University Programs or Activities Involving Minors

Each year Rice University faculty, staff and students host a variety of virtual, on- and off-campus programs and camps for minors, individuals under the age of 18 who are not enrolled or accepted to enroll in a degree program at Rice. These activities range from summer sports camps to STEM focused programs to creative writing camps. Almost every department across campus provides some type of programming to the K-12 audience. The goal of this site is to provide information and resources to campus program sponsors. If you have any questions regarding hosting programs for minors, please contact the Youth Protection Manager at youthprotection@rice.edu.

Policy Guidelines

Program directors and all authorized adults participating in a program must adhere to Policy 811 - University Programs or Activities Involving Minors. This policy identifies programmatic safeguards and requirements, including program registration, background check requirements and identifying other topics that organizes are advised to follow.

Reporting Child Abuse

All Rice employees, faculty, staff, students, volunteers and independent contractors have a legal obligation to report abuse or neglect whether it is witnessed suspected or reported. If you witness or receive a report of child abuse or neglect:

  • Remove the minor from the abusive environment
  • Call the Rice University Police Department at x6000 if the activity is on campus or 911 to report the abuse to local law enforcement if the activity is off-campus.
  • Report the situation to your supervisor or if they are the abuser, someone else in a management role.
  • Supervisors should file an online report with the Texas Department of Family Protective Services.
  • Suspected or actual wrongdoing may also be reported through the Rice University EthicsLine or by calling 866-294-4633. Reports may be submitted anonymously and confidentially and will be directed to the appropriate University official for investigation.

Emergency Action Plan

Create an emergency action plan that includes establishing a procedure that will be used for emergency notifications to RUPD, a minor's parent or legal guardian, and appropriate university offices (e.g. Risk Management, Dean of Undergraduates, Academic Deans or others) in the event of an emergency involving a minor. This plan must include a completed list of minors participating in the program and their emergency contact information. The department must identify the person responsible for managing this information. Immediately contact RUPD if a minor becomes lost.