Frequently Asked Questions

To introduce minors to higher education and to specific areas of knowledge in a safe and secure environment. 

The policy applies to the following members of the University community in NYU New York (excluding NYU Langone Health/NYU School of Medicine, which maintains its own policy on minors) who take part in any program or activity that NYU sponsors or operates involving the participation of minors: (a) faculty, including visiting faculty; (b) researchers, including persons conducting research at or under the auspices of the University; (c) administrators and professionals; (d) other employees (including student employees); (e) fellows, trainees and post-doctoral appointees; (f) interns and volunteers; (g) students; and (h) others who are performing activities or providing services on behalf of the University, including consultants, vendors, and contractors.

The policy also applies to non-University organizations using NYU facilities for programs and activities involving minors that are not sponsored by NYU.

NYU Portal Campuses are expected to adopt this policy in a manner and form that is consistent with local law, practice, and policy. NYU Study Away Sites which host, or plan on hosting, programs involving minors are also expected to adopt this policy in a manner and form that is consistent with local law, practice, and policy.

Any program or activity that NYU New York sponsors or operates involving the participation of minors, as well as any program or activity involving minors that a non-University organization sponsors or operates through the use of NYU facilities. Programs or activities can include formalized courses of study, academic camps, mentoring activities, academic enrichment programs, athletic activities, internships, or other activities in laboratories and recreational programs. The OYPC will make the final determination as to whether a program is or is not covered under the scope of policy.

The policy does not cover the following programs or activities, however:

1) Programs or activities (e.g. events open to the public or that are admissions related) where minors are under the general care, custody, or supervision of parents or other guardians.

2) Programs or activities in which minors are serving as research subjects, which is addressed in the policies and procedures of the University Committee on Activities Involving Human Subjects. 

A minor is a person under the age of eighteen (18) who is not enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in a degree-granting program at NYU. Students who are dually enrolled in NYU credit-granting courses while also enrolled in elementary, middle and/or high school are also considered minors for the purposes of this policy.

The Program Director of NYU sponsoring departments or units that wish to offer a program or activity involving minors or offer housing to minors participating in a program must register the program or activity with the Office of Youth Programs Compliance (OYPC). Program directors of non-University organizations that wish to host a program for minors in University facilities must also register with the OYPC. Registration can be completed in the Protection of Minors on Campus Registration System.

Registration for programs or activities that NYU sponsors or operates that involve overnight stays for minors in NYU residence halls, or which take place in the lab, art, or shop facility, or any other setting where minors may be exposed to hazardous materials, machinery, or health-related situations should be submitted no later than two months prior to the date when the program or activity would begin.

Registration for all other programs or activities that NYU sponsors or operates, or for programs or activities that non-University organizations take part in involving minors in NYU facilities, should be submitted no later than one month prior to the date when the program or activity would begin.

All members of the University community who will be participating in a program or activity that is sponsored or operated by NYU must successfully complete the NYU Protection of Minors online training before participating in the program (unless his or her participation is within one year of completing his or her prior training). (This training requirement only applies to students who will be acting in the capacity of an employee, intern, or volunteer; or subject to the discretion of the OYPC, who will have one-on-one interaction with a minor. This training requirement also only applies to guest speakers or presenters who will have one-on-one contact with a minor.)

Once the program is registered with the Office of Youth Programs Compliance, individuals who are required to complete the online training will be notified via email and will be provided a link to complete the online training program. Upon completion of the training, the member of the University community should forward his/her training confirmation email to his/her program director, in order for the training completion date to be updated in the registration system.

All members of the University community who partake in a program or activity that is sponsored or operated by NYU, and all minors who participate in a program/activity that takes place in a lab, art, or shop facility, or any other setting where they may be exposed to hazardous materials, machinery, or other health-related situations must complete the appropriate safety training curriculum, as determined by Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), prior to participating in the program/activity. For more information, please visit the EHS Training for Minors website. 

For certain categories of programs involving minors and/or certain roles within those programs, prospective and current members of the University community selected to take part in the program will receive a conditional letter of participation or re-participation, as applicable, from the Office of Youth Programs Compliance (OYPC). As part of the conditional letter to participate or re-participate, as applicable, in the program, the OYPC may require the submission and verification of additional information.

Once all requirements have been satisfied, the OYPC will enter a clearance date for each member of the University community participating in the program in the Protection of Minors Registration System. No member of the University community may take part in a program or activity involving minors until a clearance date has been entered.

For all programs or activities involving overnight stays, athletic or recreational activity, activities in a lab, art, or shop facility, or another setting where minors may be exposed to hazardous materials, machinery, or health-related situations; off-site programs; and for any other programs or activities designated by the Office of Youth Programs Compliance, the sponsoring department or unit must collect the following forms from the parent or legal guardian of a minor prior to the participation of a minor in the covered program: (a) a signed Parent or Guardian Release Form, which describes the activities planned and (b) an Authorization for Medical Treatment Form.

Programs sponsored or operated by NYU are covered under NYU’s General Liability Insurance program. For information regarding insurance coverage and risks please visit the Insurance and Enterprise Risk website. You can also contact FinanceLink at askfinancelink@nyu.edu or 212-998-1111 with any questions.

Non-NYU organizations seeking to host a program/activity at NYU facilities must ensure they obtain the appropriate insurance coverage prior to the start date of the program. The amount of General Liability and additional insurance coverage required will be determined by the NYU Insurance and Enterprise Risk Management Department depending on the exposure. NYU must be named as an additional insured on this insurance policy. Workers Compensation insurance coverage will also be required. For information regarding insurance coverage and risks please visit visit the Insurance and Enterprise Risk website. You can also contact FinanceLink at askfinancelink@nyu.edu or 212-998-1111 with any questions.

As part of the registration process, non-NYU organizations must certify electronically that all individuals from their organizations who will be interacting with minors in those programs or activities, and anyone who supervises such individuals: 1) have received training on (a) appropriate behavior when working with minors, and (b) recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect, and 2) have undergone further verification as required by the Office of Youth Programs Compliance. They must also certify that if the program/activity will take place in a lab, art, or shop facility, or any other setting where they may be exposed to hazardous materials, machinery, or other health-related situations, all program staff members and minors participating have received the appropriate safety training.

The Protection of Minors Policy prohibits:

1. Engaging in one-on-one contact with a minor in a closed/private area without the presence of at least one other adult member of the University Community, parent or legal guardian, unless approved by the Program Director in consultation with the Office of Youth Programs Compliance;
2. Engaging in sexual activity with a minor;
3. Making sexual comments or telling jokes of a sexual nature to or in the presence of a minor;
4. Touching a minor in a manner that could be reasonably interpreted as inappropriate;
5. Engaging in conversations regarding romantic, sexual or related manners unless in the role of a provider of health care or counseling, or faculty academically addressing materials of a sexual nature as part of a course, training, or classroom experience (i.e., consistent with academic freedom);
6. Engaging in communications with a minor through any method – email, text message, telephone, social media, etc. – outside of academic or programmatic need;
7. Using, possessing, or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on duty or responsible for a minor’s welfare; (Please see NYU's Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace Policy)
8. Engaging in any other behavior prohibited under applicable University policy;
9. Leaving minors without proper supervision; or
10. Otherwise abusing or neglecting a minor.

The Protection of Minors Policy requires:

1. Watching for and reporting any behavior prohibited under the policy;
2. Maintaining high standards of personal behavior when working with minors;
3. Treating all minors consistently and with respect;
4. Maintaining discipline and discourage inappropriate behavior; and
5. Consulting with the appropriate person(s) of authority when uncertain about a situation involving a minor.  

Minors attending programs/activities which are sponsored or operated by NYU which are greater than one week in duration will receive appropriate NYU ID cards that clearly identify them as minors. In addition, prior to participating, minors must complete an electronic form to provide their mobile telephone numbers (if any) and emergency contact information. The provided mobile telephone numbers will be entered into NYU’s emergency notification system for the duration of the minor’s participation in the program/activity (so that they may receive emergency alerts sent out by the Department of Campus Safety).

All non-NYU program directors working with minors as part of a program/activity will receive a blue NYUID card by visiting the Card Center locations at 7 Washington Place in Manhattan or 2 Metro Tech in Brooklyn. Additionally, anyone participating in a program not sponsored by NYU being held in NYU facilities, including visitors to campus, program participants, and parents of program participants now has the ability to opt-in to NYU Alert to receive NYU Department of Campus Safety alerts on their cell phones.

There are three options to enroll in NYU Alert and receive NYU Department of Campus Safety alerts on your mobile phone:

• Enroll for 24 hours: Text NYUALERT1 to 67283
• Enroll for 1 week: Text NYUALERT7 to 67283
• Enroll for 6 months: Text NYUCOMMUNITY to 67283

Enrollees will receive a notification when the opt-in expires along with instructions on how to re-enroll. If you or your child have an active NYU ID card, you have already been enrolled in NYU Alert. Standard text messaging rates apply.

For questions about NYU Alert, email emergencymanagement@nyu.edu.

If a minor is in immediate danger of bodily harm or otherwise requires emergency medical assistance, a member of the University community or of the non-University organization must call 911 immediately (and should also contact Campus Safety, as appropriate). In addition, any member of the University Community participating in programs or activities in NYU facilities involving minors who has reasonable cause to suspect that a minor in such program or activity is being or has been abused or neglected, including suspected sexual abuse, must contact the NYU Wellness Exchange at 212-443-9999. Where the suspected or reported abuse is sexual in nature, the University community member may also be required to report the incident to NYU’s Title IX Coordinator at 212-998-2352. Please see NYU’s Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence and Stalking Policy for more information. All other prohibited behavior should be reported in a manner that is consistent with the applicable University Policy. 

NYU employees or members of non-NYU organizations who are considered “Mandated Reporters” by NY State Law are required to report suspected child abuse and maltreatment to the New York State Office of Child and Family Services Hotline at 800-342-3720. In addition to those persons required to report suspected child abuse or maltreatment, any person may make such a report if such person has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is an abused or maltreated child.

For more information on who is considered a Mandated Reporter under NY State law please see the Summary Guide for Mandated Reporters in New York State. 

No.

The University will maintain the confidentiality of a report/complaint and the privacy of the persons involved to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the appropriate University policy and to the extent permitted by law. 

The Office of Youth Programs Compliance (OYPC) will enforce this Policy in conjunction with the appropriate offices of NYU. In accordance with applicable law and University policy, the OYPC reserves the right to check and monitor compliance with this policy by conducting site visits, requesting documentation, and/or conducting a formal audit.

Violations of this Policy may result in the non-approval or immediate termination of the program, and disciplinary action against members of the University Community (up to and including termination of employment or services, as applicable), consistent with NYU policy.

For questions, contact PeopleLink at askpeoplelink@nyu.edu or 212-992-LINK (5465).