Violent Behavior (IV.A.3)

Volume IV: Facilities and Safety
Chapter A: Safety
Responsible Executive: Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Responsible Office: Office of the Senior Vice President for Administrative Operations
Date Issued: February 1, 2011
Date Last Revised: November 1, 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contacts
Statement of Policy
Reason for This Policy
Individuals and Entities Affected by This Policy
Exclusions
Responsibilities
Definitions (defined terms are capitalized throughout the document)
Related Documents, Forms and Tools
Website Address for This Policy
History and Updates
Appendix

CONTACTS

For all emergencies, dial 911. Non-emergency reports and questions are directed to the contact information below.

Policy Clarification

Vice President for Physical Facilities and Public Safety
765-494-8000
adminops@purdue.edu

STATEMENT OF POLICY

Purdue University is committed to providing a safe and secure campus environment for members of the university community. Purdue strives to create an educational environment for students and a work environment for employees that promote educational and career goals. Violent Behavior impedes such goals and is prohibited in or on any University Facility or while participating in any University activity.

Retaliation against any employee, student or other member of the University community who, in good faith, reports a violation of this policy is prohibited.

Purdue University employees who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination. An act of off-duty Violent Behavior may also be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination if there is a relevant relationship between the type of Violent Behavior and the potential adverse impact on the employee’s or another employee’s ability to perform their assigned duties and responsibilities. Purdue University students who violate this policy on or off University Facilities may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion, as provided in the Regulations Governing Student Conduct. In addition, any person who violates this policy may be subject to the issuance of a persona non grata notification, which limits access to a part of or all of University Facilities, in accordance with the Persona Non Grata (IV.A.5) policy.

REASON FOR THIS POLICY

The University is committed to providing a safe environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors. Criminal and civil laws prohibit Violent Behavior, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 governs employers’ workplace safety. This policy describes Violent Behavior, its prevention and response, and University sanctions.

INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY

All units, students, faculty, staff, volunteers and agents/contractors of Purdue University.

EXCLUSIONS

There are no exclusions to this policy.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Behavioral Assessment Teams

• Assess potentially threatening situations and recommend action to mitigate risk of harm.
• Make every effort to protect the confidentiality and safety of those who report potential violations of this policy or raise concerns about Violent Behavior.

Employees

• Report immediately any Violent Behavior or other violations of this policy to the University Police or the head of Human Resources on their campus (or the head’s designee for such reports).

Human Resources

• Promptly investigate allegations that employees have engaged in Violent Behavior or otherwise violated this policy and take action to mitigate risk of harm, including, when necessary, removal of an employee or student from campus or other interim corrective measures of a non-disciplinary nature until the investigation is concluded.

• Upon receipt of a report of Violent Behavior, notify the chair of the appropriate Behavioral Assessment Team, and request a meeting of the team, as needed.

• Refer employees and/or students to appropriate resources for coordination of assessments of Violent Behavior in the workplace and/or academic environment.

• Promptly notify the Title IX Coordinator of reports of Violent Behavior that may also violate the Anti-Harassment (III.C.1) policy’s definitions of Relationship Violence, Sexual Violence and/or Stalking.

• Develop and deliver, jointly with University Police, training and educational materials regarding Violent Behavior prevention and response.

Office of the Dean of Students (or similarly charged office)

• Promptly investigate allegations that students have engaged in Violent Behavior or otherwise violated this policy and take action to mitigate risk of harm, including, when necessary, removal of a student from campus or other interim corrective measures of a non-disciplinary nature until the investigation is concluded.

• Promptly notify the Title IX Coordinator of reports of Violent Behavior that may also violate the Anti-Harassment (III.C.1) policy’s definitions of Relationship Violence, Sexual Violence and/or Stalking.

• Upon receipt of a report of Violent Behavior, notify the chair of the appropriate Behavioral Assessment Team, and request a meeting of the team, as needed.

• Develop and deliver, jointly with University Police, training and educational materials regarding Violent Behavior prevention and response.

Supervisors

• Immediately report to the University Police incidents or allegations of Violent Behavior or other violations of this policy that are brought to their attention.
• Contact Human Resources to determine whether an employee should undergo an assessment of Violent Behavior in the workplace with an appropriate resource.

Students

• Immediately report any Violent Behavior or other violations of this policy to the University Police or the Dean of Students or Director of Student Conduct.

University Police

• Promptly investigate reports of Violent Behavior or other violations of this policy.

• Upon receipt of a report of Violent Behavior, notify the chair of the appropriate Behavioral Assessment Team, and request a meeting of the team, as needed.

• Develop and deliver, jointly with Human Resources and with the Office of the Dean of Students (or similarly charged office), training and educational materials regarding Violent Behavior prevention and response.
• Comply with the policy on Campus Security and Crime Statistics (IV.A.2).

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration (Northwest) and Vice Chancellor for Financial and Administrative Affairs (Fort Wayne)

• Serve as the chairperson for their campus employee Behavioral Assessment Team or designate responsibility for such.

• Identify the membership of their respective campus employee Behavioral Assessment Teams.

Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs (Northwest) and Vice Chancellor for Enrollment and the Student Experience (Fort Wayne)

• Serve as the chairperson for their campus student Behavioral Assessment Team or designate responsibility for such.

• Identify the membership of their respective campus student Behavioral Assessment Teams.

Vice President for Human Resources

• Serve as the chairperson for the West Lafayette campus employee Behavioral Assessment Team or designate responsibility for such. 

Dean of Students (West Lafayette)

• Serve as the chairperson for the West Lafayette campus student Behavioral Assessment Team or designate responsibility for such.

DEFINITIONS

All defined terms are capitalized throughout the document. Additional defined terms may be found in the central Policy Glossary.

Behavioral Assessment Team/Behavioral Intervention Team
A standing committee of multi-disciplinary experienced representatives who will analyze potentially threatening situations, especially imminent threats to self or others, and take action to mitigate risk. Each campus may assign a specific name to their committee(s), but the purpose, function and membership must adhere to this policy.

The chairperson of each campus’s employee Behavioral Assessment Team is as noted in the Responsibilities section and includes representatives from Human Resources, University Police, legal counsel, mental health professional(s) and others as appropriate. The chairperson of each campus’s student Behavior Assessment Team is as noted in the Responsibilities section and includes representatives from the Office of the Dean of Students (or similarly charged office), University Police, Housing and Food Services (West Lafayette only), legal counsel, mental health professional(s) and others as appropriate.

Intimidation
Engaging in actions intended to frighten, coerce or induce duress. These actions include, but are not limited to, unwanted pursuit or stalking, as defined in the policy on Anti-Harassment (III.C.1).

Physical Attack
Unwanted physical contact such as hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving, biting, fighting, throwing objects or use of an unauthorized weapon against another person.

Property Damage
Reckless or intentional damage to property, including property owned by Purdue University or its employees, students, visitors or vendors.

Threat
A statement communicated with conscious disregard of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that it may cause, or be viewed as threatening to cause, harm to another person or damage to another person's property, whether or not, in each case, the statement is made on University Facilities or using university resources.

University Facility(ies)
As used in this policy, any building or structure or any improved or unimproved land, or any part of any such building, structure or land, that is owned, used or occupied by Purdue University.

Violent Behavior
A broad range of behaviors that generate reasonable concerns for personal safety, result in physical injury or result in damage to University Facilities. Violent behavior includes, but is not limited to, aggressive or frightening acts, Intimidation, Threats, Physical Attacks or Property Damage.

RELATED DOCUMENTS, FORMS AND TOOLS

Policies:

• Anti-Harassment (III.C.1): www.purdue.edu/policies/ethics/iiic1.html
• Campus Security and Crime Statistics (IV.A.2): www.purdue.edu/policies/facilities-safety/iva2.html
• Persona Non Grata (IV.A.5): www.purdue.edu/policies/facilities-safety/iva5.html

Regulations Governing Student Conduct:

• Fort Wayne
• Northwest
• West Lafayette

Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

WEBSITE ADDRESS FOR THIS POLICY

www.purdue.edu/policies/facilities-safety/iva3.html

HISTORY AND UPDATES

November 1, 2024: Updated titles, contact information, and the definition of Threat.

September 21, 2016: Updated to reflect appropriate contacts, titles and campus names.

May 15, 2015: Definition of Threat revised to reflect the Board of Trustees’ resolution regarding principles of free speech passed on May 15, 2015.

September 29, 2014: Policy converted to new template. Language that was previously contained in the Procedures section has been incorporated into the Statement of Policy and Responsibilities sections as appropriate. The definitions of Intimidation and Property Damage were updated, as were personnel titles and hyperlinks throughout.

November 1, 2012: The definition of Behavioral Assessment Team was revised to allow each campus to assign its own names to the committees.

December 8, 2011: Updates to the Contacts and Responsibilities sections were made. This policy supersedes Violent Behavior, Interim (IV.A.3) dated November 18, 2011.

November 18, 2011: Policy number changed to IV.A.3 (formerly I.2.3) and website address updated. Related Documents section updated as well.

February 1, 2011: This policy supersedes the Violence in the Workplace Policy (Executive Memorandum No. C-43).

APPENDIX

There are no appendices to this policy.