2024 Annual Security Report

Message from the Chief

The UMass Dartmouth Police Department is a full-service police department with 24 sworn officers. Our officers receive municipal police academy training and have full authority to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth. Each officer attends an annual in-service training program and a host of specialized training programs. The UMass Dartmouth Police Department operates 24 hours per day.

Besides patrol, we conduct criminal investigations and provide crime prevention and educational services at the UMass Dartmouth campus. We have built a strong tradition of community policing and community outreach. We serve to engender and maintain a campus community wherein the students, faculty, staff, and visitors view the members of the police department as their partners in public safety. Significant investments have been made in technology and emergency notification systems to ensure that safety.

Our objective is for you to achieve your educational goals in a safe and secure environment. Additionally, we appreciate the importance of cultural and social growth.

We are pleased to present the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Annual Security Report. The report provides important information about the safety and security at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. All campus crime statistics required by the Clery Act are provided, including the number of persons referred for campus disciplinary action. Information about campus crime prevention and safety awareness programs are also offered.

We invite your questions, concerns, and suggestions. You may visit our website for contact information or email the UMass Dartmouth Police Department at umassd.police@umassd.edu.

Recognizing it takes the entire university community’s cooperation to have a safe environment, we believe every campus member has a shared responsibility for the safety of our community by reporting suspicious or criminal behavior to our office.

John D. Souza
Chief of Police

Notice of Non-Discrimination

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is committed to providing a learning, living and working environment free from unlawful discrimination and to fostering a nurturing and vibrant community founded upon the fundamental dignity and worth of all its members. Consistent with this commitment, and with all applicable laws, it is the policy of the university not to tolerate unlawful discrimination in any form and to provide persons who feel that they are victims of discrimination or harassment with mechanisms for seeking redress.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth prohibits any form of discrimination against any person on the basis of gender, race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or any other legally protected status in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other University-administered programs.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth also responds promptly to allegations of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and sexual harassment.

Federal and State laws, including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, more specifically define UMass Dartmouth's non-discrimination obligations.

Inquiries or complaints regarding any form of discrimination or harassment may be directed to:

David Gomes
Chief Civil Rights Officer/Title IX Coordinator
307 Foster Administration Building
Phone: (508) 999-8192

Deborah Majewski
Vice Chancellor of Human Resources, 504 Compliance Officer
213 Foster Administration Building
Phone: (508) 999-9293

Section 1 – Introduction

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is concerned with the safety of its students, staff, faculty, guests, and visitors. We are concerned and accept the responsibility to employ security measures and law enforcement practices to help provide the University community with a safe, secure environment in which to live and pursue academic goals.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Police Department prepares this report in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act. This report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes on campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to, and accessible from, the campus. This report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters.

The full text of this report is available at Annual Security Report.

This report is prepared in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, the Office of Student Affairs, Community Standards, Office of Civil Rights and the Office of Housing and Residential Education. Each entity provides updated information on its educational efforts and programs to comply with the Act. Campus crime, arrest, and referral statistics include those reported to the Police Department, designated campus officials (including but not limited to directors, deans, department heads, student conduct, advisors to students/student organizations, and athletic coaches), and local law enforcement agencies.

Each year, an e-mail notification is made to all enrolled students, faculty, and staff. This notification provides information on how to access the Annual Security Report online; employees who do not have a campus email address receive notification through campus mail, which includes similar information. All University of Massachusetts Dartmouth employees receive notification regarding accessing this report online with their paycheck.

Copies of this report may also be obtained at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Police Department located at 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, or by calling (508) 999-8107. All prospective employees may obtain a copy from the Human Resources Office in the Foster Administration Building or by calling (508) 999-8060.

All policy statements contained in this report apply to all campuses indicated.

Statement of Policy for Addressing Campus Law Enforcement Authority and Jurisdiction

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth campus, one of five campuses of the UMass system, is a community of approximately 9,800 students, staff, and faculty. UMass Dartmouth is both a center for higher education and a vibrant, active community. As with any community of similar size, criminal activity and emergencies occur on campus. Although crime happens in every community, the University has been fortunate to have few reported serious crimes. The University makes every attempt to be proactive and to prevent such incidents.

We have a competent, professionally trained Police Department and Housing and Residential Education Staff. Still, it is also the responsibility of every individual to take appropriate measures to protect themselves and their possessions.

To combat crime and ensure public tranquility, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Police Department is a visible part of campus life. The Police Department is organized, trained, and equipped to provide progressive law enforcement and emergency services to our community.

All Police Department officers have the authority to enforce State, Local, and Federal laws and UMass policies and procedures and to make arrests within their jurisdiction, which includes at sites owned, leased, or controlled property within various cities and towns.

Officers derive their authority promulgated from the Board of Trustees of the University of Massachusetts. As outlined in Massachusetts General Law: “The (University) trustees may appoint as police officers persons in the employ of the University who in the enforcement of said rules and regulations and throughout university property shall have the powers of police officers, except as to service of civil process.” (MGL Ch. 75, Sec.32A) Therefore, our officers possess the power and authority to apprehend and arrest anyone involved in illegal acts on campus.

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Police Officers attend the Municipal Police Training Committee academies throughout the Commonwealth. The Police Department operates 24 hours per day, seven days a week, providing all patrol, investigation, specialized, emergency response, crime prevention, and educational services at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth campus.

By mutual agreement with state and federal agencies, the Police Department maintains an NLETS terminal (National Law Enforcement Telecommunications Network). Through this system, police personnel can access the National Crime Information Computer System and the Criminal History Systems Board for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These computer databases are used to enhance public safety by accessing criminal history data, nationwide police records, driver/vehicle identification information, as well as other local, state, and federal law enforcement information.

The UMass Dartmouth Police Department is among the best qualified, motivated, supervised, and led police departments in the region and the nation. Our policies, procedures, and actions strive to maintain the highest ethical and performance standards.

The sworn personnel and support staff of the Police Department are dedicated to ensuring that the Dartmouth campus is a safe environment for studying, teaching, researching, recreating, and living. Our department strives toward this goal through problem-solving partnerships with the faculty, staff, students, state and local governmental bodies, and our community's neighbors.

The UMass Dartmouth Police Department collaborates with other state and federal law enforcement agencies. Meetings are held between the leaders of these agencies on both a formal and an informal basis. The Police Department also works in collaboration with local law enforcement.

The Police Department and the Dartmouth Police Department (DPD) communicate regularly on the scene of incidents in and around the campus area. UMass Dartmouth Police Department detectives work closely with the detectives from DPD when incidents arise that require joint investigative efforts, resources, crime-related reports, and exchanges of information.

This campus also contracts with an independent security company. This independent security company are not sworn law enforcement officers, cannot make arrests and do not carry weapons.

Feel free to contact us for routine business or if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding the UMass Dartmouth Police Department. You may reach the Department via phone at (508) 999-8107 or stop by and talk with us at our headquarters located at 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA. You may also contact us via e-mail at umassd.police@umassd.edu.

Statement of Policy Addressing General Procedures for Reporting a Crime or Emergency

Community members, students, faculty, staff, and guests are encouraged to report all crimes and public safety related incidents to the UMass Dartmouth Police Department in a timely manner. Including when the victim elects to, or is unable to, make such a report.

To report a crime or an emergency from an on-campus phone, call the Police Department at extension 9191 or outside the University phone system at (508) 999-9191. When using a cell phone, please remember that 911 will not reach the dispatchers at UMass Dartmouth Police Department. UMass Dartmouth Police Department’s emergency phone number is extension 9191 or from outside the University phone system dial (508) 999-9191. The Police Department recommends pre-programming of cell phones with the Police Department dispatch number (508) 999-9191. Dispatchers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your call.

In response to a call, the Police Department will take the required action by dispatching an officer to the caller’s location or asking the caller to report to the Police Department to file an incident report.

Police Department incident reports may be forwarded to the Office of Student Affairs for review and referral to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution for potential action, as appropriate.

Police Department officers respond to all requests for service and are the investigating authority for all crimes on campus with the exception of unattended deaths and homicides. According to M.G.L. Chapter 38, Section 4, “The District Attorney or his law enforcement representative shall direct and control the investigation of the death and shall coordinate the investigation with the office of the chief Medical examiner and the Police Department within whose jurisdiction the death occurred.”

As an added security measure, 50 emergency phones are located at strategic points on campus. There are indoor and external emergency phones. The external phones are easily identified by their blue poles with “EMERGENCY” stenciled on the side of the pole and topped with a blue light. The internal phones are easily identified with a silver face with a red emergency button on its face. When the red emergency button is pushed, the caller is in immediate contact with the Police Department. Red phones ring down directly to the police department.

In addition to providing voice contact with a police dispatcher, emergency phone use also enables a dispatcher to pinpoint the caller's location. When calling for either emergency or non-emergency service, be prepared to:

• Clearly identify yourself;
• State your location;
• State briefly the nature of your call.

If possible, stay on the line unless otherwise advised by the dispatcher. If assistance is required from off-campus, the dispatcher will summon the appropriate police, fire and/or medical service.

Crimes should be reported to the UMass Dartmouth Police Department for the purpose of assessing the incident for the issuance of a Timely Warning Notice and for including the incident in the annual statistical disclosure.

To report a crime that occurs at an off-campus location, contact the appropriate local police department. In the case of an emergency it is always best to dial 911 and follow the procedures outlined above. For the purpose of reporting a crime to the Dartmouth Police Department (DPD), we include the business number for DPD, as well as other UMass Dartmouth Police Department contacts below. UMass Dartmouth Police Department staff will assist students with notification of local police agencies if requested.

The UMass Dartmouth Police Department is comprised of sworn officers whose primarily responsibilities are for providing security for the university community consisting of students, staff and faculty and safeguarding university owned properties. Officers will notify local law enforcement authorities, when deemed necessary and appropriate. Generally, members of the local law enforcement agencies will respond to a campus incident only if called by this department. However, local law enforcement agencies have the authority to investigate all criminal activity which occurs within their jurisdiction to include university property. This authority is promulgated by state statute and provisions of the Home Rule Charter of the individual cities and towns.

A local law enforcement agency responding to an emergency situation or if called directly by a complainant, is not required to first notify a campus official. However in general, as a matter of courtesy, they will notify our operations center of their response. In such situations a campus police officer shall be dispatched to document all such calls.

Non-Campus Locations:  

At both the SMAST and CIE Facilities, the primary investigating department shall be New Bedford and Fall River Police, respectively. UMass Dartmouth Police Department will respond to facilitate with University matters.  For technical assistance and specialized response, Massachusetts State Police may be called to assist.  

Off-Campus Housing:  

UMass Dartmouth students living off-campus in privately owned dwellings are expected to abide by state and local laws, and observe all city ordinances. Students living off-campus are subject to the policies and procedures of off campus housing requirements defined within their university’s Student Code of Conduct. The local law enforcement agency will respond to complaints/incidents involving students living off-campus. The local agency will in turn notify this Department when appropriate.  

Other resources available to provide assistance to the victim or witness of a crime include: 

This publication contains information about on- and off-campus resources and is made available to all UMass Dartmouth community members. The information regarding “resources” is not provided to infer that those resources are “crime reporting entities” for UMass Dartmouth. Crimes should be reported to the UMass Dartmouth Police Department to ensure inclusion in the annual crime statistics and to aid in providing timely warning notices to the community, when appropriate.  

Statement Addressing Counselors

As a result of the negotiated rulemaking process which followed the signing into law of the 1998 amendments to 20 U.S.C. Section 1092 (f), clarification was given to those considered to be Campus Security Authorities (CSA); a comprehensive list of University of Massachusetts Dartmouth CSA’s is available at University Police.

Campus “Pastoral Counselors” and Campus “Professional Counselors,” when acting as such are not considered to be a campus security authority and are not required to report crimes for inclusion in the annual disclosure of crime statistics. As a matter of policy, the professional counselors at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth are encouraged if and when they deem it appropriate, to inform persons being counseled of the procedures to report crimes to Student Affairs Office or to Housing and Residential Education staff, on a confidential basis for inclusion into the annual crime statistics.  

The rulemaking committee defines counselors as:  

Pastoral Counselor

An employee of an institution, who is associated with a religious order or denomination, recognized by that religious order or denomination as someone who provides confidential counseling and who is functioning within the scope of that recognition as a pastoral counselor.

Professional Counselor

An employee of an institution whose official responsibilities include providing psychological counseling to members of the institution’s community, and who is functioning within the scope of his or her license or certificate.

Policy Addressing Limited Voluntary Confidential Reporting

It is the policy of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth that all crimes should be reported to UMass Dartmouth Police Department. Anyone who is the victim or witness to a crime on campus is encouraged to promptly report the incident to the UMass Dartmouth Police Department. Police reports are public records under state law, and therefore, UMass Dartmouth Police Department cannot hold reports of crime in confidence. All reports will be investigated. When appropriate, violations of the law will be referred to the Office of Student Affairs and the Title IX Coordinator for review.

Due to the sensitive nature of certain types of crimes, victim’s of sexual assault may choose to confidentially report crimes to the Counseling and Student Development Center, the Office of Student Affairs, Housing, Residential Education, and Victim Advocate. The purpose of a confidential report is to comply with your wish to keep the matter confidential, while taking steps to ensure the future safety of yourself and others. With such information, the University can keep an accurate record of the number of incidents involving students, employees, and visitors; determine where there is a pattern of crime with regard to a particular location, method, or assailant; and alert the campus community to potential dangers. Reports filed in this manner are counted and disclosed in the annual crime statistics for the institution, and when they involve allegations of sexual harassment (including sexual violence) are made available to the University’s Title IX Coordinator.

Victims of sexual assault or any Clery Act crime may also choose to confidentially report online anonymously by going to: Sexual Violence Education & Prevention Resources

When a potentially dangerous threat to the University community arises, a Timely Warning or Immediate Notification or UMass Dartmouth campus-wide alerts will be issued to notify individuals of the threat in a timely manner. These Advisories and Alerts will inform the community of any recommended action to be taken.

Responsibilities of the University Community

Members of the University community must assume responsibility for their own personal safety and the security of their personal property. The following precautions provide guidance.

• Report all suspicious activity to the UMass Dartmouth Police Department immediately.
• Never take personal safety for granted.
• Try to avoid walking alone at night.
• Limit your alcohol consumption, and leave social functions that get too loud, too crowded, or that have too many people drinking excessively. Remember to call the UMass Dartmouth Police Department or Local Police Departments for help at the first sign of trouble.
• Carry only small amounts of cash.
• Never leave valuables (wallets, purses, books, phones, etc.) unattended.
• Carry your keys at all times and do not lend them to anyone.
• Lock up bicycles and motorcycles. Lock car doors and close windows when leaving your car.
• Always lock the door to your residence hall room, whether or not you are there. Be certain that your door is locked when you go to sleep, and keep windows closed and locked when you are not at home.

Section 2 – Timely Warnings, Emergency Response and Evacuation

Statement of Policy Addressing Timely Warnings

The purpose of this policy is to comply with the Department of Education requirements regarding timely notice of certain events as described 20 U.S.C. s. 1092(f), known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy, and Campus Crimes Statistics Act. These acts along with the Higher Education Reauthorization Act (2008) require any acts which have occurred within the institution's Clery Geography, require campus police officers to keep the institution informed in a timely manner of crimes that may pose a serious or continuing threat to students and employees.

Crime alerts will be distributed as soon as pertinent information is available, in a manner that withholds the names of the victims as confidential, and with the goal of aiding in the prevention of similar occurrences. The UMass Dartmouth Police Department is responsible for issuing Crime Alerts in compliance with the Clery Act. In an effort to provide timely notice to the UMass Dartmouth community, and in the event of a crime which poses a serious or continuing threat to members of the UMass Dartmouth community, a Crime Alert is sent by blast email or text message to all students and employees on campus. The alerts are generally written and distributed to the University community by the Chief of Police or a designee and they are approved and distributed to the community by the University Relations Office.

This e-mail or text message indicates that a Crime Alert has been issued and may provide a link to the UMass Dartmouth Police Department Crime Alert web page.

Crime Alerts are usually distributed for the following Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR)/National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) classifications: arson, murder/Non negligent manslaughter, and robbery. Incidents of aggravated assault and sex offenses are considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on the facts of the case and whether there is a continuing danger to the campus community.

For example, if an assault occurs between two students who have a disagreement, there may be no on-going threat to other UMass Dartmouth community members and a Crime Alert would not be distributed. In cases involving sexual assault, they are often reported long after the incident occurred, thus there is no ability to distribute a “timely” warning notice to the community. Sex offenses will be considered on a case by case basis depending on when and where the incident occurred, when it was reported, and the amount of information known by the UMass Dartmouth Police Department. Cases involving property crimes will be assessed on a case by case basis and alerts will typically be sent if there is a discernible pattern of crime. The UMass Dartmouth Police Chief or designee reviews all reports to determine if there is an on-going threat to the community and if the distribution of a Crime Alert is warranted. Crime Alerts may also be issued for other crime classifications, as deemed necessary.

A daily crime log is available for review at the UMass Dartmouth Police Department located at 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The information in the crime log typically includes the case number, classification, date reported, date occurred, time occurred, general location and disposition of each reported crime.

In addition to these Crime Alerts, UMass Dartmouth has been able to issue campus-wide alerts via text-messaging, e-mail, cell phones, home and office telephones and face-to-face communication to the campus community in the event of an imminent or ongoing threat to the community. UMass Dartmouth campus-wide alerts are disseminated with the goal of notifying as many people as possible, as rapidly as possible (i.e., active threats, bomb threats, or a dangerous chemical spill, etc.) These alerts are sent to individuals who subscribe to UMass campus-wide alerts.

All students, faculty and staff are encouraged to sign up to receive these notices. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact either the Center for Access and Success at 508-999-8711 or the Help Desk at 508-999-8884 for assistance in subscribing to UMass Dartmouth campus-wide alerts.

Notification to the University Community About an Immediate Threat

All members of the University community are notified on an annual basis that they are required to notify the UMass Dartmouth Police Department of any situation or incident on campus that involves a significant emergency or dangerous situation that may involve an immediate or ongoing threat to the health and safety of students and/or employees on campus. The UMass Dartmouth Police Department has the responsibility of responding to, and summoning the necessary resources to mitigate, investigate, and document any situation that may cause a significant emergency or dangerous situation. In addition, the UMass Dartmouth Police Department has the responsibility to respond to such incidents to determine if the situation does in fact, pose a threat to the community. If that is the case, Federal Law requires that the institution immediately notify the campus community or the appropriate segments of the community that may be affected by the situation. The decision to issue an alert shall be decided on a case by case basis in light of all the facts surrounding an incident or crime, including factors such as the nature of the incident/crime, the continuing threat to the campus community, and the possible risk of compromising law enforcement efforts.

The UMass Dartmouth Police Department and or University Relations receive information from various offices/departments on campus, such as Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and Facilities. If UMass Dartmouth Police Department, EHS, Facilities or University Relations, in conjunction with other University administrators, local first responders and/or the National Weather Service, confirms that there is an emergency or dangerous situation that poses an immediate threat to the health or safety of some or all members of the University community, they will collaborate to determine the content of the message and will use some or all of the systems described below to communicate the threat to the University Community or to the appropriate segment of the community, if the threat is limited to a particular building or segment of the population.

The UMass Dartmouth Police Department in conjunction with University Relations will, without delay and taking into account the safety of the community, determine the content of the notification and initiate the notification system, unless issuing a notification will, in the judgment of the first responders, compromise the efforts to assist a victim or to contain, respond to, or otherwise mitigate the emergency. The entire campus community will be notified when there is at least the potential that a very large segment of the community will be affected by a situation or when a situation threatens the operation of the campus as a whole. There will be a continuing assessment of the situation and additional segments of the campus community may be notified if a situation warrants such action. The UMass Dartmouth Police Department will determine how much information is appropriate to disseminate at different points in time. Depending on what segments of the community the notification targets, the content may differ.

In the event of a serious incident that poses an immediate threat to the health and safety of the University community, the University has various systems in place for communicating information quickly. Some or all of these methods of communication may be activated in the event of an immediate threat to the University campus community. These methods of communication include MyAlert, a system that provides emergency communications and other important information via text message, cellular phone and email. Students, faculty and staff can register for this service. Other forms of communication include network emails, phone trees, face-to-face communications, bulletins posted on building entrances and exits, the fire alarm system, and outdoor sirens and PA system. In the event a situation requires the activation of the University’s emergency notification system, updates are available on the UMass Dartmouth website.

Students should take responsibility for regularly checking their e-mail. In order to receive campus-wide-e- mail announcements, students must have a University e-mail account, which may be obtained from the Office of Informational Technology located in the Claire T. Carney Library. Instructions for automatic forwarding of e- mail messages from a University account to another account are available from Informational Technology. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact either the Center for Access and Success at 508.999.8711 or the Help Desk at 508.999.8884 for assistance in subscribing to Campus Alerts.

University Notification systems are administered by the following responsible authorities: 

If any of the systems using technology fails, the campus would initiate face to face communication using appropriate staff and students on campus.  

Statement of Policy Regarding Immediate Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedures

A crisis can erupt at any time and in any form. A fire, explosion, medical epidemic, water leak, power outage, hurricane, or bomb threat – the possibilities are infinite and unpredictable. Nonetheless, planning for the unpredictable does help.

University Departments are responsible for developing contingency plans and continuity of operation plans for their own staff and areas of responsibility. The University conducts numerous announced or unannounced emergency response exercises each year, such as table top exercises, field exercises, and tests of the emergency notification systems on campus. These tests are designed to assess and evaluate the emergency plans and capabilities of the institution. The UMass Dartmouth Police Department officers and supervisors have received training in Incident Command and Responding to Critical Incidents on Campus. The Incident Command System (ICS) is utilized when responding to critical incidents.

When a serious incident occurs that causes an immediate threat to campus, the first responders to the scene are usually the UMass Dartmouth Police Department, Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) and DFD (Dartmouth Fire Department) who typically respond and work together to manage, mitigate, and recover from incidents. Depending on the nature of the incident, other UMass departments and other local or federal agencies could also be involved in responding to the incident.

General information about the emergency response and evacuation procedures for UMass Dartmouth is publicized each year as part of the institution’s Clery Act compliance effort and that information is available on the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Police Department website.

The University annually reviews the emergency response and evacuation procedures as to provide updates and ensure that the University continues to move forward and strengthen emergency response programs, policies and procedures.

Procedure for Testing Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedures

The purpose of evacuation drills is to prepare building occupants for an organized evacuation in case of an emergency. At UMass Dartmouth, evacuation drills are used as a way to educate and train occupants on issues specific to their building. During the drill, occupants ‘practice’ drill procedures and familiarize themselves with the location of exits and the sound of the fire alarm. In addition to educating the occupants of each building about the evacuation procedures during the drills, the process also provides the University with the opportunity to test the operation of fire alarm system components.

Evacuation drills are coordinated by Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) each semester for all residence halls, academic, research and business buildings (all buildings) on campus. Thus, the emergency response and evacuation procedures are tested at least twice each year. Students, faculty and staff learn the locations of the emergency exits in the buildings and are provided guidance about the direction they should travel when exiting each building for a short-term building evacuation. EH&S does not tell individuals in advance about the designated locations for long-term evacuations because those decisions are affected by time of day, the location of the building being evacuated, the availability of the various designated emergency gathering locations on campus, and other factors such as the location and nature of the threat. EH&S and staff on the scene will communicate information to individuals regarding the developing situation or any evacuation status changes.

Students receive information about evacuation and shelter-in-place procedures during their first floor meetings and during other educational sessions that they can participate in throughout the year. Housing and Residential Education staff members are trained in these procedures as well and act as an on-going resource for the students living in residential facilities.

UMass Dartmouth Police Department conducts announced and unannounced drills and exercises each year and conducts follow-through activities designed for assessment and evaluation of emergency plans and capabilities.

UMass Dartmouth Police Department coordinates announced and unannounced evacuation drills each semester, as described above, to test the emergency response and evacuation procedures, and to assess and evaluate the emergency evacuation plans and capabilities. UMass Dartmouth will publish a summary of its emergency response and evacuation procedures in conjunction with at least one drill or exercise each calendar year.

UMass Dartmouth Police Department performs Active Threat Drills. An active threat refers to any incident which creates an immediate threat or presents an imminent danger to the campus community such as a shooter or hostage situation. Although encountering an active threat on campus remains remote, we encourage members of the campus community to review the guidelines in the event of an emergency.

The University conducts table top and real time exercises as to test emergency preparedness, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans. The Town of Dartmouth and other UMass campuses are encouraged to participate and/or observe during these exercises.

Shelter-in-Place Procedures

What it means to “Shelter-in-Place”:

If an incident occurs and the buildings or areas around you become unstable, or if the air outdoors becomes dangerous due to toxic or irritating substances, it is usually safer to stay indoors, because leaving the area may expose you to that danger. Thus, to “shelter-in-place” means to make a shelter of the building that you are in, and with a few adjustments this location can be made even safer and more comfortable until it is safe to go outside.

Basic “Shelter-in-Place” Guidance:

If an incident occurs and the building you are in is not damaged, stay inside in an interior room until you are told it is safe to come out. If your building is damaged, take your personal belongings (purse, wallet, student ID card, etc.) and follow the evacuation procedures for your building (close your door, proceed to the nearest exit, and use the stairs instead of the elevators). Once you have evacuated, seek shelter at the nearest University building quickly. If police or fire department personnel are on the scene, follow their directions.

How You Will Know to “Shelter-in-Place”:

A shelter-in-place notification may come from several sources, including UMass Dartmouth Police Department, EH&S, Housing and Residential Education staff members, other University employees, the federal or local government, or other authorities utilizing the University’s emergency communications tools.

How to “Shelter–in-Place”:

1. If you are inside, stay where you are. Collect any emergency shelter-in-place supplies and a telephone to be used in case of emergency. If you are outdoors, proceed into the closest building quickly or follow instructions from emergency personnel on the scene.
2. Locate a room to shelter inside. It should be:
   • An interior room;
   • Above ground level; and
   • Without windows or with the least number of windows. If there is a large group of people inside a particular building, several rooms maybe necessary.
3. Shut and lock all windows (tighter seal) and close exterior doors.
4. Turn off air conditioners, heaters, and fans.
5. Close vents to ventilation systems as you are able. (University staff will turn off the ventilation as quickly as possible.)
6. Make a list of the people with you and ask someone to call the list in to the UMass Dartmouth Police Department so they know where you are sheltering.
7. Turn on a radio or TV and listen for further instructions.
8. Make yourself comfortable.

Active Threat Guidelines

Although encountering an active threat on campus remains remote, we encourage members of the campus community to review these guidelines in the event of an emergency. An active threat refers to any incident which creates an immediate threat or presents an imminent danger to the campus community such as a shooter or a hostage situation. Taking the time now to review these guidelines increases your ability to respond in the event of an emergency.

If you can evacuate the building:

1. Try to stay calm and determine the location of the threat.
2. Call 9191 as soon as possible, although escaping is your priority.
3. If a safe exit does exist, take it as quickly as possible.
4. Continue running until you are well cleared from the location of the threat. Find a safe location and call 911 to tell the police of your location.

If the only exit is through a window, consider the consequences of the fall:

• How high are you from the ground?
• Can you land in shrubs or grass to decrease the potential for serious injury?
• Can you make an improvised rope out of clothing, belts or other items?

If you cannot evacuate the building:

1. Try to stay calm and determine the location of the threat.
2. Take shelter in the nearest office, classroom, closet or another area which can be secured. Barricade the door using desks, bookshelves, or other heavy objects. If the door opens outward, attach one end of a belt to the door handle and the other end to a heavy object.
3. If the door has a window, cover it.
4. Look for other possible escape routes, such as windows, other doors.
5. Call 911 and tell them what is happening. Speak quietly and then set your cell phone to vibrate or silent.
6. Stay low to the ground and remain as quiet as possible.
7. Once in a secure location, do not open the door for anyone. Do not approach police officers as they attempt to locate and neutralize the threat. The police officers will return to assist you once the threat has been neutralized.
8. When University Police arrive, obey all commands. You may be asked to keep your hands in the air; you may even be handcuffed until the police assess the situation. These steps are taken for safety reasons.

If an active threat is in your presence:

If you are in a crowded room and the threat is shooting, “play dead” or quietly crawl to safety. If you are with a group, as an action of last resort, you might choose to take the offense:

1. If the shooter is entering the room, position yourself in a location that allows for an element of surprise.
2. Throw anything available at the threat. Aim for the face to distract him/her.
3. Attack as a group, swarming around the threat.
4. Grab the threat’s arms, legs or head and take him/her to the ground. Use body weight to secure him/her.
5. “Fight dirty” – kick, bite, gouge eyes.
6. Have somebody in the group call 911.
7. When University Police arrive, obey all commands. You may be asked to keep your hands in the air; you may even be handcuffed until the police assess the situation. These steps are taken for safety reasons.

If you have incapacitated the threat…

1. Make sure the suspect is secured (body weight, belts, etc.).
2. Move any weapons away from the threat.
3. Do not hold a weapon.
4. Call 911 and advise law enforcement that the threat/shooter is down.
5. Provide your location and stay on the line if possible.
6. When University Police arrive, obey all commands. You may be asked to keep your hands in the air; you may even be handcuffed until the police assess the situation. These steps are taken for safety reasons.

Section 3 – Campus Facilities

Statement of Policy for Addressing Security and Access

Most campus buildings and facilities are accessible to members of the campus community, guests, and visitors during normal hours of business, Monday through Friday, and for limited designated hours on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. Facilities are maintained, and their security monitored, in the interest of students, staff, and faculty. Many cultural and athletic events are held in University facilities. Other facilities such as the bookstore, libraries , and cafeterias are also open to the public.

Access to academic and administrative facilities on campus is generally limited to students, employees, and visitors for the purpose of the study, work, teaching, and to conduct other University business. Each academic building has established its hours based on the needs of specific academic departments and the hours may vary at different times of the year. Access to some of these buildings is also controlled by card access after normal business hours, and all of these buildings have varied levels of access. Most academic and administrative buildings do not have a UMass Dartmouth Police Department officer assigned to them. However, University Police provide random patrols of all facilities 24 hours a day.

Maintenance of Campus Facilities

The Facilities Department maintains all the University building grounds with a special concern for safety and security. Personnel conduct inspections to identify lighting deficiencies and make recommendations for repairs to security/safety equipment such as broken locks, windows and fire safety equipment.

Facilities and landscaping are maintained in a manner that minimizes hazardous conditions and endeavors to provide the necessary levels of safety to the campus. University police officers patrol the campus and report all functioning lights, roadway depressions and other unsafe physical conditions to Facilities Management for correction through use of a computerized work order system. UMass Dartmouth Police Department encourages members of the University community to report safety and equipment problems to Facilities / safety issues to EH&S (Environmental Health and Safety).

Emergencies may necessitate changes or alterations to any posted schedules. Areas which appear to be problematic have security surveys conducted by UMass Dartmouth Police Department.  

Provided is a brief description of the campus facilities.

On-Campus Student Housing

There are 10 Residence Halls and 2 townhouse complexes on campus. All Residence Halls entrances are locked twenty-four hours a day and all traffic entering and exiting the buildings is restricted to the main doorways, except in an emergency situation. 

Each residence hall has a desk staffed by an attendant during evening hours. Access to each apartment or room is regulated by the residents. 

Non-Campus Properties

• Hetland Memorial Ice Arena: The ice skating rink located at 310 Hathaway Boulevard in New Bedford and is the location of hockey practice and home games.
• Saint Luke’s Hospital: Library Conference Room, 101 Page St New Bedford Mass
• University of the Azores: Campusde Ponta Delgada: Apartado 1422 Ponta Delgada Acores Portugal. Portugal:
  • Terceira Mar Hotel Portoes de Sap Pedro: Angra do Heroismo, Tereceira Portugal o VIP Azores Hotel R. de Saos Goncalo, Ponta Delguda, Azores Portugal
• Colombia: Hotel Aqua Express, Medellin Via Provenza of El Poblado (Cra 35 # 7-47 Medellin Antioquia Colombia. Cotove (UniAntioquia Field Station) Tulenapa Farm, Santafe de Antioquia.  

Satellite Campuses

• UMass Dartmouth School of Law: The law school is a dedicated 75,000 square foot two story facility situated on 8.5 acres. Located 2.8 miles from the UMass Dartmouth Main Campus at 333 Faunce Corner Road. Shuttle services are provided between the main campus and the law school. 
• School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST): This is the Intercampus Graduate School of Marine and Science Technology. SMAST is situated between Rodney French Boulevard and the Battery Milliken on Clark’s Cove, New Bedford. Access to the building after 6 pm requires proper card access.  

Statement of Policy Addressing Safety and Security in the Residence Halls

There are 10 Residence Halls and 2 townhouse complexes on campus. All Residence Halls entrances are locked twenty-four hours a day and all traffic entering and exiting the buildings is restricted to the main doorway, except in an emergency situation. Each residence hall main entrance is equipped with electronic security card access systems. Each residence hall has a desk staffed by uniformed security personnel during evening hours. Access to each apartment or room is regulated by the residents.  

Access to the residence halls is limited to students and their guests according to University regulations (see the University of Massachusetts Housing Handbook). Each Residence Hall is supervised by a Resident Director. The Resident Directors in all Residence Halls are full-time professional staff at the University with significant experience in Residence Life. All residence life staff receive extensive training prior to the academic year as well as ongoing training throughout the year on topics such as, but not limited to, safety and security, policy enforcement, counseling skills, crisis intervention, CPR and first aid, conflict mediation, activity planning, and community development. 

Special security procedures are in effect during vacation/low occupancy periods. During these periods residents are consolidated into a concentrated residential area for safety and security purposes.  

Statement of Policy for Addressing Safety and Security Off -Campus

Off-campus apartment complexes, townhouses/condominium communities, and other multifamily dwellings pose unique challenges. Because of the natural turnover of many residents in rental property, students must make an extra effort to be aware of their surroundings. This includes knowledge of the measures landlords have taken on behalf of resident safety. Crime prevention programs provide suggestions as to what off-campus students can do to reduce victimization.  

These residences fall under the police department of the particular jurisdiction. To report a crime, call the respective jurisdiction in your location. In the event of an emergency dial 911. UMass Dartmouth Police Department does not provide l a w enforcement services to off -campus residences. 

Statement of Policy for Addressing the Monitoring and Recording of Student Conduct In, On and Off-Campus Residences

Campus Residences  

The University must consider student conduct, whether on or off campus, that is disruptive of good community relations or which interferes with, impairs or obstructs the University’s mission, functions and processes or that are found to be offensive to generally accepted standards of sound behavior, as harmful and adverse to the University’s interests. Because of this, local Police Departments make every effort to inform the University of off campus criminal activity involving our students. If a violation of law occurs on or off campus, which is also a violation of University or local regulations (this includes Housing and Residential Education Policies), the University may institute proceedings against the offenders. Such action by the University is independent of, and may proceed in parallel with, civil and/or criminal actions.  

The university has no officially recognized non- campus locations for student organizations including non-campus housing facilities.  

Missing Student Notification Policy

In 2003 President George W. Bush signed into law “Suzanne’s Law,” requiring police to notify the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) when someone between 18 and 21 is reported missing, as part of the National “Amber Alert” bill. The policy of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Police Department is to fully investigate all reports of missing persons and to record all factual circumstances surrounding the disappearance.

Department personnel shall exercise particular care in instances involving missing children and those who may be unable to take care of themselves. Upon receiving a report of a missing person, an investigation will commence immediately.  

If a member of the University community has reason to believe that a student who resides in on-campus housing is missing, he or she should immediately notify the UMass Dartmouth Police Department. The UMass Dartmouth Police Department will generate a missing person’s report and initiate an investigation.

The UMass Dartmouth Police Department thoroughly investigates all persons including students reported as missing and works collaboratively with adjoining jurisdictions To report a missing person dial X9191 from a campus telephone, use one of blue light emergency telephones on campus or dial (508) 999-9191 from off- campus/cell phones. You also can report a missing person in person at the UMass Dartmouth Police Department which is staffed with professional personnel, 24/7.  

If the Missing Person is a student, University Police will follow these procedures: 

• If the missing student resides in on campus housing, the UMass Dartmouth Police Department Police Supervisor will notify the Resident Advisor (RA) or the Resident Director (RD) for the area in which the student is housed. The RA should be directed to contact neighbors and friends in the immediate vicinity of the student’s room and report any findings to UMass Dartmouth Police Department. Local police will be contacted forth with of the determination that the student is missing.
• There is no waiting period to report a missing person.
• If the missing student residing on-campus has been reported missing, the UMass Dartmouth Police Department will notify the student’s designated emergency contact which is maintained in COIN and Housing databases. In addition to registering an emergency contact, students residing in on-campus housing have the option to identify, confidentially, an individual to be contacted by the University in the event the student is determined to be missing for more than 24 hours. Students are reminded to update their emergency contact information in both databases as needed.
• The UMass Dartmouth Police Department Supervisor, upon confirmation that a student is missing and cannot be located, shall notify the Division of Student Affairs Administrator on call and ensure the missing student entered into NCIC.
• If the student is under 18 years old, the Student Affairs Administrator on call will immediately notify a custodial parent or legal guardian within 24 hours of the determination that the student is missing, in addition to notifying any additional contact person designated by the student. The missing student will also be entered into NCIC by UMass Dartmouth Police Department.

If a student over 18 years old has not designated an emergency contact, the law enforcement agency where the student’s primary residence is located will be notified by the UMass Dartmouth Police Department.

For international students, the UMass Dartmouth Police Department Supervisor will contact the Office of International Student Programs for assistance. The UMass Dartmouth Police Department Supervisor will also check hospital admissions and the adjoining police agencies for further information regarding the missing person. Further, UMass Dartmouth Police Department will also contact the Counseling Center in the event that the student has been receiving counseling, as well as Student Health Services and Out Patient Emergency Rooms in area hospitals.  

If the student lives off-campus, the UMass Dartmouth Police Department Supervisor will contact the Administrator on Call in Division of Student Affairs who will attempt contact the landlord of the property to obtain the names of neighbors or fellow residents, assuming this information is not already known. The landlord shall be asked to accompany police officers to the apartment of the missing student. The Police Department will enlist the support of local police departments as needed. 

Section 4 – Security Awareness and Crime Prevention Programs

Statement of Policy for Addressing Security Awareness and Crime Prevention Programs

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Police Department believes that through crime prevention and safety awareness education, community members are better prepared to prevent crime and to respond if crime does occur. As part of the university‘s educational mission, the Police Department attempts to teach and educate members of the campus community on how to reduce their chances of becoming a victim of personal or property crime. For this reason, the department has a Crime Prevention Unit with a certified Crime Prevention Officer/Coordinator dedicated full-time to several Crime Prevention Programs.

During the 2024 calendar year, the University police crime prevention officers’ sponsored crime prevention and security awareness programs intended to inform and educate the community on crime issues. Programs include: Alcohol Awareness, Personal Safety Awareness, Property Protection Tips, Lap Top Registration and more.

Though not an all-inclusive list, the following are some programs and projects that we offer:

• Emergency Call Boxes. There are 45 emergency call boxes located at strategic locations and at the entrances of all Residence Halls. Follow posted direction on phones to obtain the necessary assistance.
• Lighting/Brush Surveys. These surveys are conducted biannually to evaluate the safety conditions of the university. These recommendations are then forwarded to facilities who take appropriate action to correct any repairs affecting the safety and security of the University. The Facilities and Physical Plant Department maintains all buildings and grounds for the University and inspects campus facilities regularly.
• The Corsair Shuttle. The Corsair Shuttle Service offers safe and convenient transportation on campus. On campus transportation service allows for quick travel between busy points on campus during the day and for students to feel comfortable traveling around campus at night on the expanded evening routes. Shuttles run on different routes during the day (A&B) and night (C&D).
• The Retail Loop. The Retail Loop allows students to take the shuttle off campus for shopping and recreation. Stops include Target, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Stop & Shop and Best Buy.
• Law School Transportation. The Law School Transportation service allows any member of the campus community to travel between the Main Campus and the Law School. Please visit Campus Transportation for details about routes and times or contact the transportation office at 508-999-9175 or email transportation@umassd.edu
• RAD Program (508-999-8770) The Rape Aggression Defense System is a free program of realistic, self-defense tactics and techniques. The RAD System is a comprehensive course for women that begin with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance, while progressing to the basics of hands-on defense training.
• 9191 emergency telephone service is available to provide immediate access to emergency personnel. If you are on campus and need emergency assistance dial 9191. There are also red telephones on campus located within the buildings which allow for immediate communication with the dispatcher. These specific telephones automatically dial into the police station therefore, no dialing is necessary.
• Safety Escorts. After hours safety escorts may be arranged by contacting the University Police Department at 508- 999-8107.

Other services and programs include:

Security surveys

• Safety surveys of residential and academic buildings (doors, locks, windows)
• Light and Brush surveys

Men helping men find a Solution.

Men helping men to find a Solution is a program built on the premise that “educated men make for a safer community”. In today’s world where men are bombarded with all the wrong messages in how we deal with women, this program allows for a frank and topical examination of the important role men play in how we interact with women in our lives.

• Take Back the Night
• Operation I.D.
• Laptop Registration
• Tablets, All cell phones
• Game systems
• Police Information Tables
• Personal Safety Information
• Alcohol Safety Information
• Drug Safety Information
• Property Protection Tips

Active Shooter Preparedness

• Coping with an Active Shooter
• How to Respond to an Active Shooter
• How to Respond to Law Enforcement

Statement of Policy for Addressing Substance Abuse Education

Substance abuse and its related consequences undermine the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s goals of academic success and civility. All students /employees at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth are prohibited from the distribution, manufacture and cultivation of illicit drugs and alcohol. In addition, Congress amended Title XII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 by adding a section pertaining to Drug Free Schools and Campuses. Under this new amendment any institution receiving federal funds, including federal student loan programs, must adopt and implement policies to prevent the use of illegal drugs and alcohol by students and employees.

Financial aid penalties for drug offenses: Beginning on July 1, 2000 the 1998 amendments to the higher education act require the suspension of eligibility for financial aid for students convicted of drug related offenses. The length of suspension of eligibility is not less than one year and varies depending on the nature of the offense. Full details are available from the office of student financial assistance.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is committed to promoting a climate which supports academic and personal growth and success and the well-being of all members of the academic community. To safeguard and promote a healthy academic and living environment, the University promulgates rules and regulations for the behavior of all members of the community. These are outlined in several major policy statements i.e., the student conduct code, the hazing policy, the alcohol and other drug policies, etc. copies of these campus regulations are available in the Division of Student Affairs and Annual Security Report.

Health risks associated with alcohol and other drug consumption include impaired judgment, vision, speech, coordination, memory, sensation and perception. Long-term use of alcohol and other drugs can negatively impact many of the body's systems, and cause physical and psychological dependence.

It is the responsibility of each member of this community to understand and comply with all campus rules and regulations. These regulations include all federal, state and local laws including the Drug Free Schools and Community Act of 1989, the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988 and the Higher Education Act (as amended in 1998). As a member of the university community, it is your responsibility to know and abide by all campus rules and regulations, to understand the risks associated with the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs, and to assist in creating an environment that promotes health-enhancing attitudes and activities.

Any violation of the University’s Code of Student Conduct or violation of federal, state or local laws shall subject the offender to the University disciplinary process and/or criminal prosecution.

This policy pertains to alcohol and other drug use behaviors in residence halls and university apartments. All members of the university community, including students not residing on campus, are responsible for obtaining and adhering to this policy while in university-approved housing.

Services and resources are available to all members of the University community, to provide accurate information relating to drugs and alcohol, to support individual needs and to assist at crisis points.

Listings of resources on campus are available by calling:

In addition, individuals who wish to enroll in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program should check the University’s insurance or their own insurance to verify if they are covered for these services.

The full text of the University Alcohol and Drug Policies can be found online at:

• Alcohol Policy
• Drug Policy

The Code of Student Conduct can be found at:

• Community Standards

Alcohol and Other Drug Education Program

• Fatal Vision Demonstration https://fatalvision.com/ - Field Sobriety Testing Students participate in field sobriety test, 9 step walk & turn, one leg stand and more.
• Sum It up Kit Students are taught about standard drink sizes
• Drunk Mario Kart (Students play Mario Kart (driving video game) while wearing the fatal vision goggles).
• Fatal Vision Marijuana Simulation Experience. (Students observe how alcohol impairs vision and reaction time while driving). Information, loss of motor coordination and slow decision making and reaction time resulting from recreational marijuana use.

Statement of Policy for Addressing Alcohol

The University Alcohol Policy and Massachusetts state law and laws regarding the possession, use, sale, consumption or furnishing of alcohol is controlled by the Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC); however, the enforcement of alcohol laws on- campus is the primary responsibility of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Police Department. The possession, use, sale, manufacture or distribution of any controlled substance is illegal under both state and federal laws. Such laws, include underage drinking laws, are strictly enforced by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Police Department. Violators are subject to University disciplinary action, criminal prosecution, fine and imprisonment. It is unlawful to sell, furnish or provide alcohol to a person under the age of 21. The possession of alcohol by anyone under 21 years of age is illegal.

Statement of Policy for Addressing Illegal Drugs

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth campus has been designated “Drug Free”. The possession, use, sale, manufacture or distribution of any controlled substance is illegal under both state and federal laws. Such laws are strictly enforced by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Police. Violators are subject to arrest, criminal prosecution, University disciplinary action, fine and imprisonment.

• Drug Free Policies 
• Alcohol Policy
• Drug Policy

Statement Regarding Firearms and Weapons

Possession of firearms on the University property is regulated under MGL, Chapter 269, and Section 10j. Firearms of any type, assembled or disassembled, ammunition, knives, machetes, javelins, martial arts devices, clubs, or any device which can be considered hazardous to the welfare of members of the university community are strictly prohibited on campus. Any violation of state laws or town ordinances prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase, transportation, possession, concealment, or use of firearms, cutting instruments, explosives, incendiary devices, or other deadly weapons will result in prosecution and will be subject to severe disciplinary action, up to, and including, dismissal from the university.

University Hazing Policy and Procedures

Massachusetts Statute 269:17 defines``hazing'' as any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or another person.  Such conduct shall include whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather, forced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance, or any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity which is likely to adversely affect the physical health of any such student or other person, or which subjects such student or other person to extreme mental stress, including extended deprivation of sleep or rest or extended isolation.

All Campus Divisions and Students the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMassD) is a State Institution of Higher Education devoted to excellence in teaching, research, and service. A part of that mission is fulfilled by the university's commitment to the development of students through academic and extracurricular activities. UMassD is committed to promoting a safe and healthy environment for all members of the community and to preventing hazing before it occurs, and/or providing appropriate remedial action in instances when hazing occurs. This policy applies to all members of the University faculty, staff and students. It applies to on- and off-campus behavior.

Definitions

1. The Student Code of Conduct defines hazing as the following: Hazing includes but is not limited to any method of initiation into any student organization (e.g., a club, athletic team, fraternity, sorority or band), whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person. The implied or expressed consent of the victim will not be a defense for hazing. Apathy or acquiescence in the presence of hazing are not neutral acts, they are also violations of this policy. In accordance with Massachusetts State Law M.G.L. 269.17, hazing is illegal. 
2. Massachusetts General Law (MGL) Hazing - Ch. 269 sec.17, 18, 19
   1. 269:17 Hazing; Organizing; or Participating; Hazing Defined: Section 17. Whoever is a principal organizer or participant in the crime of hazing, as defined herein, shall be punished by a fine of not more than three thousand dollars or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than one, [1] year, or both such fine and imprisonment. 1 The term ``hazing'' as used in this section and in sections eighteen and nineteen, shall mean any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or another person. Such conduct shall include whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather, forced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug or other substance, or any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity which is likely to adversely affect the physical health of any such student or other person, or which subjects such student or other person to extreme mental stress, including extended deprivation of sleep or rest or extended isolation. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section to the contrary, consent shall not be available as a defense to any prosecution under this action.
   2. 269:18 Failure to Report Hazing: Section 18. Whoever knows that another person is the victim of hazing as defined in section seventeen and is at the scene of such crime shall, to the extent that such person can do so without danger or peril to himself or others, report such crime to an appropriate law enforcement official as soon as reasonably practicable. Whoever fails to report such crime shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1000).
   3. 269:19 Copy of secs. 17-19; issuance to students and student groups, teams and organizations; report Section 19. Each institution of secondary education and each public and private institution of post-secondary education shall issue to every student group, student team or student organization which is part of such institution or is recognized by the institution or permitted by the institution to use its name or facilities or is known by the institution to exist as an unaffiliated student group, student team, or student organization, a copy of this section and sections seventeen and eighteen; provided, however, that an institution's compliance with this section's requirements that an institution issue copies of this section and sections seventeen and eighteen to unaffiliated student groups, teams, or organizations shall not constitute evidence of the institution's recognition or endorsement of said unaffiliated student groups, teams or organizations. Each such group, team or organization shall distribute a copy of this section and sections seventeen and eighteen to each of its members, plebes, pledges or applicants for membership. It shall be the duty of each such group, team or organization, acting through its designated officer, to deliver annually, to the institution an attested acknowledgement stating that such group, team or organization has received a copy of this section and said sections seventeen and eighteen, that each of its member, plebes, pledges, or applicants has received a copy of sections seventeen and eighteen, and that such group, team or organization understands and agrees to comply with the provisions of this section and sections seventeen and eighteen. Each institution of secondary education and each public or private institution of post-secondary education shall, at least annually, before or at the start of enrollment, deliver to each person who enrolls as a full-time student in such institution a copy of this section and sections seventeen and eighteen. Each institution of secondary education and each public or private institution of post secondary education
      1. shall file, at least annually, a report with the regents of higher education and in the case of secondary institutions, the board of education, certifying that such institution has complied with its responsibility to inform student groups, teams or organizations and to notify each full time student enrolled by it of the provisions of this section and sections seventeen and eighteen; and
      2. certifying that said institution has adopted a disciplinary policy with regard to the organizers and participants of hazing, and that such policy has been set forth with appropriate emphasis in the student handbook or similar means of communication the institution's policies to its students. The board of regents and, in the case of secondary institutions, the board of education shall promulgate regulations governing the content and frequency of such reports, and shall forthwith report to the attorney general any such institution which fails to make such report.

Prohibition on Hazing

UMass Dartmouth strictly prohibits any action or situation, whether voluntary or involuntary, intended for initiation, admission, affiliation, or continued membership in a group or organization (e.g., a club, athletic team, fraternity, sorority or band), that:

• Endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student
• Creates a risk of injury
• Causes mental or physical fatigue, distress, discomfort, or embarrassment
• Subjects a student to harassment, ridicule, or intimidation
• Damages or destroys property
• Violates the law, University policy, or the Code of Student Conduct

 Such prohibited activities include, but are not limited to:

• Striking another student by hand or with any instrument
• Requiring or promoting alcohol or other drug use
• Holding late sessions or meetings that interfere with academic activities
• Tattooing, branding, or piercing
• Administering physical or psychological shocks
• Forcing the wearing of apparel in public that is embarrassing, humiliating, or degrading
• Engaging in games or activities that cause fatigue, sleep deprivation, mental distress, panic, embarrassment, or humiliation

Reporting Alleged Violations of Hazing Policy

Victims/survivors or anyone who witnesses instances of hazing are strongly encouraged to report them. Faculty and staff with information relating to an instance of hazing are required to immediately report such information to:

• UMass Dartmouth Police Department - Emergency phone: 91 - Non-emergency Phone: 508-999-8107 - UMass Dartmouth Police Power Plant Building.
• Office of the Dean of Student Life - Heather Quire, Associate Vice Chancellor & Dean of Campus Life - MacLean Campus Center, 2nd floor - Phone: 508-999-8640.
• Division of Human Resources - Deb Majewski, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources - Foster Administration 213 - Phone: 508-999-8060.

Interim Measures

The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or their designee may impose the following on a Respondent or Student Organization prior to or during an Administrative Review of an alleged violation: 

1. Interim University Suspension
2. Interim Removal from University Housing
3. Interim Loss of Organization Recognition
4. Other Necessary Restrictions

Such action may be taken when, based on the information provided and in the professional judgment of a University official, a threat of harm to persons or property exists, or to protect the safety of any person. Interim administrative action is not a sanction. These measures are implemented to protect the safety and well-being of the Complainant, Respondent or Student Organization, other members of the University Community, the University, or property. Interim administrative action is preliminary in nature; it is in effect only until an Administrative Review has been completed. However, non-compliance with an interim administrative action may result in additional violations and sanctions including University Suspension, University Expulsion, or Loss of Recognition.

Investigation and Resolution

Students and Student Organizations must uphold The Code of Conduct and obey University policies, rules, and procedures as well as federal, state, and local laws. The Office of the Dean of Campus Life or their designee, shall make the final determination on what constitutes a potential violation of The Code of Conduct and shall establish the specific behavioral allegations(s) as appropriate.

If it is found that there is evidence to support an employee’s engagement in hazing, the matter will be referred to the Division of Human Resources for review, investigation and resolution.

Additional Information

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth will not tolerate retaliation against any person who in good faith makes a report of hazing. Any person who retaliates directly or indirectly against a victim/survivor, witness, person reporting hazing, a respondent and/or charged party or any person involved in any aspect of a complaint or resolution of an allegation of hazing will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination (if an employee) or expulsion (if a student).

Section 5 – Sexual Assault Prevention and Response

Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, as amended by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013

UMass Dartmouth (“the University”) does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs and sexual harassment and sexual violence are types of sex discrimination. Other acts can also be forms of sex- based discrimination and are also prohibited whether sexually based or not and include dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. As a result, UMass Dartmouth issues this statement of policy to inform the community of our comprehensive plan addressing sexual misconduct, educational programs, and procedures that address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, whether the incident occurs on or off campus and when it is reported to a University official. In this context, UMass Dartmouth prohibits the offenses of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking (as defined by the Clery Act) and reaffirms its commitment to maintain a campus environment emphasizing the dignity and worth of all members of the university community.  

For a complete copy of the University’s policy governing sexual misconduct, visit University Policies.

A. Definitions 

There are numerous terms used by UMass Dartmouth in our policy and procedures. Below, we provide the definitions of consent as defined by the Student Code of Conduct. We also provide definitions for the offenses of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking as defined by the United States Department of Education as well as under Massachusetts State criminal law. 

Consent is defined by our Title IX Grievance Procedure and the Sexual Misconduct Grievance Procedure.  

For consent to occur:  

Consent is clear, knowing, and voluntary words or actions that give permission for specific sexual activity. Consent is active, not passive. Silence, in and of itself, cannot be interpreted as consent. Consent can be given by words or actions, as long as those words or actions create mutually understandable permission regarding willingness to engage in (and the conditions of) sexual activity. Consent to any one form of sexual activity cannot automatically imply consent to any other forms of sexual activity. Previous relationships or prior consent cannot imply consent to future sexual acts. Consent can be withdrawn once given, as long as that withdrawal is clearly communicated. Once consent is withdrawn, sexual activity must stop immediately. In order to give consent, one must be of legal age. In Massachusetts, the legal age of consent is 16. Consent cannot be given when a person is asleep, incapacitated by alcohol or another drug or if a person has a mental or intellectual disability.  

Consent, in reference to sexual activity, is not defined in Massachusetts General Laws.  

Sexual Assault: “Sexual assault” means an offense that meets the definition of rape, fondling, incest, or statutory rape as used in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting system. A sex offense is any act directed against another person, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent.  

Rape is defined as the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.  

Fondling is defined as the touching of the private parts of another person for the purposes of sexual gratification, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of his/her age or because of his/her temporary or permanent mental incapacity.  

Incest is defined as non-forcible sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.  

Statutory Rape is defined a non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent. 

Massachusetts's Criminal Law also defines Sexual Assault under the statute contained in Ch. 265 § 22: Rape

Section 22. (a) Whoever has sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse with a person, and compels such person to submit by force and against his will, or compels such person to submit by threat of bodily injury and if either such sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse results in or is committed with acts resulting in serious bodily injury, or is committed by a joint enterprise, or is committed during the commission or attempted commission of an offense defineds in section fifteen A, fifteen B, seventeen, nineteen or twenty- six of this chapter, section fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen or eighteen of chapter two hundred and sixty- six or section ten of chapter two hundred and sixty-nine shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life or for any term of years. No person serving a sentence for a second or subsequent such offense shall be eligible for furlough, temporary release, or education, training or employment programs established outside a correctional facility until such person shall have served two-thirds of such minimum sentence or if such person has two or more sentences to be served otherwise than concurrently, two-thirds of the aggregate of the minimum terms of such several sentences.  

(b) Whoever has sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse with a person and compels such person to submit by force and against his will, or compels such person to submit by threat of bodily injury, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than twenty years; and whoever commits a second or subsequent such offense shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life or for any term or years.  

Whoever commits any offense described in this section while being armed with a firearm, rifle, shotgun, machine - gun or assault weapon, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than ten years. Whoever commits a second or subsequent such offense shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life or for any term of years, but not less than 15 years.  

No person serving a sentence for a second or subsequent such offense shall be eligible for furlough, temporary release, or education, training or employment programs established outside a correctional facility until such person shall have served two- thirds of such minimum sentence or if such person has two or more sentences to be served otherwise than concurrently, two- thirds of the aggregate of the minimum terms of such several sentences.  

For the purposes of prosecution, the offense described in subsection (b) shall be a lesser included offense to that described in subsection (a).

Domestic Violence: The term ‘‘domestic violence’’ means  

1. Felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed—  
   1. By a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim; By a person with whom the victim shares a child in common; (iii)
   2. By a person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse or intimate partner;
   3. By a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred; or  d. By any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred.  
2. For the purposes of complying with the requirements of this section and section 668.41, any incident meeting this definition is considered a crime for the purposes of Clery Act reporting.  

Massachusetts’s Criminal Law also defines Domestic Violence under the statute contained in Ch. 209A § 1

Domestic Violence Definitions  

Section 1. As used in this chapter the following words shall have the following meanings:  

“Abuse”, the occurrence of one or more of the following acts between family or household members:  

1. attempting to cause or causing physical harm;  
2. placing another in fear of imminent serious physical harm;  
3. causing another to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat or duress.  

“Court”, the superior, probate and family, district or Boston municipal court departments of the trial court, except when the petitioner is in a dating relationship when “Court” shall mean district, probate, or Boston municipal courts.  

“Family or household members”, persons who: (a) are or were married to one another; (b) are or were residing together in the same household; (c) are or were related by blood or marriage; (d) having a child in common regardless of whether they have ever married or lived together; or (e) are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement relationship, which shall be adjudged by district, probate or Boston municipal courts consideration of the following factors: (1) the length of time of the relationship; (2) the type of relationship; (3) the frequency of interaction between the parties; and (4) if the relationship has been terminated by either person, the length of time elapsed since the termination of the relationship.  

“Law officer”, any officer authorized to serve criminal process.  

“Protection order issued by another jurisdiction" any jurisdiction or other order issued by a court of another state, territory or possession of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or the District of Columbia, or tribal court that is issued for the purpose of preventing violent or threatening acts or harassment against, or contact or communication with or physical proximity to another person, including temporary and final orders issued by civil and criminal courts filed by or on behalf of a person seeking protection.  

“Vacate order”, court order to leave and remain away from premises and surrendering forthwith any keys to said premises to the plaintiff. The defendant shall not damage any of the plaintiff’s belongings or those of any other occupant and shall not shut off or cause to be shut off any utilities or mail delivery to the plaintiff. In the case where the premises designated in the vacate order is a residence, so long as the plaintiff is living at said residence, the defendant shall not interfere in any way with the plaintiff’s right to possess such residence, except by order or judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to appropriate civil eviction proceedings, a petition to partition real estate, or a proceeding to divide marital property. A vacate order may include in its scope a household, a multiple family dwelling and the plaintiff’s workplace. When issuing an order to vacate the plaintiff’s workplace, the presiding justice must consider whether the plaintiff and defendant work in the same location or for the same employer.

MGL c. 265 s.13M:  

Assault & Battery on a family or household member  

1. Whoever commits an assault or assault and battery on a family or household member shall be punished by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 2 1/2 years or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or both such fine and imprisonment.
2. Whoever is convicted of a second or subsequent offense of assault or assault and battery on a family or household member shall be punished by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 2 ½ years or by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years.
3. For the purposes of this section, “family or household member” shall mean persons who:
   1. are or were married to one another;
   2. a child in common regardless of whether they have ever married or lived together OR  
   3. are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement relationship; provided, that the trier of fact shall determine whether a relationship is substantive by considering the following factors:
      • The length of time of the relationship;
      • The type of relationship;
      • The frequency of interaction between the parties; 
      • Whether the relationship was terminated by either person; AND
      • The length of time elapsed since the termination of the relationship.  

For any violation of this section, or as a condition of a continuance without a finding, the court shall order the defendant to complete a certified batterer’s intervention program unless, upon good cause shown, the court issues specific written findings describing the reasons that batterer’s intervention should not be ordered or unless the batterer’s invention program determination determines that the defendant is not suitable for intervention.  

Dating Violence: The term ‘‘dating violence’’ means violence committed by a person  

1. who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim and  
2. The existence of such a relationship shall be based on the reporting party’s statement and with consideration of the length of the relationship, the type of relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.  

For the purposes of this definition-  

1. Dating Violence includes, but is not limited to, sexual or physical abuse or the threat of such abuse.  
2. Dating violence does not include acts covered under the definition of domestic violence.  

For the purposes of complying with the requirements of this section and section 668.41, any incident meeting this definition is considered a crime for the purposes of Clery Act reporting.  

1. Engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to—  
   1. fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others; or
   2. Suffer substantial emotional distress. 
2. For the purposes of this definition—  
   1. Course of conduct means two or more acts, including, but not limited to, acts which the stalker directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means follows, monitors, observes, surveils, threatens, or communicates to or about, a person, or interferes with a person’s property.  
   2. Substantial emotional distress means significant mental suffering or anguish that may, but does not necessarily require medical or other professional treatment or counseling.
   3. Reasonable persons mean a reasonable person under similar circumstances and with similar identities to the victim.  
3. For the purposes of complying with the requirements of this section and section 668.41, any incident meeting this definition is considered a crime for the purposes of Clery Act reporting.

Massachusetts’s Criminal Law also defines Stalking under the statute contained in Ch. 265 § 43: Stalking  

1. Engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to—  
   1. fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others; or
   2. Suffer substantial emotional distress.  
2. For the purposes of this definition—  
   1. Course of conduct means two or more acts, including, but not limited to, acts which the stalker directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means follows, monitors, observes, surveils, threatens, or communicates to or about, a person, or interferes with a person’s property.  
   2. Substantial emotional distress means significant mental suffering or anguish that may, but does not necessarily, require medical or other professional treatment or counseling.
   3. Reasonable persons mean a reasonable person under similar circumstances and similar identities to the victim.  
3. For the purposes of complying with the requirements of this section and section 668.41, any incident meeting this definition is considered a crime for the purposes of Clery Act reporting.  

Massachusetts’s Criminal Law also defines Stalking under the statute contained in Ch. 265 § 43:
Stalking Section 43.  

(a) Whoever (1) willfully and maliciously engages in a knowing pattern of conduct or series of acts over a period of time directed at a specific person which seriously alarms or annoys that person and would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, and (2) makes a threat with the intent to place the person in imminent fear of death or bodily injury, shall be guilty of the crime of stalking and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years or by a fine of not more than $1,000, or imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 21/2 years or by both such fine and imprisonment. The conduct, acts or threats described in this subsection shall include, but not be limited to, conduct, acts or threats conducted by mail or by use of a telephonic or telecommunication device or electronic communication device including, but not limited to, any device that transfers signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photo-electronic or photo-optical system, including, but not limited to, electronic mail, internet communications, instant messages or facsimile communications.  

(b) Whoever commits the crime of stalking in violation of a temporary or permanent vacate, restraining, or no- contact order or judgment issued pursuant to sections eighteen, thirty-four B, or thirty- four C of chapter two hundred and eight; or section thirty-two of chapter two hundred and nine; or sections three, four, or five of chapter two hundred and nine  

A; or sections fifteen or twenty of chapter two hundred and nine C or a protection order issued by another jurisdiction; or a temporary restraining order or preliminary or permanent injunction issued by the superior court, shall be punished by imprisonment in a jail or the state prison for not less than one year and not more than five years. No sentence imposed under the provisions of this subsection shall be less than a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of one year.  

A prosecution commenced hereunder shall not be placed on file or continued without a finding, and the sentence imposed upon a person convicted of violating any provision of this subsection shall not be reduced to less than the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment as established herein, nor shall said sentence of imprisonment imposed upon any person be suspended or reduced until such person shall have served said mandatory term of imprisonment.  

A person convicted of violating any provision of this subsection shall not, until he shall have served the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment established herein, be eligible for probation, parole, furlough, work release or receive any deduction from his sentence for good conduct under sections one hundred and twenty-nine, one hundred and twenty-nine C and one hundred and twenty-nine D of chapter one hundred and twenty- seven; provided, however, that the commissioner of correction may, on the recommendation of the warden, superintendent, or other person in charge of a correctional institution, grant to said offender a temporary release in the custody of an officer of such institution for the following purposes only: to attend the funeral of next of kin or spouse; to visit a critically ill close relative or spouse; or to obtain emergency medical services unavailable at said institution. 

The provisions of section eighty-seven of chapter two hundred and seventy-six relating to the power of the court to place certain offenders on probation shall not apply to any person seventeen years of age or over charged with a violation of this subsection. The provisions of section thirty-one of chapter two hundred and seventy- nine shall not apply to any person convicted of violating any provision of this subsection.   

(a) Whoever, after having been convicted of the crime of stalking, commits a second or subsequent such crime shall be punished by imprisonment in a jail or the state prison for not less than two years and not more than ten years. No sentence imposed under the provisions of this subsection shall be less than a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years.  

A prosecution commenced hereunder shall not be placed on file or continued without a finding, and the sentence imposed upon a person convicted of violating any provision of this subsection shall not be reduced to less than the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment as established herein, nor shall said sentence of imprisonment imposed upon any person be suspended or reduced until such person shall have served said mandatory term of imprisonment.  

A person convicted of violating any provision of this subsection shall not, until he shall have served the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment established herein, be eligible for probation, parole, furlough, work release or receive any deduction from his sentence for good conduct under sections one hundred and twenty-nine, one hundred and twenty-nine C and one hundred and twenty-nine D of chapter one hundred and twenty- seven; provided, however, that the commissioner of correction may, on the recommendation of the warden, superintendent, or other person in charge of a correctional institution, grant to said offender a temporary release in the custody of an officer of such institution for the following purposes only: to attend the funeral of next of kin or spouse; to visit a critically ill close relative or spouse; or to obtain emergency medical services unavailable at said institution. The provisions of section eighty seven of chapter two hundred and seventy-six relating to the power of the court to place certain offenders on probation shall not apply to any person seventeen years of age or over charged with a violation of this subsection. The provisions of section thirty-one of chapter two hundred and seventy- nine shall not apply to any person convicted of violating any provision of this section.  

Education and Prevention Programs  

The University engages incomprehensive, intentional, and integrated programming, initiatives, strategies, and campaigns intended to end dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking that:  

• Are culturally relevant, inclusive of diverse communities and identities, sustainable, responsive to community needs, and informed by research, or assessed for value, effectiveness, or outcome; and
• Consider environmental risk and protective factors as they occur on the individual, relationship, institutional, community and societal levels.
• Educational programming consists of primary prevention and awareness programs for all incoming students and new employees and ongoing awareness and prevention campaigns for students and employees that:
• Identifies domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking as prohibited conduct;
• Defines using definitions provided both by the Department of Education as well as state law what behavior constitutes domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;
• Defines what behavior and actions constitute consent to sexual activity in the State of Massachusetts and/or using the definition of consent found in the Student Code of Conduct if state law does not define consent;
  • Provides a description of safe and positive options for bystander intervention.
  • Bystander intervention means safe and positive options that may be
  • carried out by an individual or individuals to prevent harm or intervene when there is a risk of dating violence,
  • domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Bystander intervention includes recognizing situations of potential harm, understanding institutional structures and cultural conditions that facilitate violence, overcoming barriers to intervening, identifying safe and effective intervention options, and taking action to intervene;
• Information on risk reduction. Risk reduction means options designed to decrease
  • Perpetration and bystander inaction and to increase empowerment for victims in order to
  • Promote safety and to help individuals and communities address conditions that facilitate violence.
• Information regarding
  • Procedures victims should follow if a crime of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking occurs.
  • How the institution will protect the confidentiality of the victim and other necessary parties.
  • Existing counseling, health, mental health, victim advocacy, legal assistance, visa and immigration assistance, student financial aid and other services available for victims, both within the institution and community.
  • Options for available assistance in, and how to request changes to academic living, transportation, and working situations or protective, and
  • Procedures for institutional disciplinary actions in cases of alleged dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.   

The University has developed an annual educational campaign consisting of presentations that include distribution of educational materials to new students; participating in and presenting information and materials during new employee orientation; and in providing ongoing awareness training, activities and programming for all students and employees. 

The University offered the following primary prevention and awareness programs for all incoming students in 2024: 

DoV means Domestic Violence, DaV means Dating Violence, SA means Sexual Assault and S means Stalking 

The University offered the following primary prevention and awareness programs for all new employees in 2024:

The University offered the following ongoing prevention and awareness campaigns for students in 2024:

Procedures Victims Should Follow if a Crime of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking Occurs

The University has procedures in place that serve to be sensitive to those who report sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, including informing individuals about their right to file criminal charges as well as the availability of counseling, health, mental health, victim advocacy, legal assistance, visa and immigration assistance, student financial aid and other services on and/or off campus as well as additional remedies to prevent contact between a complainant and an accused party, such as housing, academic, transportation and working accommodations, if reasonably available.

The University will make such accommodations, if the victim requests them and if they are reasonable available, regardless of whether the victim chooses to report the crime to the UMass Dartmouth Police Department or local law enforcement. To request accommodations students and employees should contact:  

1. The Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality  

Survivors and those concerned about survivors may report an incident to the Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality. The staff members in the center are trained to support survivors and to share information about resources and reporting options. For more information, please call 508-910-6567 or go to Center for Women, Gender & Sexuality (CWGS)

2. The Office of Housing and Residential Education  

If an incident takes place in campus housing and is reported to a staff member of the Office of Housing and Residential Education such as an RA or RD, the staff member will contact the University Police, if requested by the complainant. The housing staff member must also report the incident to their supervisor. At this level, the complainant may request to keep her/his name confidential from both University Police and housing staff supervisors, but under federal law, the housing staff member will be required to provide names and all other relevant details to the Title IX coordinator or designee who will meet with the alleged victim to offer supportive measures and to review the appropriate grievance procedure to determine if the alleged victim wants to proceed with a formal complaint. The Housing and Residential Education staff will also review support services, resources and options with the complainant. For more specific information, please call 508-999-8995.  

Filing an Anonymous Report  

Any member of the campus community may use the online Sexual Assault Anonymous Reporting Form to file a report about an assault that one has either experienced or heard about without having to disclose the names of either the person who has been assaulted or the person who committed the assault. Most staff and faculty (except for staff in the Counseling Center, Health Services, the Designated Victim’s Advocate in the Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality, and the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life) are required to report, anonymously at a minimum, an incident of sexual violence if one is brought to their attention. It is one option for reporting and completion of the form does not propel other University procedures (e.g. police report, judicial action), nor does it preclude other reporting options. It is a mechanism for bringing the incident to the attention of the University in order to better understand the extent of the problem, plan more effective prevention and response efforts, and create a safer campus community. For more information about this form, please go to: Reporting Sexual Violence  

Online reporting form  

Incident Being Reported: Sexual Assault  

Procedure UMass Dartmouth will follow:  

1. Depending on when reported (immediate vs delayed report), institution will provide complainant with access to medical care.  
2. Institution will assess immediate safety needs of complainant.
3. Institution will assist complainant with contacting local police if complainant requests AND complainant provided with contact information for local police department.
4. Institution will provide complainant with referrals to on and off campus mental health providers.
5. Institution will assess the need to implement interim or long- term protective measures, such as housing changes, change in class schedule, “No Contact” directive between both parties
6. Institution will provide a “No trespass” directive to accused party if deemed appropriate
7. Institution will provide written instructions on how to apply for Protective Order
8. Institution will provide a copy of the Title IX Grievance Procedure and the Sexual Misconduct Grievance Procedure to potential complainant and inform the complainant regarding timeframes for inquiry, investigation and resolution.
9. Institution will inform the complainant, whether or not the accused will be administratively charged, provide the complainant with the investigation report and the outcome of the hearing and in the event of an appeal, the outcome of the appeal.
10. Institution will enforce the anti-retaliation policy and take immediate and separate action against parties that retaliate against a person for complaining of sex-based discrimination or for assisting in the investigation.  

Evidentiary Standard: Preponderance of the evidence  

Incident Being Reported: Stalking  

Procedure UMass Dartmouth Will Follow:  

1. Institution will assess immediate Safety needs of complaint  
2. Institution will assist complainant with contacting local police if complainant requests AND complainant provided with contact information for local police department.  
3. Institution will provide written instructions on how to apply for Protective Order  
4. Institution will provide written information to complainant on how to preserve evidence  
5. Institution will assess need to implement interim or long- term protective measures to protect the complainant, if appropriate  
6. Institution will provide a “No trespass” () directive to accused party if deemed appropriate  
7. Institution will provide a copy of the Title IX Grievance Procedure and the Sexual Misconduct Grievance Procedure to potential complainant and inform the complainant regarding timeframes for inquiry, investigation and resolution  
8. Institution will inform the complainant, whether or not the accused will be administratively charged, provide the complainant with the investigation report and the outcome of the hearing and in the event of an appeal, the outcome of the appeal.  

Evidentiary Standard: Preponderance of the evidence  

Incident Being Reported: Dating Violence  

Procedure UMass Dartmouth Will Follow:  

1. Institution will assess the immediate safety needs of complainant  
2. Institution will assist complainant with contacting local police if complainant requests AND complainant provided with contact information for local police department  
3. Institution will provide written instructions on how to apply for Protective Order  
4. Institution will provide written information to complainant on how to preserve evidence  
5. Institution will assess need to implement interim or long- term protective measures to protect the complainant, if appropriate  
6. Institution will provide a “No trespass directive to accused party if deemed appropriate  
7. Institution will provide a copy of the Title IX Grievance Procedure and the Sexual Misconduct Grievance Procedure to potential complainant and inform the complainant regarding timeframes for inquiry, investigation and resolution.
8. Institution will inform the complainant, whether or not the accused will be administratively charged, provide the complainant with the investigation report and the outcome of the hearing and in the event of an appeal, the outcome of the appeal.

Evidentiary Standard: Preponderance of the evidence  

Incident Being Reported: Domestic Violence  

Procedure UMass Dartmouth Will Follow:  

1. Institution will assess immediate safety needs of complainant  
2. Institution will assist complainant with contacting local police if complainant requests AND complainant provided with contact information for local police department  
3. Institution will provide written instructions on how to apply for Protective Order  
4. Institution will provide written information to complainant on how to preserve evidence  
5. Institution will assess need to implement interim or long- term protective measures to protect the complainant, if appropriate  
6. Institution will provide a “No trespass” directive to accused party if deemed appropriate  

Evidentiary Standard  • Preponderance of the evidence  

Assistance for Victims: Rights & Options  

Regardless of whether a victim elects to pursue a criminal complaint, a complaint with the Title IX Coordinator or whether the offense is alleged to have occurred on or off campus, the university will assist victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking and will provide each victim with a written explanation of their rights and options. Such written information will include:

• the procedures victims should follow if a crime of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking has occurred
• information about how the institution will protect the confidentiality of victims and other necessary parties.
• A statement that the institution will provide written notification to students and employees about victim services within the institution and in the community.
• A statement regarding the institution's provisions about options for available assistance in and how to request accommodations and protective measures and
• An explanation of the procedures for institutional disciplinary action.  In Massachusetts, a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking has rights.  

The Massachusetts Victim Bill of Rights (M.G.L. c.258B) provides rights and services to crime victims and survivors in order to ensure a meaningful role for them in the criminal justice system. While the Bill of Rights applies to all crimes, victims and survivors of violent crimes are given priority status for services. If you wish to be notified of the status of a pending criminal case, you must provide your victim witness advocate, prosecutor and others in the criminal justice system with a current address and phone number at which you can be reached. For a complete listing of your rights, please refer to the Victim Bill of Rights (M.G.L. c258B).  

For a complete guidebook to your rights as a crime victim in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, visit the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance or access the guidebook.

UMass Dartmouth complies with Massachusetts State law in recognizing Abuse Prevention Orders (209A) and directs any person who obtains an order of protection from domestic or dating abuse, harassment, stalking or sexual assault from any state in the country to provide a copy to the University Police Department and to Title IX Coordinator, David Gomes for faculty/staff related Abuse Pr

Sexual Assault Prevention and Response

Sexual Assault is forced, manipulated or coerced sexual activity. It is a violent crime using sexual means. When it involves unwanted penetration, it is rape. Person(s) under the influence of drugs or alcohol and may be incapacitated and unable to provide consent. This is also considered a sexual assault. If you or someone you know has been a victim of a sexual assault or rape, the University wants you to know of the variety of services available to assist you, and strongly encourages you to use them as soon as possible.

Rape and all forms of sexual assault are violations of the Title IX Grievance Procedure and the Sexual Misconduct Grievance Procedure.

Prevention and Education Programs

The University educates the student community about sexual assaults and date rape through written information, speakers and programs dealing with both the prevention and the aftermath of a sexual assault.

Guidelines for Assistance

Anyone who is a victim of a sexual assault at this institution should make getting to a place of safety as their first priority. Once safety has been established, obtain necessary medical treatment. The UMass Dartmouth Police Department strongly advocates that a victim of sexual assault report the incident in a timely manner. Time is a critical factor for evidence collection and preservation. An assault should be reported directly to UMass Dartmouth Police Department. Filing a police report will not obligate the victim to prosecute, nor will it subject the victim to scrutiny or judgmental opinions from officers. Filing a police report will:

• Ensure that a victim of sexual assault receives the necessary medical treatment and tests, at no expense to the victim;
• Provide the opportunity for collection of evidence helpful in prosecution, which cannot be obtained later (ideally a victim of sexual assault should not wash, douche, use the toilet, or change clothing prior to a medical/legal exam); and
• Ensure the victim has access to free confidential counseling from counselors specifically trained in the area of sexual assault crisis intervention.
• Assist any sexual assault victim in filing a report with other agencies should the crime occur in another jurisdiction.

Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact that takes place without consent; it’s a crime of violence and control and can happen to anyone.

Individuals may also report a sex offense to the University’s Title IX Coordinator. This office is responsible for coordinating the institution’s compliance with Title IX. The Title IX Coordinator can be found in the Foster Administration Building Room 307. In addition, the University Sexual Harassment policy, including a description of the grievance procedures, can be found at University Policies

The Women’s Center at STARR in Fall River (508-675-0087), the New Bedford Women’s Center (508) 996-3343, St. Luke’s Hospital-New Bedford (508) 997-1515 and Charlton Memorial Hospital-Fall River (508)-973-8200 are possible community referrals for treatment and/or counseling.

The Office of Housing and Residential Education may provide reasonable options for changing living arrangements and various Deans and the Registrar offer reasonable options for changing academic classes when necessary.

Resources Available to the Campus Community

• Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality (CWGS) (508.910.4584): The Assistant Director for Advocacy and Education serves as the confidential victim’s advocate for our students. The assistant director counsels, advocates, and refers victims of sexual assault to appropriate agencies within the community or on campus for counseling, information or judicial and court proceedings. Also, the Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality provides ongoing educational programs regarding sexual violence and victimization for the university community.
• Women’s Studies Program (508.999.4586): Violence against women and its ramifications are studied in the classroom in many of the courses offered in the Women’s Studies Program.
• Resident Assistant RA Training (508.999.8140): Each year, several training sessions are devoted to defining sexual offenses, training R.A.s to do crisis intervention, referral and follow-up.
• Counseling Center (508.999.8650): Programs, brochures, individual and group counseling educate clients about sex offenses.
• Orientation requires first year students to receive training in sexual assault prevention.
• Health Services (508.999.8982): Initial assessment, referral and follow-up to sex offenses incidences as well as educational programs are provided by this office.
• Center for Religious and Spiritual Life (508.999.8872): this office provides educational information as well as counseling and referrals.
• RAD Program (508.999.8770): The Rape Aggression Defense System is a free program of realistic, self-defense tactics and techniques. The RAD System is a comprehensive course for women that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance, while progressing on to the basics of hands on defense training.
• Sexual Assault Anonymous Reporting Form: Anonymous and confidential reporting of rape and sexual assault.

Statement of Policy Informing the Accuser and the Accused of the Outcome of a Disciplinary Proceeding

The University 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 results of any disciplinary proceeding conducted by the University against a student who is the alleged perpetrator of such crime or offense. In Title IX matters both complainant and respondent receive all related documents including the outcome of the matter. Both the accuser and the accused are entitled to the same opportunities in which to have others present during campus disciplinary proceedings, and that both the accuser and the accused shall be informed as to the outcome of any campus disciplinary proceedings. If the alleged victim is deceased as a result of such crime or offense, the next of kin of such victim shall be treated as the alleged victim for purposes of this paragraph.

According to Section 16 of Title 18 of the United States Code, the term crime of violence means:

1. An offense that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person or property of another; or
2. Any other offense that is a felony and that, by its nature, involves a substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another may be used in the course of committing the offense.

The term results of a disciplinary proceeding means only the institution’s final determination with respect to the alleged sex offense and any sanction that is imposed against the accused.

Both the victim and the accused will be informed of the outcome of the disciplinary hearing. Compliance with this statement does not constitute a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). For the purpose of this statement, the outcome of a disciplinary proceeding means only the institution’s final determination with respect to the alleged sex offense and any sanction that is imposed against the accused.

A student’s suspension or dismissal from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth may be imposed whenever a determination of responsibility has been made following a sex offense disciplinary hearing. Immediate interim suspension pending hearing will occur whenever the charged student is deemed a safety threat.

Statement of Policy Addressing Sex Offender Registration

The Federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, enacted on October 28, 2000, went into effect on October 28, 2002. The law requires institutions of higher education to issue a statement advising the campus community where law enforcement agency information provided by the State concerning registered sex offenders may be obtained. The act also requires sex offenders already required to register in a State to provide notice, as required under State law, of each institution of higher education in that State at which a person is employed, carries on a vocation, volunteers services, or is a student.

How to Inquire

Members of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth community may request information about sex offenders in Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board at (978) 740-6400.

Penalties for Improper Use of Sex Offender Registry Information

Information contained in the Sex Offender Registry shall not be used to commit a crime against an offender or to engage in illegal discrimination or harassment of an offender. Any person who improperly uses Sex Offender Registry information shall be punished by not more than two and one-half years in the house of correction, by a fine of not more than $1,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Section 6 – Statistics

Statement of Policy for Reporting the Annual Disclosure of Crime Statistics

The information below provides context for the crime statistics reported as part of compliance with the Clery Act.

As required by federal law, the UMass Dartmouth Police Department compiles yearly crime statistics for this report on a calendar-year basis in accordance with the definitions of crimes provided by the FBI for use in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). The report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning crimes that occurred on campus and were reported to the UMass Dartmouth Police Department and other campus security authorities.

In addition, these statistics also include persons referred for campus disciplinary action for categories required under the Clery Act, including liquor and drug law violations and illegal weapons possession. Statistical information for certain off-campus locations or property owned or controlled by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, as well as public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus, is requested and collected from the Dartmouth Police Department. For statistical purposes, crime statistics reported to any of these sources are recorded in the calendar year during which the crime was reported.

Statistical information is also requested by the UMass Dartmouth Police Department from employees in the University Counseling Center and the Student Health Service, even though they are not required by law to provide statistics for this compliance document.

All statistics are gathered, compiled, and reported to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth community via this report, entitled Annual Security Report, which is published by the UMass Dartmouth Police Department. The Police Department also submits the annual crime statistics published in this brochure to the Department of Education (ED). The statistical information gathered by the Department of Education is available to the public through the ED website.

The UMass Dartmouth Police Department sends an email to every enrolled student and current employee on an annual basis. The email includes a brief summary of the contents of this report and the web address where the Annual Security Report can be accessed.

Copies of this report may also be obtained at the UMass Dartmouth Police Department, 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA, or by calling (508) 999-8107. All prospective employees may obtain a copy from the Human Resources Office in the Foster Administration Building or by calling (508) 999-8060.

Crime Log

The UMass Dartmouth Police Department Crime Log is available at the University Police Department, located at 285 Old Westport Road.

Specific Information about Classifying Crime Statistics

The following statistics are published in accordance with the standards and guidelines used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook and the federal law (the Clery Act).

The number of victims involved in a particular incident is indicated for the following crime classifications: Murder/Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Negligent Manslaughter, Forcible and Non-Forcible Sex Offenses, and Aggravated Assault.

Example: If an aggravated assault occurs and there are three victims, this is counted as three aggravated assaults in the crime statistics chart.

The number of incidents involving a particular offense is indicated for the following crime categories (includes one offense per distinct operation): Robbery, Burglary, Larceny, and Arson.

Example: If five students are walking across campus together and they are robbed, this is counted as one instance of robbery in the crime statistics chart.

Motor Vehicle Theft: Each vehicle stolen is counted as one offense.

Liquor Law, Drug Law, and Illegal Weapons Violations (Arrests): Each person who was arrested is counted in the arrest statistics. If an arrest includes multiple liquor or drug law violations, it is counted only as a Drug Law Violation, as that is considered the more serious offense.

Referred for Disciplinary Action: The statistics for Liquor Law, Drug Law, and Illegal Weapons Violations indicate the number of people who were referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Dispute Resolution and found responsible for violating those specific laws. Being found responsible includes any referral that resulted in disciplinary action initiated by the Office of Student Conduct and Dispute Resolution and a record of the action being kept on file.

Beginning in 2005, UMass Dartmouth Police Department Hate Crime statistics are separated by their category of prejudice. The numbers for most of the specific crime categories are part of the overall statistics reported for each year.

The only exceptions are the addition of Simple Assault, Intimidation, and any other crime that involves bodily injury not already included in the required reporting categories. If a Hate Crime occurs where there is an incident involving Intimidation, Vandalism, Larceny, Simple Assault, or other bodily injury, the law requires that the statistic be reported as a Hate Crime even if there is no requirement to report the underlying crime classification elsewhere in the compliance document.

Note: A hate- or bias-related crime is not a separate, distinct crime, but rather the commission of a criminal offense motivated by the offender’s bias.

Example: A subject assaults a victim — assault is the crime, and if motivated by bias, it is reported as a Hate Crime.

If the facts of the case indicate that the offender was motivated to commit the offense because of their bias against the victim’s race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, ethnicity, gender identity, national origin, or disability, the assault is then also classified as a hate/bias crime.

2013 VAWA Amendments to Clery

The Campus SaVE (Violence Against Women) Act added the following offenses to the list of criminal offenses for which statistics must be reported:

• Domestic Violence
• Dating Violence
• Stalking

Specific Information about the Crime Statistics Reported by UMass Dartmouth Police Department

Unless otherwise indicated, all statistics are from incidents that were reported to the UMass Dartmouth Police Department.

Reported to Other Campus Agencies includes crime statistics from incidents reported to other Campus Security Authorities.

On Campus Residence Halls is a subset of the On Campus crime category. The law requires institutions to break out the number of “on campus” crimes that occur in residential facilities.

Unfounded Crimes:
2024 – No unfounded crimes
2023 – No unfounded crimes
2022 – No unfounded crimes

Hate Crimes:
2024 – No hate crimes
2023 – No hate crimes
2022 – No hate crimes

Hate Crimes:
2024 – No hate crimes
2023 – No hate crimes
2022 – No hate crimes

Hate Crimes: No hate crimes were reported in 2021, 2022, or 2023.

Hate Crime Statistics

The law requires the release of statistics by category of prejudice concerning the occurrence of hate crimes in the crime classifications listed in the preceding section and for other crimes involving bodily injury to any person in which the victim is selected because of the actual or perceived race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability of the victim.

In August of 2008, HEOA §488, 20 U.S.C. §1092(f)(1)(F)(ii) modified hate crimes to include the following additional crimes under the hate crime category:

• Larceny Theft: The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession, or constructive possession, of another.
• Threats/Intimidation (includes Stalking): To unlawfully place another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words and/or other conduct, but without displaying a weapon or subjecting the victim to actual physical attack.
• Vandalism: To willfully or maliciously destroy, damage, deface, or otherwise injure real or personal property without the consent of the owner or the person having custody or control of it.
• Simple Assault: An unlawful physical attack by one person upon another where neither the offender displays a weapon, nor the victim suffers obvious severe or aggravated bodily injury involving apparent broken bones, loss of teeth, possible internal injury, severe laceration, or loss of consciousness.

Note: Reported crimes may involve individuals not associated with the University.

Definitions of Reportable Crimes

Sex offenses are defined as per the United States Department of Education as well as Massachusetts General Law:

• Sexual Assault: An offense that meets the definition of rape, fondling, incest, or statutory rape as used in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting system. A sex offense is any act directed against another person, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent.
• Rape: The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.
• Fondling: The touching of the private parts of another person for the purposes of sexual gratification, without the consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent because of age or mental incapacity.
• Incest: Non-forcible sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.
• Statutory Rape: Non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent.

Massachusetts General Law also defines Sexual Assault under the statute contained in Ch. 265 § 22: Rape

Section 22. (a) Whoever has sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse with a person, and compels such person to submit by force and against his will, or compels such person to submit by threat of bodily injury and if either such sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse results in or is committed with acts resulting in serious bodily injury, or is committed by a joint enterprise, or is committed during the commission or attempted commission of an offense defined in section fifteen A, fifteen B, seventeen, nineteen or twenty-six of this chapter, section fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen or eighteen of chapter two hundred and sixty-six or section ten of chapter two hundred and sixty-nine shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life or for any term of years.

No person serving a sentence for a second or subsequent such offense shall be eligible for furlough, temporary release, or education, training or employment programs established outside a correctional facility until such person shall have served two- thirds of such minimum sentence or if such person has two or more sentences to be served otherwise than concurrently, two- thirds of the aggregate of the minimum terms of such several sentences.

(b) Whoever has sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse with a person and compels such person to submit by force and against his will, or compels such person to submit by threat of bodily injury, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than twenty years; and whoever commits a second or subsequent such offense shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life or for any term or years.

Whoever commits any offense described in this section while being armed with a firearm, rifle, shotgun, machine-gun or assault weapon, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than ten years. Whoever commits a second or subsequent such offense shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life or for any term of years, but not less than 15 years.

No person serving a sentence for a second or subsequent such offense shall be eligible for furlough, temporary release, or education, training or employment programs established outside a correctional facility until such person shall have served two- thirds of such minimum sentence or if such person has two or more sentences to be served otherwise than concurrently, two- thirds of the aggregate of the minimum terms of such several sentences.

For the purposes of prosecution, the offense described in subsection (b) shall be a lesser included offense to that described in subsection (a).

Domestic Violence

The term ‘‘domestic violence’’ means:

1. Felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed—
   • By a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim;
   • By a person with whom the victim shares a child in common;
   • By a person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse or intimate partner;
   • By a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred; or
   • By any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred.
2. For the purposes of complying with the requirements of this section and section 668.41, any incident meeting this definition is considered a crime for the purposes of Clery Act reporting.

Massachusetts General Law also defines Domestic Violence under the statute contained in Ch. 209A § 1 Domestic Violence Definitions

Section 1. As used in this chapter the following words shall have the following meanings:

• “Abuse”: the occurrence of one or more of the following acts between family or household members
  1. attempting to cause or causing physical harm;
  2. placing another in fear of imminent serious physical harm;
  3. causing another to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat or duress.
• “Court”: the superior, probate and family, district or Boston municipal court departments of the trial court, except when the petitioner is in a dating relationship when “Court” shall mean district, probate, or Boston municipal courts.
• “Family or household members”: persons who:
  1. are or were married to one another;
  2. are or were residing together in the same household;
  3. are or were related by blood or marriage;
  4. having a child in common regardless of whether they have ever married or lived together; or
  5. are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement relationship, which shall be adjudged by district, probate or Boston municipal courts consideration of the following factors: (1) the length of time of the relationship; (2) the type of relationship; (3) the frequency of interaction between the parties; and (4) if the relationship has been terminated by either person, the length of time elapsed since the termination of the relationship.
• “Law officer”: any officer authorized to serve criminal process.
• “Protection order issued by another jurisdiction”: any injunction or other order issued by a court of another state, territory or possession of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia, or tribal court that is issued for the purpose of preventing violent or threatening acts or harassment against, or contact or communication with or physical proximity to another person, including temporary and final orders issued by civil and criminal courts filed by or on behalf of a person seeking protection.
• “Vacate order”: court order to leave and remain away from premises and surrendering forthwith any keys to said premises to the plaintiff. The defendant shall not damage any of the plaintiff’s belongings or those of any other occupant and shall not shut off or cause to be shut off any utilities or mail delivery to the plaintiff. In the case where the premises designated in the vacate order is a residence, so long as the plaintiff is living at said residence, the defendant shall not interfere in any way with the plaintiff’s right to possess such residence, except by order or judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to appropriate civil eviction proceedings, a petition to partition real estate, or a proceeding to divide marital property. A vacate order may include in its scope a household, a multiple family dwelling and the plaintiff’s workplace. When issuing an order to vacate the plaintiff’s workplace, the presiding justice must consider whether the plaintiff and defendant work in the same location or for the same employer.

MGL c. 265 s.13M: Assault & Battery on a family or household member

a) Whoever commits an assault or assault and battery on a family or household member shall be punished by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 2 ½ years or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or both such fine and imprisonment.

b) Whoever is convicted of a second or subsequent offense of assault or assault and battery on a family or household member shall be punished by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 2 ½ years or by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years.

c) For the purposes of this section, “family or household member” shall mean persons who: i. are or were married to one another; ii. have a child in common regardless of whether they have ever married or lived together;

or

iii. are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement relationship; provided, that the trier of fact shall determine whether a relationship is substantive by considering the following factors:

• The length of time of the relationship;
• The type of relationship;
• The frequency of interaction between the parties;
• Whether the relationship was terminated by either person; and
• The length of time elapsed since the termination of the relationship.

For any violation of this section, or as a condition of a continuance without a finding, the court shall order the defendant to complete a certified batterer’s intervention program unless, upon good cause shown, the court issues specific written findings describing the reasons that batterer’s intervention should not be ordered or unless the batterer’s intervention program determination determines that the defendant is not suitable for intervention.

Dating Violence

The term ‘‘dating violence’’ means violence committed by a person:

1. who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and
2. the existence of such a relationship shall be based on the reporting party’s statement and with consideration of the length of the relationship, the type of relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.

For the purposes of this definition

i. Dating Violence includes, but is not limited to, sexual or physical abuse or the threat of such abuse. ii. Dating violence does not include acts covered under the definition of domestic violence.

2. For the purposes of complying with the requirements of this section and section 668.41, any incident meeting this definition is considered a crime for the purposes of Clery Act reporting.

Dating violence is not defined specifically in Massachusetts General Law. Stalking: The term “stalking” means

1. Engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to— i. fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others; or ii. Suffer substantial emotional distress.

2. For the purposes of this definition

i. Course of conduct means two or more acts, including, but not limited to, acts which the stalker directly, indirectly, or through third parties, by any action, method, device, or means follows, monitors, observes, surveils, threatens, or communicates to or about, a person, or interferes with a person’s property.

ii. Substantial emotional distress means significant mental suffering or anguish that may, but does not necessarily, require medical or other professional treatment or counseling.

iii. Reasonable persons means a reasonable person under similar circumstances and with similar identities to the victim.

3. For the purposes of complying with the requirements of this section and section 668.41, any incident meeting this definition is considered a crime for the purposes of Clery Act reporting.

Massachusetts General Law also defines Stalking under the statute contained in Ch. 265 § 43: Stalking

Section 43. (a) Whoever (1) willfully and maliciously engages in a knowing pattern of conduct or series of acts over a period of time directed at a specific person which seriously alarms or annoys that person and would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, and (2) makes a threat with the intent to place the person in imminent fear of death or bodily injury, shall be guilty of the crime of stalking and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years or by a fine of not more than $1,000, or imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 2 1/2 years or by both such fine and imprisonment.

The conduct, acts or threats described in this subsection shall include, but not be limited to, conduct, acts or threats conducted by mail or by use of a telephonic or telecommunication device or electronic communication device including, but not limited to, any device that transfers signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photo-electronic or photo-optical system, including, but not limited to, electronic mail, internet communications, instant messages or facsimile communications.

(b) Whoever commits the crime of stalking in violation of a temporary or permanent vacate, restraining, or no-contact order or judgment issued pursuant to sections eighteen, thirty-four B, or thirty-four C of chapter two hundred and eight; or section thirty-two of chapter two hundred and nine; or sections three, four, or five of chapter two hundred and nine A; or sections fifteen or twenty of chapter two hundred and nine C or a protection order issued by another jurisdiction; or a temporary restraining order or preliminary or permanent injunction issued by the superior court, shall be punished by imprisonment in a jail or the state prison for not less than one year and not more than five years. No sentence imposed under the provisions of this subsection shall be less than a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of one year.

A prosecution commenced hereunder shall not be placed on file or continued without a finding, and the sentence imposed upon a person convicted of violating any provision of this subsection shall not be reduced to less than the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment as established herein, nor shall said sentence of imprisonment imposed upon any person be suspended or reduced until such person shall have served said mandatory term of imprisonment.

A person convicted of violating any provision of this subsection shall not, until he shall have served the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment established herein, be eligible for probation, parole, furlough, work release or receive any deduction from his sentence for good conduct under sections one hundred and twenty-nine, one hundred and twenty-nine C and one hundred and twenty-nine D of chapter one hundred and twenty-seven; provided, however, that the commissioner of correction may, on the recommendation of the warden, superintendent, or other person in charge of a correctional institution, grant to said offender a temporary release in the custody of an officer of such institution for the following purposes only: to attend the funeral of next of kin or spouse; to visit a critically ill close relative or spouse; or to obtain emergency medical services unavailable at said institution.

The provisions of section eighty-seven of chapter two hundred and seventy-six relating to the power of the court to place certain offenders on probation shall not apply to any person seventeen years of age or over charged with a violation of this subsection. The provisions of section thirty-one of chapter two hundred and seventy-nine shall not apply to any person convicted of violating any provision of this subsection.

(c) Whoever, after having been convicted of the crime of stalking, commits a second or subsequent such crime shall be punished by imprisonment in a jail or the state prison for not less than two years and not more than ten years. No sentence imposed under the provisions of this subsection shall be less than a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years.

A prosecution commenced hereunder shall not be placed on file or continued without a finding, and the sentence imposed upon a person convicted of violating any provision of this subsection shall not be reduced to less than the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment as established herein, nor shall said sentence of imprisonment imposed upon any person be suspended or reduced until such person shall have served said mandatory term of imprisonment.

A person convicted of violating any provision of this subsection shall not, until he shall have served the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment established herein, be eligible for probation, parole, furlough, work release or receive any deduction from his sentence for good conduct under sections one hundred and twenty-nine, one hundred and twenty-nine C and one hundred and twenty-nine D of chapter one hundred and twenty-seven; provided, however, that the commissioner of correction may, on the recommendation of the warden, superintendent, or other person in charge of a correctional institution, grant to said offender a temporary release in the custody of an officer of such institution for the following purposes only: to attend the funeral of next of kin or spouse; to visit a critically ill close relative or spouse; or to obtain emergency medical services unavailable at said institution.

The provisions of section eighty-seven of chapter two hundred and seventy-six relating to the power of the court to place certain offenders on probation shall not apply to any person seventeen years of age or over charged with a violation of this subsection. The provisions of section thirty-one of chapter two hundred and seventy-nine shall not apply to any person convicted of violating any provision of this section.

Clery Reportable Offense

Crime definitions are taken from the Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook.

• Aggravated Assault: an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. It is not necessary that the injury result from an aggravated assault when a gun, knife, or other weapon is used which could or probably would result in a serious potential injury if the crime were successfully completed.
• Arson: Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling, house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property, etc.
• Burglary: The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft. For reporting purposes this definition includes: unlawful entry with intent to commit a larceny or a felony; breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny; housebreaking; safecracking; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.
• Motor Vehicle Theft: The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle (Classify as motor vehicle theft all cases where automobiles are taken by persons not having lawful access even though the vehicles are later abandoned—including joy riding).
• Murder and Non-negligent Manslaughter: The willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.
• Manslaughter by Negligence: The killing of another person through gross negligence.
• Robbery: The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force, violence, and/or causing the victim fear.
• Weapon Law Violations: The violation of laws or ordinances dealing with weapon offenses, regulatory in nature, such as: manufacture, sale, or possession of deadly weapons; carrying deadly weapons, concealed or openly; furnishing deadly weapons to minors; aliens possessing deadly weapons; all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.
• Drug Law Violations: Violations of state and local laws relating to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, manufacturing, and making of narcotic drugs. The substances include: opium or cocaine and their derivatives (morphine, heroin, codeine); marijuana; synthetic narcotics (Demerol, methadone); and dangerous non-narcotic drugs (barbiturates, Benzedrine).
• Liquor Law Violations: The violation of laws or ordinances prohibiting: the manufacture, sale, transporting, furnishing, possessing of intoxicating liquor; maintaining unlawful drinking places; bootlegging; operating a still; furnishing liquor to a minor or intemperate person; using a vehicle for illegal transportation of liquor; drinking on a train or public conveyance; all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned. (Drunkenness and driving under the influence are not included in this definition.)

Offense Definitions Relating to the Hate/Bias Related Crime Statistics

As per the UCR Hate Crime Reporting Guidelines, a hate crime is a criminal offense committed against a person or property which is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is required to report statistics for hate (bias) related crimes by the type of bias as defined below for the following classifications: murder/non-negligent manslaughter, negligent manslaughter, sex offenses (forcible and non-forcible), robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson (see definitions above) and larceny, vandalism, intimidation, and simple assault (see definitions below).

• Larceny: The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another.
• Vandalism: To willfully or maliciously destroy, injure, disfigure, or deface any public or private property, real or personal, without the consent of the owner or person having custody or control by cutting, tearing, breaking, marking, painting, drawing, covering with filth, or any other such means as may be specified by local law.
• Intimidation: To unlawfully place another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words and/or other conduct, but without displaying a weapon or subjecting the victim to actual physical attack.
• Simple Assault: An unlawful physical attack by one person upon another where neither the offender displays a weapon, nor the victim suffers obvious severe or aggravated bodily injury involving apparent broken bones, loss of teeth, possible internal injury, severe laceration or loss of consciousness.

Note: If a hate crime occurs where there is an incident involving intimidation, vandalism, larceny, simple assault or other bodily injury, the law requires that the statistic be reported as a hate crime even though there is no requirement to report the crime classification in any other area of the compliance document.

A hate or bias related crime is not a separate, distinct crime, but is the commission of a criminal offense which was motivated by the offender's bias. For example, a subject assaults a victim, which is a crime. If the facts of the case indicate that the offender was motivated to commit the offense because of his bias against the victim's race, sexual orientation, etc., the assault is then also classified as a hate/bias crime.

Geography definitions are taken directly from the Clery Act.

• On-Campus: Defined as:
  1. Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area and used by the institution in direct support of or in a manner related to the institution's educational purposes, including residence halls; and
  2. Any building or property that is within or reasonably contiguous to the area identified in paragraph (1), that is owned by the institution but controlled by another person, is frequently used by students, and supports institutional purposes (such as a food or retail vendor).
• Non-Campus Building or Property: Defined as:
  1. Any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by the institution; or
  2. Any building or property owned or controlled by an institution that is used in direct support of or in relation to the institution's educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution.
• Branch: A branch campus is always a separate campus. A branch campus is a specific ED designation. It is defined as a location of an institution that is geographically apart and independent of the main campus of the institution. A location of an institution is considered independent of the main campus if the location:
  • Is permanent in nature,
  • Offers courses in educational programs leading to a degree or other recognized educational credential,
  • Has its own faculty and administrative or supervisory organization, and
  • Has its own budgetary and hiring authority.
• Public Property: Defined as all public property, including thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and parking facilities, that is within the campus or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus.

Note: Statistics for “Residential Facilities” are also counted in the “On-Campus” crime category. The law requires institutions to break out the number of “On-Campus” crimes that occur in residential facilities.

For a list of all buildings and properties owned or controlled by UMass Dartmouth and addresses for these buildings/properties, visit the UMass Dartmouth Campus Map.

Section 7 – Fire Safety Report

Annual Fire Safety Report

The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requires two (2) new safety-related requirements on institutions that participate in federal student financial aid programs which follow:

• Fire Log: Institutions must keep a fire log that states the nature of the fire, date, time, and general location of each fire in on-campus student housing facilities. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth complies with this rule by including all fire-related incidents in the Daily Crime and Fire Log. To view the most recent seven (7) days of information, please visit the UMass Dartmouth Police Department located at 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Requests for information older than 60 days must be directed to the Chief of Police. Information will be made available within two (2) business days of a request for public inspection.
• Annual Fire Safety Report: Institutions with on-campus student housing facilities must publish annually a fire safety report that provides information on campus fire safety practices and standards. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth complies with this regulation by including all fire-related incidents at on-campus student housing facilities as part of the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report. Information contained in this annual fire safety report includes:
  • Number and cause of fires at all on-campus student housing facilities
  • Number of fire-related deaths
  • Number of related injuries
  • Value of fire-related property damage
  • Evacuation procedures
  • Fire safety education and training programs
  • Fire safety systems in each student housing facility
  • Number of regular mandatory supervised fire drills
  • Policies on portable electrical appliances, smoking, and open flames
  The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report must include three (3) years of data.

Fire Definitions

• Fire: Rapid oxidation of combustible material accompanied by heat, light and smoke of combustible material, which is found outside of its normal appliance, whether or not it is extinguished prior to arrival of emergency.
• Fire-related Deaths: Number of persons who were fatalities because of a fire incident, including death resulting from a natural or accidental cause while involved in fire control, attempting rescue, or persons escaping from the fire scene (an individual who dies within one (1) year of injuries sustained as a result of a fire).
• Fire-related Injuries: Number of persons receiving injuries from fire-related incidents, including an injury from a natural or accidental cause who received medical treatment at a local medical facility. This includes first responders attempting to control the fire, attempting a rescue, or persons escaping from the fire scene. Persons may include students, faculty, staff, visitors, firefighters, or any other individuals.
• Estimated U.S. Dollar Loss Related to Fire Incidents: Estimated total U.S. dollar loss of both contents and structure or property destroyed because of a fire incident, not the loss of business.
• Evacuation Procedures Posted: When a fire alarm is activated, evacuation is mandatory. DO NOT use elevators; evacuate the building using the nearest available exit.
• Fire Safety Training: Fire safety training is provided annually by EH&S, Housing Professional Staff, and contractors. Inspections are conducted to identify any potential safety or fire hazards.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a Tobacco and Smoke Free Campus.

Fire Policies for On-Campus Student Housing

Decorations, Displays, and Hazardous Substances

Highly combustible materials used for decorations present a serious fire hazard. In order to prevent fires, the following safety standards are applicable:

• Decorative string lights may be used for decoration if they are UL approved, do not have the bulbs covered by any material, and do not touch or hang on any fire safety system components. Lights should be unplugged when residents are not in the room and during vacation periods.
• Students are not permitted to apply paint or any other type of substance that could alter the walls at any time.
• Flammable devices such as candles and incense burners are not allowed in student rooms.
• Decorations may not be hung from ceilings, sprinkler pipes, light fixtures, etc.
• Window surfaces should be kept 25% clear of all opaque material such as aluminum foil, posters, signs, etc.
• Hallway and exit lights must be on at all times.
• Materials may not be placed over exit signs, fire doors, or any electric light fixtures.
• Decorations or displays that block or obstruct an exit, hallway, circuit breaker panel, fire hose cabinet, fire extinguisher, or fire alert box are prohibited.
• Bathrooms must be clear of all decorations and personal garbage at all times. Personal items should not be stored in community bathrooms, as such items hinder safety and thorough cleaning by custodial staff.
• Hallways must be kept clear and unobstructed at all times to facilitate quick exit from student rooms. Personal items and garbage must not be left in these community spaces. Residents are responsible for removal of garbage to the trash bins/dumpsters adjacent to each residence hall.

Electrical Appliances

Electrical appliances which are (1) UL listed; (2) equipped with thermostatic controls; and (3) rated at 1200 watts or less are permitted in the residence halls. It is necessary to limit the wattage and usage of certain appliances because residence hall circuits are limited to 15 amperes. Continuous overloading creates excessive heat in wiring, causing insulation to deteriorate and increasing the possibility of fire. All electrical appliances and equipment should be unplugged before leaving your room for any vacation period.

Restricted Appliances

University fire safety and sanitation regulations prohibit the use of some types of appliances in student rooms even though they may be commonly found at home. Among the items not allowed for either storage or use are: open coil heaters, immersion coils for heating liquids, pottery warmers, and deep-fat fryers.

Microwave Ovens

Small microwave ovens that carry the “UL” seal of approval are permitted in common areas and student rooms.

Electric Blankets

Electric blankets are permitted for use in student rooms provided they are used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Blankets should be unplugged when not in use.

Halogen Light Bulbs and Lamps

Halogen light bulbs and lamps are not permitted in any on-campus residence.

Firearms, Weapons, and Dangerous Items

Firearms of any type (assembled or disassembled), ammunition, knives, machetes, javelins, martial arts devices, paintball guns, clubs, or any device considered hazardous to the welfare of the residential community are strictly prohibited. Residents in possession of or using such items are subject to severe disciplinary action up to and including eviction from housing and/or dismissal from the University. The University reserves the right to refer such cases to civil authorities for criminal prosecution.

Students enrolled in academic programs that require the use of artist’s tools are expected to store such items in an academic building or studio. Students who belong to on-campus clubs or organizations may not store related items considered firearms/weapons/dangerous items in any residence hall room, building, or common space. Safety precautions, as well as state law, prohibit the use or possession of fireworks, explosives, or any other substances that may injure, discomfort, or disturb others.

Grills

Barbecue grills of any type (except units managed by the contracted dining services partner) are prohibited throughout the first year, Oak Glen, Pine Dale, and Woodland apartment areas. Grills provided by the University in the Cedar Dell Communities are the only grills approved for residential use on campus. In front of each Cedar Dell Community Center, there are three stand-alone grills for this purpose. Residents are responsible for cleaning grills after each use, including disposing of charcoal (after cooling) and other materials associated with cookouts.

Prohibited Room or Apartment Furnishings and Items

Students should seek guidance from their Resident Director regarding furniture prior to moving it in so that UMass Dartmouth can be sure it meets fire safety standards. If approved, an official note will be placed in the student’s file. Failure to comply with these safety regulations will result in immediate confiscation and judicial consequences.

Listed below are a few items considered prohibited in all residential facilities. The Office of Housing and Residential Education reserves the right to identify other items deemed unsafe or inappropriate at any time:

• Air conditioners
• Candles (with or without a wick)
• Fish tanks with more than a 10-gallon capacity
• Fog machines
• Futons
• Grills of any kind (electric, charcoal, gas, propane, hibachi, etc.)
• Guns (including water guns, paintball guns, BB guns, plastic guns, etc.)
• Halogen lamps
• Hot plates
• Hunting devices
• Incense and burners
• Knives (other than those used for food preparation or academic classes)
• Liquid fuel of any kind
• Neon lights
• Open coil heating devices of any sort
• Personal mattresses
• String, rope, or other types of decorative lighting
• Tapestries, flags, or any material used as a canopy
• Upholstered furniture
• Waterbeds

Residential Safety & Evacuation

• Each area of on-campus living meets Town of Dartmouth Code, as inspected by the Town of Dartmouth Fire Chief, University Officers, and State Building Inspector.
• It is a criminal offense to falsely sound an alarm. Students apprehended sounding a false fire alarm or tampering with firefighting/fire alert equipment are subject to dismissal from the residence halls, University, and/or prosecution from civil authorities.
• Residence hall students have ready access to fire extinguishers in hallways.
• Fire drills are conducted two times a year, once per semester, and evaluated by the Office of Housing and Residential Education and also by the UMass Dartmouth Police Department.
• All fire alarms should be considered as an actual “real” fire, and the building must be evacuated immediately. Individuals are responsible for evacuating themselves from the building and should leave by the nearest and/or safest exit. Students should familiarize themselves with emergency exits. If the situation permits, building staff will assist in the evacuation process and locking room doors as they leave.
• In case of fire, students should pull the nearest fire alarm and then call 508-999-9191 (UMass Dartmouth Police) once safely outside. Be prepared to direct emergency personnel to the suspected cause if possible. Do not jeopardize your safety.
• Any tampering of a fire alarm (fire-box, pull station) or tampering with a smoke detector (covering detector) is a violation of state law, and violators will be prosecuted.

Procedures During Evacuation

• Close and lock your room door. Bring room keys with you.
• Leave the building in an orderly manner, through the safest and most immediate exit.
• Do not use elevators.
• Wear or carry clothing suitable for the weather and carry a towel for protection against smoke.
• Take a flashlight.
• Remain outside and at least 100 feet away from the building until the signal to return is given.

What To Do in Case of Fire

If You Discover a Fire

• Close the door to the fire area.
• Activate the building fire alarm system on your way out the exit door.
• Call 9191 (508-999-9191) and report the exact fire location.
• Report information to the Office of Housing and Residential Education Staff at once and clear the building.
• Stay clear of the building and await further instructions.
• If trained, use a portable fire extinguisher only if the fire is small, you can use it safely, and only after the building fire alarm has been activated.

If You Are in a Fire Area

• Stay calm and feel closed door from top to bottom for heat, using the back of your hand. Do not open if hot.
• Crouch low and open the door slowly.
• If safe, go into the hallway and close the door behind you.
• Activate the building fire alarm system.
• Go to the nearest stairway and leave the building promptly. If the stairway is full of smoke, use another stairway.

If You Are Trapped by a Fire

• Do not panic.
• Pack the space under the door with wet towels, clothing, or other material.
• Dial 9191 (508-999-9191) and report your exact location.
• Go to a window, open it, wave a white or brightly colored cloth, and call to people below.
• Do not break windows unless smoke is pouring into your room and fresh air is needed to breathe.
• Stay near the window where you can be seen. Do not hide under the bed or in the closet.
• If you cannot get to a window, go to an inside corner of the room, curl up on the floor, and protect your face with a wet cloth. Stay calm, breathe slowly, and call out for help when you hear rescue personnel in the hallway.

Evacuation Procedures: Fire Drill and Emergency Evacuation Rules

• In the event of a fire or any other emergency that warrants a complete evacuation of a building, all students and faculty must participate with no exceptions.
• Each student and faculty member is responsible for valuables and locking doors when leaving their room/office, if possible.
• Before opening any door, feel it to check if it is hot.
• If the door is not hot, open slowly; if conditions allow, proceed to the assigned stairway and follow the evacuation plan.
• If smoke is too heavy, do not enter the stairway. Close the door, block the bottom edge with cloth, open windows for fresh air, and hang a cloth item out the window to alert firefighters.
• If the door is hot, do not open it. Follow the same procedure as above.
• If you must remain in your room/office, stay calm and wait for fire department assistance.
• Do not take hats, coats, or other items—time is critical.

Disruption of Electrical Service

• Do not use elevators to exit the building. Anyone trapped in a disabled elevator should remain calm until rescue.
• Special attention should be given to the elderly and handicapped.
• If complete or partial evacuation is required, do not remain in the lobby. Proceed outdoors and away from the building, avoiding interference with fire department operations.
• If a building is completely evacuated, management will make every effort to return students and faculty as soon as possible.

Reporting Extinguished Fires

If a member of the UMass Dartmouth community finds evidence of a fire that has been extinguished, and is unsure whether the UMass Dartmouth Police Department has already responded, the community member should immediately notify the UMass Dartmouth Police Department at 9191 (508-999-9191) or 8107 (508-999-8107) to investigate and document the incident for disclosure in the University's annual fire statistics.

Clery On-Campus Student Housing

285 Old Westport Road, Dartmouth, MA – Fire Graph 2024

Student Housing Fire Safety Systems

All Residential Dorms have fire alarms systems and they all complete automatic initiating devices.

• Hickory, Birch, Ivy, Aspen, Pinedale, complete automatic sprinkler traditional halls, in some Cedar Dell town House dorms have sprinkler systems. Spruce, Balsam, Pine Dale, Oak Glen, and the Cedar Dell Halls are all protected by Edwards EST3 fire alarm systems.
• Evergreen, Willow, Hickory Birch, Ivy, Aspen, Balsam and Spruce are all protected by Notifier fire alarm systems.
• All Building fire alarms are monitored by the Police Department using Keltron radio receivers. All general alarms are also received by the local fire department.
• Each residential hall is tested annually both for fire alarms and sprinklers and copies of test results are kept on file in the HFO’s department.
• Fire extinguishers are located in each suite that has a kitchen, residential halls, laundry areas throughout the buildings.

We hope that you have found this information beneficial. We invite your questions, concerns, and suggestions. You may visit our website for contact information, or email the UMass Dartmouth Police Department at umassd.police@umassd.edu.