Annual Safety Notice

Annual Safety Notice to College Community

Dear Students and Employees,

Your safety is very important to us at NCCC. Below are some resources you need to be aware of to help you and the rest of our College community remain safe and civil. The following memo is inclusive of required notification in accordance with the Drug Free Schools & Communities Act, the Drug Free Workplaces Act, VAWA and NYS Ed Law 129 A and B, Title IX and the Campus Security Act (CLERY). 

Community Standards:

Student Code of Conduct - this document is a set of community standards and College regulations created to keep us all safe and healthy in an environment conducive to learning. Violations of this Code will result in a conduct meeting with a College Administrator. Direct Link to PDF.

Employee Code of Conduct – this document is a set of expectations for behavior of College employees created to keep us all safe and health in our workplace. Violations of this Code will result in an investigation conducted by Human Resources in accordance with employee contracts.

Incident Reporting - if you experience or witness something that makes you feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or see behavior that you believe is a violation of the Code of Conduct linked above, we encourage you to speak with a College employee and/or report the incident using this secure web-based report form.

Policies to Know:

Bias-Related Harassment Policy - As a community, we will not tolerate any bias related crimes involving any of our employees or students. North Country Community College will swiftly engage law enforcement to investigate persons responsible for bias related crimes committed against any member of our community. Aggravated harassment and assault are two examples of criminal acts which can be motivated by bias. We encourage anyone who witnesses or is a victim of such crimes to come forward and seek justice. Acceptance, safety, peace, and equality are what we stand for and you are asked to support this mission as well. In addition, please take a moment to learn more about the College’s commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion here: www.nccc.edu/diversity.

Domestic Violence & Stalking Information - It is the policy of North Country Community College that domestic violence/intimate partner violence and stalking will not be tolerated. The college will support and assist victims in attaining support. Furthermore, the college will hold perpetrators accountable for their actions through the campus judicial process and law enforcement as appropriate.

Sexual Misconduct Title IX Policy - North Country Community College expressly prohibits sexually aggressive behavior. Students found to be engaging in these behaviors will be subject to criminal charges and prosecution under local and state laws, specifically Section 130 of the New York State Penal Law. North Country Community College does not tolerate sexual harassment. Individuals are encouraged to file a report of any violence that occurs whether on or off campus.  Those reporting acts of sexual violence can report anonymously but are encouraged to share as much information in order for the College to thoroughly investigate claims and provide the best possible support to reporters and/or victims. Direct Link to PDF.

Sexual Assault & Violence Response resources are available on the College's website, including:

Drug Abuse Prevention Plan - The College is committed to helping its students and employees achieve their personal and educational goals. Having determined that illicit drugs and alcohol are not compatible with the College’s commitment and not necessary to the achievement of these goals, the College requires students, employees, and visitors to refrain from unlawful drug activity and the unauthorized use of alcohol on our campuses and at College sponsored events.. Please review our full Policy on Alcohol and Drug Use and Abuse.

According to the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Support (OASAS), “Alcohol is the most commonly used, potentially addictive substance. Chronic and heavy drinking can cause a number of health problems including cancer, heart disease, liver damage, and brain and nervous system problems. Drinking in excess, especially at an early age can also lead to addiction. The earlier in life an individual consumes alcohol, the more likely they are to develop an alcohol use disorder later in life. More immediate risks include alcohol poisoning and alcohol overdose.”

Naloxone How To Video

Understanding FERPA:

The rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 transfer from the parents to the student when the student turns 18 or enrolls in a postsecondary institution at any age. NCCC requires a signed FERPA Release of Information Waiver to be on file before disclosing student information to parents. This form may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office.

  • FERPA does provide ways in which an institution can share education records on the student with his or her parents without the student’s consent. This includes:
    • Disclosure of information if a health or safety emergency involves their son or daughter. 
    • If a student is under the age of 21, disclosure may occur when the student has violated any law or policy concerning the use of possession of alcohol or a controlled substance. 
  • Visit U.S. Department of Education or https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/ferpa for more information.

Urgent & Emergency Communications:

Did you know you can dial 911 from any campus phone directly without entering an outside line prefix? Emergency responders will actually be able to pinpoint which phone was used on campus to make the call, assisting with their rapid response in a crisis.

College closures and class cancellations due to inclement weather will be announced via our Everbridge Alert Notification system as well as the following media outlets and these announcements will usually be made by 5:30 A.M. (1) NCCC Outlook email, (2) the NCCC Website (www.nccc.edu), (3) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/northcountrycc), (4) Twitter (https://twitter.com/northcountrycc), (5) WPTZ Channel 5 (https://www.mynbc5.com/weather/closings), and (6) North Country Public Radio.

Each classroom and many offices on campus have posted Emergency Contacts as well as a color-coded Emergency Guide that walks you through step by step how to respond in various potential incidents including 1) Building Evacuations & Fire Alarms, 2) Hazardous Material Spills, 3) Weather & Natural Disasters, 4) Utility Failures, 5) Mental Health Crisis Response, 4) Run – Hide – Fight, 5) Suspicious Package/Bomb Threat. These are also published on our safety webpage.

Active Shooter Prevention & Response - the Campus Safety Committee recommends all employees, including student employees, review the information found here and ask us for access to the safety training modules available through our Vector Solutions SafeColleges Training Platform. A full library of SafeColleges modules is available for employees (full-time, part-time and student employees. Ask your supervisor for access.

COVID-19 is a very serious issue on all College campuses, including North Country Community College’s three campuses.  Please use the attached link to find out more about NCCC’s COVID-19 policies: https://nccc.edu/covid/ 

Notification of Annual Campus Security & Fire Safety Report - From our Campus Safety page, you can access the latest PDF document of the College’s Annual Campus Security & Fire Safety Report (CLERY Report) which is published annually online and includes data from the prior calendar year. The Clery Act requires institutions of higher education to disclose statistics for reported crimes based on where the crimes occurred, to whom the crimes were reported, the types of crimes that were reported, and the year in which crimes were reported.

The information in this report is meant to aid members of the college community, as well as its prospective members, in understanding safety facts and safety programs, as well as crime-related information. In accordance with state and federal laws, including the Clery Act, this Campus Security Report is intended to help members of the community to understand and take appropriate measures to promote a safe learning community at NCCC; it also details the history of criminal activity on campus or in adjacent public areas.

NCCC is required to annually report campus crime statistics to the U.S. Department of Education as required by Title 20 of the U.S. Code Section 1092(f). This information can be found on the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://ope.ed.gov/campussafety/#/. 

Identification:

Help us obtain photo identification of all students and employees by uploading a profile picture of yourself to your Office 365 account. Instructions here: https://nccc.edu/campus-safety/identification.html

Parking:

Help us obtain vehicle registration of all students and employees by completing the NCCC vehicle registration form online here: https://nccc.edu/parking/index.html

Wellness, Counseling, & Crisis Prevention :

The College is proud to partner with regional counseling providers to increase access to mental health and substance misuse support services. All our counseling partnerships are published online along with a curated list of free wellness resources for students covering topics including healthy relationships, mindfulness, NARCAN training, substance abuse self-assessments and addiction/recovery resources, suicide prevention resources, tobacco cessation support.

If you ever have a safety or wellness concern, please do not hesitate to contact any employee on campus. We have an Administrator on Call 24/7/365 for urgent non-emergencies by dialing 518-354-0023.

The Campus Safety Committee is charged with making annual recommendations to the College administration regarding continuous improvements to the safety of our College community.  Students and employees interested in serving on this committee from any campus may contact committee chair Bruce Kelly to join.

To learn more about campus safety & security, visit www.nccc.edu/campus-safety