery Act Provides High-Level Overview for Campus Leaders
For more than 30 years, the Clery Act has served as the primary federal law setting forth safety and security requirements for institutions—requirements that serve the law’s goals of increased transparency, accountability, and safety for campuses.
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Preventing Gender-Based Harassment and Violence Learning Circles
November 2022–April 2023
Preventing Gender-Based Harassment and Violence Learning Circles
Join a Preventing Gender-Based Harassment and Violence Learning Circle, beginning in November. Be part of a group striving to use data-driven practices and policies to prevent harassment on campus before it ever occurs.
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Resources on Title IX and Campus Sexual Assault Regulationsread
Prepare for Fall 2024: Campus Safety and Free Speech Strategies and the Upcoming Election read