Program Directors and Managers Responsibilities & Resources

Wellesley College has adopted a Wellesley College Policy on Safety and Well-being of Minors (“the Policy”) to promote the well-being and safety of minors who participate in programs or activities run by or associated with Wellesley . All personnel involved in programs or activities involving minors must complete the steps outlined below.

We have developed a checklist to follow for in completing all College requirements for conducting a program for minors.

Program & Activity Registration

The first step in the registration process is for a Program Director to request "Program Director" access from Wellesley College Compliance & Risk Management by emailing your request to minors@wellesley.edu. Typically, the Program Director oversees multiple programs at the College and will already have Program Director access in the App.

Once granted Program Director access, the Program Director must register their program or activity on the Child Safety Certification App. All programs, events, and activities involving minors must be registered, regardless of whether or not individual staff members might have unsupervised access to a minor during the course of the activity.

You will need to provide activity-specific information which will include, among other things:

Program/Activity Name
Program/Activity Dates
Description
Program Manager Information (name, email, phone)
Description of the types of Program staff or volunteer interactions with minors (including whether program staff stays overnight with minors or regularly interacts with minors in one on one situations)
Approximate age group and number of minors participating in the program or activity

Please note that all questions on the registration form are mandatory.

Child Safety Certification

Once the Program is registered in the Child Safety Certification App, Child Safety Certification is required for all faculty members,staff,students,volunteers and other members of the Wellesley community who may have direct and unsupervised contact with minors in the course of their employment or service activity with the program.

The Program Director is responsible for ensuring that the names and email addresses of all faculty members, staff, students, volunteers and other members of the Wellesley community who may have direct and unsupervised contact with minors in the course of their employment or service activity with the Program are input into the Child Safety Certification App. Once a Program Manager has been designated in the App, either the Program Director or the Program Manager has access to input this information into the App.

Certification includes child safety training (click here for detailed information on how to access the training) and periodic background checks. Like program/activity registration, child safety training and the background checks are both tracked through the Child Safety Certification App. Once the email addresses are input into the App., an email will be generated that provides information to Program staff regarding steps that need to be taken in order to get background checks and child safety training.

It is the responsibility of the Wellesley Program Director to ensure that every individual (whether faculty, staff, student or volunteer) who is required to have a background check in accordance with this policy does not commence their employment or volunteer service until both the background check and child safety training have been completed. For more information on the certification process, see the Wellesley College Policy on Safety and Well-being of Minors.

Program Directors and Program Managers are encouraged to supplement the child safety training to meet the needs and specifics of their program or activity:

Train all employees and volunteers on the program or activity’s Emergency/Crisis Response Plan
Train all employees and volunteers on other essential college policies, including Sexual Harassment Prevention.

Emergency/Crisis Response Plan Required

Every college-sponsored program or activity which involves minors shall establish an appropriate Emergency/Crisis Response Plan, as described in the Wellesley College Policy on Safety and Well-being of Minors.

Medication

College policy shall be followed concerning first aid kits and epinephrine (“epi”) pens. No program or activity is obligated to distribute or administer medications. Participants’ medicines may be distributed by staff, under the following conditions:

The participant’s family provides the medicine in its original pharmacy container labeled with the participant’s name, medicine name, dosage and timing of consumption. Over-the-counter medications must be provided in their manufacturers’ container.
Staff shall keep the medicine in a secure location, and at the appropriate time for distribution shall meet with the participant.
The staff member shall allow the participant to self-administer the appropriate dose as shown on the container.
Any medicine which the participant cannot self-administer, must be stored and administered by a licensed healthcare professional associated with the campus or, if no one is available, arrangements must be made with another health care professional in advance of the participant’s arrival. The Program Director or Program Manager should contact minors@wellesley.edu prior to commencement of the program to discuss possible options. The College’s 504 Coordinator may be consulted when considering possible options. Personal “epi” pens and inhalers may be carried by the participant during activities.

Use of Images, Recordings, and Media

Always use a parental Use of Image Release permission form to obtain consent for a minor to be photographed/videoed. Forms will be made available after the program has been registered and program staff and volunteers have been certified. Only use images for the purpose approved in the release form. Photographs/videos should only be taken for Wellesley purposes and may never be used for personal purposes.
Do not use minors’ names or any other identifying information in photographic captions without written permission from the minor’s parent/ guardian.
Do not publish on a website or in any electronic communications personally identifying information about a minor that could reveal their residence, current location or otherwise put them at risk of harm.
Contact with minors on electronic, web-based, or social media platforms or with their families is prohibited, outside of the specific requirements of the program or the specific requirements of a program staff or volunteer’s program role.

Program and Activity Organization

If you are running a summer program or activity, you may also find it helpful to review the Massachusetts regulations regarding Recreational Camps. Consult with College counsel to determine if these regulations apply to your program or activity.

To the extent applicable, develop and make available to participants the rules and potential discipline measures applicable to the program or activity. Participants and staff must abide by all College policies and may be removed from the program/activity or face disciplinary action for non-compliance with rules. The following must be included in program/activity rules:

The possession or use of alcohol and other drugs, fireworks, guns and other weapons is prohibited.
Adults shall not provide prescription drugs or any medication to any minor unless specifically authorized in writing by the parent / guardian as being required for the minor’s care or the minor’s emergency treatment. Participants’ medicines may be distributed by staff, following the conditions outlined in the Medication section of this document.
The operation of a motor vehicle by minors is prohibited while attending and participating in the program/activity.
Rules and procedures governing when and under what circumstances participants may leave College property during the program or activity.
No violence, including sexual abuse or harassment, will be tolerated, whether between participants or for program staff, volunteer, or adult to strike, hit, administer corporal punishment to, or touch in an inappropriate or illegal manner any minor.
Hazing of any kind is prohibited. Bullying including verbal, physical, and cyberbullying are prohibited.
No theft of property will be tolerated.
No use of tobacco products (including e-cigarettes and vaporizers) will be tolerated (smoking is prohibited in all College buildings).
Misuse or damage of College property is prohibited. The College may assess charges against those participants who are responsible for damage or misuse of College property.
The inappropriate use of cameras, imaging, and digital devices is prohibited including use of such devices in showers, restrooms, or other areas where privacy is expected by participants.

The Program Director and Program Manager must ensure adequate supervision of minors while they are participating in your Wellesley program or activity, whether on or off campus. In general, programs and activity involving minors should be supervised by at least two or more Program staff and/or volunteers or by their parent(s) /l guardian(s) at all times, unless the activity is specifically a one-on-one activity such as Wellesley College students hosting high school students, including prospective athletes, who are participating in pre-enrollment visitation; Big/Little Sisters; private music lessons; etc.

Some of the factors to consider in determining "adequate supervision" are the number and age of participants, the activity(ies) involved, type of housing if applicable, and age and experience of the counselors.

To the extent applicable, investigate and follow relevant safety rules and guidelines for laboratory and research work.

Ensure all participants in a college program or activity, or a program/activity taking place on college property, understand what facilities and equipment they are permitted to use.

Accident / Incident Reports

All accidents and injuries to minors occurring on College property or in College programs or activities, no matter how slight, must be reported to the Program Manager. The Wellesley College Police Department if an injury may be serious, if transportation to a medical facility may be required. Also contact the Wellesley College Police Department if a minor is injured on campus but is not participating in a specific College program or activity. Follow the Program’s Emergency Response protocol for parent notification.

The Program Manager must complete a written Incident Report upon learning of the accident or injury. The Incident Report will be shared with the minor’s parent/guardian. A copy of all written Incident Reports and other reports of injury must be sent to minors@wellesley.edu. (The Program Manager may keep a copy of the Incident Report in the Program file, and minor file if applicable. The Wellesley College Police Department may prepare a separate incident report.)

The College may require managers to file additional information regarding any report or incident. The College may share Incident Reports with other College administrators on a need-to-know basis.