Policy 98
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Minor Protection and Adult Leadership
Policy #98
Maintaining the health and safety of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside employees, students, guests, and visitors relies upon the control of conditions and the prevention of unsafe behaviors. When the campus visitors are minors, due diligence to guard against unsafe conditions and prevention of unsafe behaviors must be heightened and accepted as the responsibility of all adults. As such the University of Wisconsin-Parkside will adhere to the University of Wisconsin System Policy 625 to ensure the protection, safety, and well-being of minor children that attend camps, clinics, activities, events, and other programs. All groups, internal, internal-sponsored, and external-sponsored activities must comply with this policy.
This policy does not apply to general public events, locations that are generally open to the public, or where parents/guardians are Invited and expected to provide supervision of the minor children.
98.02 Definitions
Adult: A person 18 years of age or older who is not a youth participant in the covered activity.
Authorized Adult: Individuals, age 18 and over, paid or unpaid, who are authorized to interact with youth participants as part of a covered activity. This includes, but is not limited to, faculty, staff, volunteers, graduate and undergraduate students, student- athletes, interns, and individuals associated with Third Party Covered Activities. Authorized adults cannot have unsupervised access to minors.
Bullying: An intentional, persistent, and repeated pattern of physical and/or non-physical behaviors that are intended to or have the reasonable potential to cause fear, humiliation, or physical harm in an attempt to socially exclude, diminish, or isolate. Bullying is unwelcome behavior pervasive or severe enough that a reasonable person would find it hostile and/or intimidating.
Covered Activities: Regardless of location, all events, operations, endeavors, or activities designed for participation by Youth Participants and organized, sponsored and/or operated by the Institution.
Custodial Care: The temporary responsibility for supervision, care, or control of minors without accompanying parents, guardians, or chaperones.
Designated Individual: An authorized adult who is counted in the supervision ratio for a covered activity. Designated individuals are responsible for ensuring the care and safety of youth participants in covered activities. Additional training is required for authorized adults serving as designated individuals.
Escalation Plan: A document or system that defines the types of incidents that need to be communicated to a higher institutional level and the role or department that should handle incidents at each escalation level.
Familial Relationship: Parent, stepparent, legal guardian, grandparent, or adult sibling to the youth participant.
Field Trip: A visit made to a location on or off campus (e.g., museum, recreational center) for the purposes of firsthand observation or participation.
Grooming: Describes the process whereby a person engages in a series or pattern of behaviors with a goal of engaging in sexual misconduct. Grooming is initiated when a person seeks out a vulnerable minor. Once selected, offenders will then earn the minor’s trust, and potentially the trust of the minor’s family. After the offender has engaged the minor in sexually inappropriate behavior, the offender seeks to maintain control over them. Grooming occurs through direct, in-person, or online contact.
Institution: Any of the following: UW-Eau Claire; UW-Green Bay; UW-La Crosse; UW-Madison; UW- Milwaukee; UW-Oshkosh; UW-Parkside; UW-Platteville; UW-River Falls; UW-Stevens Point; UW-Stout; UW-Superior; UW-Whitewater; any branch campuses/additional locations; and UW System Administration.
Institutional Sponsor: The academic or administrative unit within the Institution, or executive-level officer of the institution, that is responsible for authorizing a covered activity.
Matriculated: A person admitted to the institution who enrolls in courses for the purpose of completing an academic degree.
Minor: A person under the age of eighteen (18) who is not matriculated at a UW System institution.
Observable and Interruptible: An interaction that takes place in such a way that another person can see, hear, or has knowledge of the interaction and can interrupt if a concern arises.
One-on-One Interaction: Two people (e.g., an adult without a familial relationship and a youth participant) who are alone. Generally, being “alone” with another individual means that the interaction is not observable and interruptible.
Private Events: Occasional and special events where only family, friends, and people known to the hosts are invited to attend, such as a birthday party or a wedding.
Supervision Ratio: The number of designated individuals required to supervise youth participants in covered activities.
Third Party: An organization or individual that is operating a Third-Party Covered Activity.
Third-Party Covered Activity: An event, operation, endeavor, or activity designed for participation by minors that takes place on an Institution’s premises pursuant to an agreement with that Institution but is not organized or operated by the Institution.
Youth Participants: Individuals who are registered, enrolled, or engaging in covered activities as a participant.
98.03Pollcy
One-on-one contact between an adult and a minor is prohibited. A group setting must be maintained at all times which means that one-on-one contact between adults and minors Is not permitted during the duration of the program.
*Revised: Fall 2016, Fall 2018, Fall 2022