About Clery

About the Clery Act

The Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act of 1989 is a federal part of the Higher Education Act of 1965. This law requires institutions of higher education to participate in federal financial aid programs to comply with various requirements related to safety on campus. Requirements include reporting crime statistics, reported fires in student housing facilities owned or controlled by the university, drug and alcohol, crime, violence against women, emergency management, and fire prevention programming.

The Clery Act requires the WFUPD to maintain a daily crime and fire log of all criminal incidents and alleged criminal incidents that are reported to the campus police department and are within the university’s Clery geography. This data is collected and published in the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) on or by October 1 each year. The report also includes various institutional policies and procedures addressing these topics.

Who was Jeanne Cleary?

Jeanne Clery was a 19-year-old freshman at Lehigh University whose tragic 1986 murder sparked a nationwide movement for campus safety. She was brutally assaulted and killed in her dorm room by a fellow student who gained access through doors that had been left propped open.

Following her death, Jeanne’s parents were devastated to learn that the university had a hidden history of violent crimes that had never been disclosed to students or families. Determined to prevent similar tragedies, they campaigned relentlessly for legislative reform regarding campus crime transparency.

Their efforts resulted in the passage of the federal Jeanne Clery Act, which forever changed higher education by mandating that all colleges publicly report their campus crime statistics and safety procedures.

Campus Collaboration

A message from the Office of Clery Compliance:

The safety and wellbeing of the Wake Forest University (WFU) community members and visitors is a priority. In compliance with federal statute 20 U.S.C. § 1092(f) The Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), WFU has established the Office of Clery Compliance. This office is strategically positioned within the University Police Department to ensure timely assessments and classifications of Clery reportable incidents within WFU-identified Clery geography. The University maintains both a crime log and fire log. Statistical data for Clery crimes and fires in student housing facilities are used to compile the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) as described under §668.46. The ASFSR also contains information on fire safety systems in each student residence hall. In the event the issuance of a timely warning or emergency notification is warranted, WFU will use the cell phone numbers of students, faculty, and staff to send text alerts during an emergency and multiple modalities for timely warnings.

The Clery Office compiles its statistics by reviewing police and security reports provided by WFUPD and contracted security companies, reports received by Campus Security Authorities (CSAs), Title IX, Maxient student conduct software system, and the Silent Witness reporting mechanism. As required by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, Wake Forest University has also established a Missing Student Policy. The purpose of this policy is to establish procedures for the University’s response to reports of a missing student.

The Clery Office collaborates with university-wide departments to meet compliance requirements and to bring attention to initiatives and resources both on and off campus. Clery compliance is a campus-wide responsibility. Informing, educating, and providing support to the campus community and supports the WFUPD commitment to a comprehensive approach to providing a safe and inclusive community for all.

More information on the University’s Clery Compliance efforts can be found on the current Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (ASFSR). A hard copy of the ASFSR may be obtained free of charge at the Wake Forest University Police Department.