Welcome to Pre-Collegiate Programs Office

Clemson University is committed to supporting a safe environment for children who are entrusted to our care. The university understands its obligations to safeguard their wellbeing and to provide them the best possible experience. As a land grant university, it is our core mission to offers experiences and opportunities for children that introduce them to our university. The Pre-Collegiate Programs Office (PcPO) was formed in 2011 to establish consolidated oversight of the policies and operating standards for programs and activities involving non-student minors. The PcPO takes a proactive approach to protecting children and the faculty, staff and volunteers of the University.

General Information for the Clemson University Community

The Protection of Minors in Youth Programs and Activities Policy applies to all Clemson University faculty, staff, student, and volunteer, paid or unpaid, working with minors in programs or activities affiliated with the University.

This site serves as a resource for members of the university community and those responsible for coordinating programs and activities involving minors. For additional assistance and guidance regarding the scope of the Protection of Minors in Youth Programs and Activities Policy, please do not hesitate to contact Clemson’s Pre-collegiate Programs Director, Greg Linke at pcpoffice@clemson.edu or 864-656-5716.

To determine if your activity or program is an activity or program with minors, answer the questions below:

• Question 1: Is this a program or activity with minors?

  To be considered a program or activity with minors, university programs must meet all of the following criteria:

  1) Is it operated, conducted or organized by the university?

  • • Is there enough oversight that one might consider this to be Clemson University affiliated? If you have control over the staffing, programming, etc., it is likely you meet this measure.
    • NOT limited to programs that are operating during the summer months, even if the youth program is year-round it may meet this measure. 

  
  

  2) Does it include minors?

  • A minor is an individual under the age of 18 who is not enrolled or accepted for enrollment at Clemson or another university.

  
  

  3) Are parents NOT expected to be responsible for the supervision and care of the minor?

  • • The university is knowingly supervising the participants, i.e., the youth are:

  1. 1. 1. Registered in a program, and
        2. In the care and supervision of a CU faculty, employee, student or volunteer, whether paid or unpaid, for a period of time

  • • General events open to the public, sporting events, fairs, festivals, entertainment events, etc. where CU likely expects parents and guardians to be responsible for their children or to make appropriate arrangements do not fall under this policy.
    • If you do expect parents and guardians to be present and want to make expectations clear, you can use this policy language in your promotional materials: Clemson University expects parents or guardians to provide supervision over minors on campus unless they are involved in a program or activity with minors. Parents or guardians should not leave minors unsupervised on university property.

  
  

  Action Item: Registration

  If you answered yes to all three criteria, then you fall within scope of the policy and need to Register the activity/program before the start of the program. The information being requested is very involved, so time will be needed to complete the process. General guidelines are to begin the process 30 days prior to the start of the program or activity. Program registration is an annual requirement.

• Question 2: Does Clemson University have “custody care?

  Custodial Care is defined as a situation in which a Clemson University faculty, staff, student or volunteer assumes temporary responsibility over a defined time period for the care, custody or control of a minor, for the purpose of the minor engaging in a university-affiliated youth program or activity.

  Who is making decisions for the minor, i.e., calling home if someone gets hurt? If that person is a Clemson University faculty, staff, student or volunteer, then you need to follow the CU Operating Standards for Youth Programs.  

  Also, please note that the policy requires minors to be supervised at all times. It is required that more than one adult have custodial care responsibility to allow flexibility when unforeseen events or emergencies occur.

  Custodial Care requirements and action steps:

  1. Follow all applicable Operating Standards for Youth Programs,
  2. Screen Staff in accordance with the Protection of Minors in Youth Programs and Activities Policy.
  3. Faculty, staff, students and volunteers working with minors must receive training on detecting, preventing and reporting child abuse.
  4. Sign the “Standards of Behavior for Employees/Volunteers.” Note that this includes a general prohibition on one-on-one interactions with minors.