FAQs for Programs Involving Minors

These FAQs support the Operating Procedures for Programs Involving Minors.

General Questions

1. A professor in our department has an agreement with one of the high schools to allow the students to work on their science projects in one of our department labs. The students are not receiving any dual credit for the project. Is this considered a program that would be subject to these procedures?
2. Our department coordinates with some of the elementary schools to provide after-school programming. Faculty members and students have a rotating schedule to go to the school for an hour or two in the afternoon and work with the kids. Would this activity be covered by these procedures?
3. As part of our program, we have invited a local expert to give a presentation. Does that individual need to have a background check and go through the training?
4. One of our coaches is having a summer day camp. Since the coach is an employee of the University, are they required to follow the procedures?
5. My office has been working with an outside entity who will be hosting a program on campus that involves minors. I have concerns that the program director may not have followed the procedures. What should I do?
6. Do Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) need to register programs involving minors?
7. Which RSOs need to register general operations?
8. Does our program staff have to do the online training that is listed in the procedures or can we have them go through different training?
9. Is the training available in languages other than English?
10. The campus testing center offers SAT and LSAT tests to high school students. Is this considered a program involving minors?
11. Why aren't University faculty, staff and students still excluded from the Registry check requirement?
12. We will be providing lunch for the program participants. To save money, can we pay one of our staff members to buy the lunches and prepare them ahead of time?

Registration Questions

13. Where is the online registration form?
14. Over the course of a semester, our department puts on several programs that are all part of one initiative. Do we need to register it as one program or each as an individual program?
15. Our department offers the same program every semester. Can we just fill out the registration form once and be done?
16. My department is allowing a third party to use some of our space for a program involving minors. My department is not a sponsor of the event, merely contracting for the use of our space. Should the sponsor complete the registration form or does my department need to fill it out?
17. Who should I contact if I’m not sure whether an event is a program that needs to be registered under the procedures?

Facility and Contract Questions

18. Another department of the University is sponsoring a program for minors and asked to use one of my department’s rooms for the event. We don’t usually require a contract for this; do the procedures make a contract necessary?
19. I’m not sure our facility use contract has the appropriate language with regard to these procedures. Is there someone I can contact to look it over?

Clarifying Questions 

Q1. A professor in our department has an agreement with one of the high schools to allow the students to work on their science projects in one of our department labs. The students are not receiving any dual credit for the project. Is this considered a program that would be subject to these procedures?

Yes, the professor needs to register this activity as a program involving minors. Any University faculty members, staff and students supervising or assisting the high school students would be considered program staff.  Because the students are to be supervised by the Program Staff rather than a third party teacher or chaperone, the program is considered custodial.

Back to Top

Q2. Our department coordinates with some of the elementary schools to provide after-school programming. Faculty members and students have a rotating schedule to go to the school for an hour or two in the afternoon and work with the kids. Would this activity be covered by these procedures?

Maybe. If the elementary school is facilitating the program, and the University's faculty and students are serving as volunteers at the school, it would be subject to the elementary school's policies and procedures. However, if the program is offered in partnership with the University department, the program would fall under the Youth Protection policy and procedures.

Back to Top

Q3. As part of our program, we have invited a local expert to give a presentation. Does that individual need to have a background check and go through the training?

If the individual is only functioning as a presenter and will not be interacting with or overseeing children without someone from the program staff or the child's parent present, they would not be considered part of the program staff and would not be required to undergo a background check and training. If the individual will be providing instruction to or interacting with minors on their own, they would be considered a member of the program staff, subject to all requirements of the procedures.

Back to Top

Q4. One of our coaches is having a summer day camp. Since the coach is an employee of the University, are they required to follow the procedures?

Yes. The coach in this example would essentially become a third-party sponsor subject to all the requirements of the procedures.

Back to Top

Q5. My office has been working with an outside entity who will be hosting a program on campus that involves minors. I have concerns that the program director may not have followed the procedures. What should I do?

You may contact youthprotection@purdue.edu for verification as to whether or not the registration form has been completed for the program.

Back to Top

Q6. Do Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) need to register programs involving minors?

Yes. As of January 15, 2022, RSOs are required to register programs involving minors. All RSOs need to individually register programs the specifically target youth as participants. Additionally, some RSOs may need to register their general operations. 

Back to Top

Q7. Which RSOs need to register general operations?

RSOs need to register their general operations if membership is open to minors who are not enrolled students of the University. In this case, all adult members of the RSO are considered Program Staff and are subject to all of the training and registry check requirements of the Procedures. 

Back to Top

Q8. Does our program staff have to do the online training that is listed in the procedures or can we have them go through different training?

Program sponsors can provide training to their program staff in a manner that is most effective for them. The online training referenced in the procedures are merely options. As long as the training covers the topics required by the Procedures, it can be delivered however the sponsor chooses.

Back to Top

Q9. Is the training available in languages other than English?

The training options listed in the procedures are currently only available in English. If a Sponsor has a number of program staff who speak another language, the Sponsor may provide its own training on youth safety and mandatory reporting in other languages.

Back to Top

Q10. The campus testing center offers SAT and LSAT tests to high school students. Is this considered a program involving minors?

No. Offerings of testing centers are excluded from the procedures.

Back to Top

Q11. Why aren't University faculty, staff and students still excluded from the Registry check requirement?

Because appearance on one of the registries does not disqualify someone from employment or enrollment in the University, Program Directors had no way of knowing whether their program staff was disqualified from working on a youth program. As of January 15, 2022, all Program Staff are subject to registry checks by the Program Sponsor regardless of University affiliation. 

Back to Top

Q12. We will be providing lunch for the program participants. To save money, can we pay one of our staff members to buy the lunches and prepare them ahead of time?

No. You are required to use the University's approved vendors for the food, or order food from a local restaurant to be delivered/brought in. This helps to promote food safety.

Back to Top

Q13. Where is the online registration form?

Click this link to the Registration Form for Programs Involving Minors.

Back to Top

Q14. Over the course of a semester, our department puts on several programs that are all part of one initiative. Do we need to register it as one program or each as an individual program?

Consider how the programs will be structured and staffed and how your records are maintained. If the Programs are the same with the same or similar program staff managing all of the events and you will be maintaining your relevant records in one place that would be easy to produce if asked, it may make sense to register the events as one program. If there will be different staff handling each event and multiple participant lists, waivers and permission forms, it would be better to register each event individually. With the new registration form, you are able to register multiple sessions of the same program in one form and may reenter the form to add new sessions as the need arises. 

Back to Top

Q15. Our department offers the same program every semester. Can we just fill out the registration form once and be done?

No. The registration form requires a start date and end date for the program. For serial programs that are held at regular intervals with the same program staff (e.g., every Monday evening at 6:00pm), you may complete the registration form once for a given period of time, but at minimum, it should be filled out annually.  

Back to Top

Q16. My department is allowing a third party to use some of our space for a program involving minors. My department is not a sponsor of the event, merely contracting for the use of our space. Should the sponsor complete the registration form or does my department need to fill it out?

The sponsor is required to complete the procedures, including the online registration form. As the manager of the space, you are required to inform the third party of its obligation to complete the procedures.

Back to Top

Q17. Who should I contact if I'm not sure whether an event is a program that needs to be registered under the procedures?

You may direct your questions to the compliance specialist at youthprotection@purdue.edu.

Back to Top

Q18. Another department of the University is sponsoring a program for minors and asked to use one of my department's rooms for the event. We don't usually require a contract for this; do the procedures make a contract necessary?

No. All departments of the University are subject to the procedures, so a contract would not be needed to enforce this.

Back to Top

Q19. I'm not sure our facility use contract has the appropriate language with regard to these procedures. Is there someone I can contact to look it over?

Please contact the University's Special Counsel, Procurement Contracting and Risk Management, at 765-494-0534.

Back to Top

Q20. How many adults must be at an event?

A minimum of two adults are required at all events regardless of the number of participants.  All additional program staff requirements should follow the minor-to-adult ratios listed below.

Back to Top

Q21. I am the Club President or Event Chair for an RSO.  What are my requirements/responsibilities?

The Club President or Event Chair of an RSO has the same training requirements and responsibilities as a Program Director.

Back to Top

Q22. We will be providing the transportation of minors at our event.  How many program staff should be in the vehicle?

2 adults should be in a vehicle at all times.  This does not include the driver.  A driver cannot actively supervise what is going on behind them as they should have their eyes on the road.

Back to Top

Q23. The Procedures for Programs Involving Minors state program staff should notify youthprotection@purdue.edu immediately following any incident involving participants and/or program staff.  What is considered "immediate" notification?

Immediate notification would be once the situation has been handled, meaning everything has "calmed down" and the program is trying to resume normal operation.  This could be after emergency personnel have left if it involved an injury/illness or once a parent/guardian has been notified of an incident.  If a program staff member will be involved for a long period of time handling the incident, they should designate another program staff member to notify Youth Protection.  While we hope Youth Protection will be notified within a few hours of the incident, it should be reported no later than 24 hours after the incident occurred.

Back to Top

Q24. I've been identified as a Campus Security Authority (CSA).  What does that mean?

1. The function of a CSA is to report to the Purdue University Police Department (PUPD) allegations of Clery Act crimes or attempts that he or she receives in their capacity as a CSA. These specific crimes listed below must be reported ASAP to allow Purdue the opportunity to review reports and update the campus community as needed.  Indiana law requires all persons over the age of 18 to report suspected child abuse to the police or Child Protective Services. You may call 911 or use the same form listed below to report. 

2. List of Clery Crimes

3. To report non-emergency crimes, complete the online CSA report.

Back to Top