Covered Activities
A page within Youth Protection
The Purpose
The purpose of UWL Youth Protection Policy is to establish campus standards for the protection of minors engaged in covered activities.
What is a Covered Activity?
A program, event, operation, endeavor, or activity, regardless of location, that is organized, sponsored or operated by the university and during which the university assumes custodial care of minors.
Youth Program Types
University Custodial
Programs that meet the following criteria: A Covered Activity organized, sponsored, and/or operated by UWL, regardless of location. The program’s staff are UWL employees and/or volunteers, and are temporarily responsible for the supervision, care, or control of the attending minors, without accompanying parents, guardians, or chaperones.
Examples include:
Single-Day/Multi-Day Commuter program: Youth Participants are dropped- off and then picked up at the end of the day rather than staying overnight as part of the program activities. In multi-day programs, youth return for another day of activities as part of the same program.
Overnight Program: Youth Participants remain under UWL custodial care for the duration of a multi-day program.
University Non-Custodial
Programs that meet the following criteria: An activity that is organized, sponsored, and/or operated by UWL, regardless of location. Minors attend with an accompanying parent, guardian, or third-party chaperone. The UWL staff are not, at any time, solely responsible for the supervision, care, or control of the attending minors.
UWL requires host departments/employees to register the field trips and complete the following items to ensure campus awareness of youth activities.
Examples include:
On-Campus Field Trips: A single-day visit where students remain under the care of teachers/non-UWL chaperones for the duration of the visit. Transportation to-and-from campus is arranged by the visiting third-party.
Off-Campus Facilities Visits: A single-day visit where students remain under the care of teachers/non-UWL chaperones for the duration of the visit and the event is sponsored by UWL. This might be part of a larger program, or a trip from campus to another location.
Individual Youth Activities
Programs that meet the following criteria: UWL-sponsored activities including, but are not limited to, private lessons, internships, research/lab experiences, and job shadow opportunities under the supervision and care of a UWL employee.
Examples include:
- A minor assisting a UWL chemistry faculty member with research in a university lab
- A minor reaching out to a UWL department to job shadow a staff member
- Music or swim lessons offered through a department and taught by paid employee
Third-Party Custodial Youth Activity
Programs that meet the following criteria: A Covered Activity that is held on property owned or leased by UWL that is organized, sponsored, and/or operated by a third-party entity. The program’s staff are temporarily or fully responsible for the supervision, care, or control of the Youth Participants. The event will be required to follow UWL’s minimum supervision ratio, volunteer policies, and sign a youth protection contract with UWL.
Examples include:
Third-party Single Day Program: This could be a school club using campus facilities, or an external community organization, and is not explicitly sponsored by UW-La Crosse. Parents, guardians and teachers are either not present, or working on behalf of the third-party and may be supervising non-familial youth.
Third-party Overnight Program: A third-party using UWL housing facilities for an overnight stay. The third-party program staff are responsible for participant safety.
Which activities are exempt from youth policy?
Per UWSA Policy 625, the following activities and individuals are exempt:
- Activities offered by a university (e.g., museum tours, competitions) where a chaperone (e.g., youth group leader, teacher) or parent/guardian retains responsibility for the care and control of the minors in their charge for the duration of the activity;
- Minors who are:
- Formally admitted to the institution and enrolled as a student;
- Enrolled in for-credit courses as a nondegree or visiting student, including students enrolled through dual-credit programs;
- Enrolled in noncredit courses designed for adults;
- Participating in internships or other academic experiences as a matriculated student or through a for-credit course;
- Participating in pre-enrollment visitation or recruiting activities, including those governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association;
- Employed by the university in a paid position, except where the compensation is provided for involvement in a covered activity;
- Child care and day camps licensed under DCF 251 or DCF 252;
- Medical care provided to minors in clinical settings;
- Institutional Review Board approved research;
- Public events; and
- Private events