Combined 2024 Annual Security Report

This report is provided in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, as amended (“Clery Act”). It provides students and employees of Research College of Nursing (“RCoN” or “College”) with information on:

• The College’s security arrangements, policies, and procedures
• Programs that provide education on such things as drug and alcohol abuse, awareness of various kinds of sex offenses, and the prevention of crime generally
• Procedures the College will take to notify the campus community in the event of an emergency

Its purpose is to provide students and employees with information to help them make informed decisions regarding their own and others’ safety.

This report is prepared by Glenna Mahoney, DNP, RN, Provost, and Nikki Flagler, Title IX Coordinator, in cooperation with Research Medical Center’s Safety and Security Department, campus security authorities, and various other elements of the College.

Each year, an email notification is sent to all enrolled students with a link to the website where the report is available. Faculty and staff receive similar notifications. Hard copies of the report are also available by contacting Nikki Flagler by phone at (816) 276-3147.

The College is committed to taking actions necessary to provide a safe and secure working/learning environment for all students and staff. As a member of the campus community, you can rest assured that security measures follow best practices in the field and are continually tested and re-evaluated for effectiveness.

Research Medical Center’s Safety and Security Department (“Security Department”) is responsible for campus safety at the College. Its jurisdiction covers all campus property. The Security Department patrols the campus with routine building and parking lot checks.

Security Department staff are commissioned law enforcement officers, carry weapons, and have arrest authority. The Security Department has a longstanding working relationship with local law enforcement agencies, including the Kansas City Police Department, which assists its staff.

While there is no written memorandum of agreement, the Security Department contacts the Kansas City Police to investigate any alleged criminal activity occurring on campus. In addition, senior Security Department staff meet quarterly with the Kansas City Police Department to address issues and concerns and share information. Contact the Security Department by calling (816) 276-4411.

The College has also designated other officials to serve as additional campus security authorities. Reports of criminal activity can also be made to these officials. They, in turn, will ensure that they are reported to Campus Security staff for inclusion in the College’s annual crime statistics report.

These additional campus security officers are:

• Amy Townsend, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, President, (816) 823-0505
• Glenna Mahoney, Provost, (816) 823-0503
• Nikki Flagler, Student Services Specialist, (816) 276-3147
• Richard Bowers, Director of Security, (816) 276-4403

The College encourages accurate and prompt reporting of all criminal actions, accidents, injuries, or other emergencies occurring on campus to the Security Department and to appropriate police agencies, even when the victim elects not to report or is unable to do so. Such reports should be made as follows:

• Situations that pose an imminent danger or are in progress should be reported to local law enforcement by calling 911. Keep in mind that a caller from a cell phone must provide the address where the emergency occurred. After making the 911 call, also file a report with one of the campus security officers identified above or with the Security Department at (816) 276-4411.
• Students, staff, and visitors should report criminal activity, accidents, injuries, or other emergencies to one of the campus security authorities listed above. Once reported, the individual will be encouraged to report it to the appropriate police agencies as well. If requested, a member of the College staff will assist a student in making the police report.
• Anonymous incident reports can also sometimes be made.
  

The College has no officially recognized student organizations with off-campus locations. However, if criminal activity occurs while students are attending school-sponsored events or training off campus, the reporting procedures are the same as previously stated.

Additionally, upon written request, the College will disclose to the alleged victim of a crime of violence (as that term is defined in Section 16 of Title 18, United States Code), or a non-forcible sex offense, the report on the result of an disciplinary proceeding conducted by the College against a student who is the alleged perpetrator of such a crime or offense. If the alleged victim is deceased as a result of such a crime or offense, the next of kin of such victim shall be treated as the alleged victim for purposes of this paragraph.

The College will protect victims’ confidentiality. Only those with a need to know the victim’s identity for purposes of investigating the crime, assisting the victim, or disciplining the perpetrator will have access to it. Moreover, upon request, the College will redact victims’ identities from publicly available records to the extent permitted by law.

Any victim of a crime who does not want to pursue action within the College disciplinary system or the criminal justice system is nevertheless encouraged to make a confidential report to a campus security authority. With the victim’s permission, a report detailing the incident can be filed without revealing the victim’s identity.

Such a confidential report complies with the victim’s wishes while still helping the College take appropriate steps to ensure the victim’s and others’ future safety. With this information, the College can maintain an accurate record of student incidents, identify potential patterns of crime, and alert the community to any potential danger. These confidential reports are counted and reported in the College’s annual crime statistics.

The College encourages pastoral counselors and other professional counselors, if and when they deem it appropriate, to inform the persons they are counseling that they may report crimes on a voluntary, confidential basis for inclusion in the annual crime statistics report.

RCoN seeks to enhance the security of its campus and the members of the campus community by periodically presenting educational programs to inform students and employees about campus security procedures and practices, to encourage students and employees to be responsible for their own security and the security of others, and to inform them about the prevention of crimes.

A description of these programs and their frequency of presentation follows:

• New faculty and staff participate in a mandatory orientation that includes a 30-minute presentation by Research Medical Center Security staff. The Research Medical Center Security staff serves as the College’s campus security. Significant changes to security procedures and policies may be communicated via email or during faculty/staff meetings.
• The Campus Security staff will provide an educational presentation to new students at the beginning of their first semester (August or January). Educational presentations are provided to all students to update them on changes to procedures and practices as needed.
• Security and safety procedures are shared with new and continuing students at the beginning of each academic year. The Catalog/Student Handbook is reviewed with attention to the section “Safety and Security.” This includes encouraging students to be alert to security situations and to assist the school in preventing crime through awareness and communication. Student organizations are highly encouraged to develop and present their own crime prevention programs for other students and staff.
• Employees and students are informed about crime prevention through written communication from the College administration, including campus postings, email distributions, internet postings, and bulletin boards. During annual security updates, emphasis is placed on the roles of faculty, staff, and students in preventing crime.

The College is a private institution and reserves the right to restrict access to and movement within its grounds to staff, students, patients, visitors, and others conducting business on site. Campus buildings are generally open at 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Closing times vary based on after-hours activities, but doors are locked approximately 15 minutes after scheduled activities have ended. Personnel requiring entrance door keys are added to the authorized access list. Entrance door keys are registered and cannot be duplicated at hardware stores or by unauthorized locksmiths.

All buildings are covered by security 7 days a week, during their entire operating hours. In all campus buildings, maintenance staff and Campus Security are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Students and employees are asked to be alert and not circumvent practices and procedures that are meant to preserve their safety and that of others:

• Do not prop open doors or allow strangers into secured campus buildings.
• Do not lend keys or access cards to non-students, and do not leave them unattended.
• Do not give access codes to anyone who does not belong to the campus community.

Keys to faculty and staff offices, conference rooms, and classrooms will be issued to employees only as needed, after proper authorization is received. Each faculty member, staff member, and student is responsible for ensuring these areas are secured and locked.

The campus community must adhere to policies on unauthorized access to school facilities, theft of or damage to school property, and criminal activity. In particular, rendering any fire prevention or detection equipment inoperable or abusing it constitutes a prohibited violation of these policies and may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination, removal from school, and the filing of charges with law enforcement authorities.

Employee and student identification cards verify individuals’ identities and help ensure authorized access to campus facilities. While on RCoN property, employees and students must visibly display their identification cards. When an individual no longer needs to access RCoN’s facilities, their building access privileges are deactivated, and their identification cards and any distributed keys are collected by the College.

Security is also a consideration in maintaining campus facilities. For example, maintenance personnel regularly check that pathways are well-lit and that egress lighting in hallways and stairwells is functioning.

They also verify that door locks are functional and that landscaping does not obstruct pathways or otherwise pose a security risk to passersby. If the college administration is made aware of a security issue in campus facilities, they ensure that maintenance is promptly contacted and the situation is addressed.

In the event of criminal activity occurring either on campus or off campus, if the Provost and/or the Emergency Response Team determines that it constitutes an ongoing or continuing threat, a campus-wide “timely warning” will be issued.

For example, a series of motor vehicle thefts or sexual assaults in the area that present a continuing threat to the campus community would merit such a warning. The Provost and/or Campus Security Director will communicate this warning to students and employees via College email, and through text messaging for those who have opted in.

Anyone with information that warrants a timely warning should immediately report the circumstances to the Provost and/or the Campus Security Director.

The College is part of the larger Research Medical Center (“RMC”) comprehensive emergency management plan. This plan ensures a timely and effective response to significant emergencies or dangerous situations occurring on campus that pose an immediate threat to the health or safety of the campus community.

These situations include, but are not limited to, tornadoes, bomb threats, chemical spills, disease outbreaks, or armed intruders. Emergency procedures for situations such as tornadoes and fires are in the Catalog/Student Handbook.

RCoN and the RMC Campus Security staff have requested cooperation from the Kansas City Police Department to inform the College of situations reported to the police that may warrant an emergency response. Students, staff, and visitors are encouraged to notify Campus Security at (816) 276-4411, the Provost at (816) 823-0503, the President at (816) 823-0505, and/or the Student Services Specialist at (816) 276-3147 of any situation that poses such a threat.

The Provost will confirm the danger’s existence by reviewing available information from campus administrative staff and local authorities. They will then be responsible for initiating the College’s response and marshaling the appropriate local emergency response authorities for assistance. Other College offices may be involved in the confirmation process, depending on the nature of the emergency.

Once the emergency is confirmed, the College community, or appropriate segments, will be notified without delay. The Provost, in collaboration with relevant personnel, will determine who should be notified, define the notification content, and initiate the notification system.

This notification may be delayed only if, in the professional judgement of responsible authorities, it would compromise efforts to assist a victim, or to contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency.

The content of emergency notifications may vary depending on the specific campus segments being targeted. When appropriate, this content will be determined in consultation with RMC Security and the Kansas City Police Department. Notifications will also provide guidance on whether recipients should shelter in place or evacuate.

The Provost will direct the issuance of emergency notifications, primarily through email blasts to College email accounts and text messages for those who have opted in. The method used will depend on the nature of the threat and the segment of the campus community.

The College identifies three distinct campus segments, each with tailored emergency notification protocols:

• Main Building (2110 East Meyer Boulevard): The primary campus hub, housing faculty and staff offices, classrooms, and the Simulation Center. Students, faculty, and staff are typically in this building during normal business hours. Emergency notifications for this segment are delivered via blast email, text messaging (for those who’ve opted in), and direct personal communication when appropriate.
• RCoN Spaces within Research Medical Center (2316 E. Meyer Blvd): Located on the B-Level, this segment includes labs, classrooms, the Student Center, and the Student Commons. Students, faculty, and staff are generally in this area during normal business hours. Emergency notifications for this segment are sent via blast email to College accounts, via text messaging (for those who’ve opted in), and through direct personal communication, as appropriate.
• Brookside Campus (6601 Rockhill Road): This building is primarily used for group testing and exams. It operates only on specific testing days and times and is monitored by College faculty. Emergency notifications for the Brookside Campus are sent via blast email to College accounts, via text messages (for those who’ve opted in), and through direct personal communication when appropriate.
  

Since RCoN is part of the RMC Campus, the RMC Marketing and Public Relations Department will disseminate information to the general public. Depending on the situation, RMC Public Relations staff will provide information to the local news media. Additionally, the RMC Vice President for Community Affairs may share information with local neighborhood associations and public schools.

If a member of the College community has reason to believe that a student is missing, that information should be reported immediately to the Provost. Anyone receiving a missing person report will immediately notify the RMC Security Department, and an investigation will be initiated.

If a student has identified an individual, the College will notify a general emergency contact person no later than 24 hours after the student is determined to be missing. A student’s confidential contact information will be accessible only by authorized campus officials and law enforcement in furtherance of the investigation. This information is available in the student’s personal file.

After investigating a missing person report, if it is determined that the student has been missing for 24 hours, the College will notify local police authorities unless local law enforcement has already made this determination. If the missing student is under 18 and not emancipated, the College will also notify the student’s parent or legal guardian once the student has been missing for 24 hours.

• The College has not reported any hate crimes in 2022, 2023, or 2024.
• No crime reports were determined to be “unfounded” and subsequently removed from the summary of crime statistics charts above.