Iowa universities review policies about safety of minors

Iowa's three public universities are reviewing and revising policies, when needed, to address concerns about the safety of minors on the campuses, the university presidents reported to the state Board of Regents today.

The board at its December meeting directed the presidents at the three universities and heads of the state's two special schools to review all institutional policies pertaining to reporting child abuse.

The regents asked the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa presidents and the directors at the Iowa School for the Deaf and the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School to conduct the review and report back on the findings, in light of the recent child sexual abuse scandals at Penn State University and Syracuse University. The regents set policy for the UI, ISU, UNI and the two special schools.

The universities are looking at all policies that pertain to the safety of minors on campus, and they are reviewing protocols for specific programs that might be considered high risk, such as summer camps or athletic camps. There also is an effort to better highlight training and obligations for mandatory reporters of child abuse on the campuses, the presidents said.

The university leaders said they'd actually flagged such policies and procedures for reviews and possible strengthening even before the Penn State scandal made it a national issue.

"It seems very obvious that everyone's on top of it," Regents President Craig Lang said after the reports.

A new ISU committee is doing a scan of all university programs where children are involved or could possibly be at risk, ISU President Steven Leath said. Policies that guide access to facilities may also be reviewed, he said.

UNI President Ben Allen said he identified a university task force to review UNI policies that relate to the protection of children. That group also will identify procedures to conduct a comprehensive analysis of all programs and activities involving minors and talk with ISU and UI leaders about their efforts, Allen said. UNI Police also are launching a training effort for people on campus who are mandatory reporters or who may be in a position to hear complaints about abuse from children, such as coaches, he said.

"While these efforts are ongoing, the intent is to better identify issues relating to children on campus," Allen said.