Between February and June 2022, there have been 10 Clery stalking reports made on UHCL’s campus. There have also been five reports of harassment and sexual harassment made within the same time frame.
Chief of Police Russell Miller attributed the number of stalking cases to multiple factors.
“The [multiple reports on one individual], even our regular reports and coupled with a real large push on Sexual Assualt Awareness month in April, coinciding with students being inundated with ‘report sexual assault’ and ‘report these types of things’ [so] they do,” Miller said. “All that stuff contributed to a spike in reports in April.”
The Clery Act defines stalking as engaging in conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or the safety of others or suffer substantial emotional distress. It also states that stalking is a form of violence that threatens its victims and can escalate over time.
The Clery Act was named in honor of Jeanne Clery, a 19-year-old college student who was assaulted and murdered in her dorm room in 1986. This act was enacted in the belief that crime awareness can prevent campus victimization. The law requires colleges and universities receiving federal funding to prepare, publish and distribute things such as campus safety, security policies and crime statistics. This act ensures that students are properly informed about all campus crimes.
Stalking is a violation of the school conduct codes and Title IX, as well as a crime under the laws of all 50 states. Statistics provided by the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center states 18-24-year-olds experience the highest rates of stalking. Women and students of color experience the highest rate of stalking.
“In our office we take [stalking] very seriously, and I would say the institution as a whole does as well.” said Iliana Melendez, associate dean of students. “Any incident that impacts our campus community is one that we will always take seriously. We would love for them all to be positive in nature and be able to celebrate that, but we also understand that isn’t the reality for all of our students and so we prioritize their well-being in the best and most appropriate way possible. Some of our processes take time and are confidential so while to the outside world it may seem we aren’t moving as fast as we should or doing anything, I assure you we are.”
Melendez said incidents are reported to Title IX regardless of how such information is acquired.
“We are defined as responsible employees under the policy and Texas Law, therefore we must report,” Melendez said. “Part of that process is informing the student of that process and what to expect. We also make sure that they understand their rights and resources available to them, which is key when deciding how to move a case forward.”
There are multiple ways students can report stalking or harassment incidents.
“If you see something, say something,” Rachita said. “Students can certainly come to the Dean of Students Office, or the Office of Student Advocacy and they can sit down with one of us and we can give you advice or thoughts about a situation.”
The Incident Reporting Form is one of the forms students can fill out to report issues or concerns about a person, the facility or Title IX.
Students can go to the UHCL website and scroll down to the bottom and click “Report It.” This brings students to where they can fill out reports such as the Title IX sexual misconduct or the Clery Incident Report Form. After the student has filled out any of those forms, they can give the report directly to the UHCL Police Department located on campus.
“We are here 24/7 for the students,” said Miller.
The university offers a 24/7 safety escort if students feel unsafe on campus. Students can call the Police Department (281-283-2222) to be escorted to their destination.