A minor is anyone under the age of 18. For the purposes of Brown’s Minors Protection Program, this does not include minors who are:

• participating in research approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Human Research Protection Program (HRPP);
• enrolled as Brown undergraduate students;
• enrolled as non-degree students engaged in undergraduate credit-bearing coursework;
• employed by Brown acting within the scope of their employment; or
• receiving medical or therapeutic treatment conducted by Brown clinicians.

Brown undergraduate students are not considered minors for the purposes of this program, even if they are under 18. Undergraduate students begin their student status when they first engage in official University programs or activities (e.g., taking an online course, arriving to Campus for Orientation or athletic participation, etc.).

Yes, the Minors Protection Program applies regardless of the modality/location of the activity.

Yes, the Minors Protection Program applies in addition to Brown's Policy on Minors in Laboratories. Minors Activities that involve minors in labs are responsible for complying with the requirements of both policies. 

Any guest speaker or lecturer whose role in a Minors Activity is limited to a short, one-time presentation during which another Activity Adult meeting the requirements of this policy is present at all times is exempted from the centralized requirements for background checks and minors protection training.

• For non-time-sensitive questions:

  Minors Protection Office

  minorsprotection@brown.edu

  401-863-1292

• For emergency situations, including medical emergencies:

  Department of Public Safety:

   401-863-4111

  or your local authorities

• To report actual or suspected abuse or neglect of minors:
  • Report to the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Family Services (RIDCYFS) Child Protection Hotline at 1-(800) RI-CHILD or 1-800-742-4453 (callers may remain anonymous); then
  • Report to Brown's Department of Public Safety at 401-863-3322 and confirm the report was also made to RIDCYFS. Additionally, the Department of Public Safety will inform the University's Title IX Coordinator, if applicable, for the purposes of investigation, support, and Clery reporting.

• For questions related to a specific Minors Activity:

  Reach out to the individual(s) leading the specific activity directly.

The Activity Administrator needs to register the Minors Activity in the Minors Protection Portal at least 30 days prior to the activity start date. For Brown Activities, the completed activity registration form will trigger email notifications of the specific requirements (if any) for all Activity Adults working the activity. 

The Activity Administrator is responsible for ensuring all Activity Adults complete their compliance requirements in advance of the activity start date. 

The Activity Administrator for your Brown Activity is responsible for submitting a completed registration form to the Minors Protection Office. Once reviewed, you will receive an email notification alerting you of any outstanding compliance requirements - these may include a background check, motor vehicle records report, and/or minors protection training. 

You are responsible for completing all requirements prior to the start of the activity. 

External Organization-Hosted Activities must be registered with the Minors Protection Office. Participants in these activities are exempted from Brown's centralized requirements for background checks and training, but must meet the standards for engaging with minors established by the external organization. 

Minors Activities at Brown have been divided into three general categories (Brown Activities, Non-Brown Activities, and External Organization-Hosted Activities). Definitions are provided on our website, but there is definitely nuance to this. Please reach out to the Minors Protection Office to discuss the specifics of your Minors Activity before completing the registration form, as the category will drive how the program requirements are handled. 

To register your Minors Activity with the Minors Protection Office, please log into the Minors Protection Portal and select “Minors Activity Registration Form” to begin the registration process. 

All required fields must be completed in order to submit the form. The system will alert you to any missing responses. 

The form does not need to be completed all in one go. You may exit the portal and continue completing it at another time if needed. 

The Activity Administrator or their designee should complete the form. 

Minors Activities need to be registered 30 days prior to the start date to allow sufficient time for the required background checks and training to be completed. Activity Administrators are encouraged to register their Minors Activities as early as practicable.

Please complete the registration form ASAP and reach out to the Minors Protection Office for advice on how to proceed.

In the registration form, you will need to answer “Yes” to the question about whether minors will be transported during the activity. Then when you to input the names of all Activity Adults for your Brown Activity, there will be a check box next to each individual to select whether they will be a “Driver” for the activity. This will trigger the appropriate Motor Vehicle Records Report. 

Guest speakers whose role in a Minors Activity is limited to a short, one-time presentation during which another Activity Adult meeting the requirements of this policy is present at all times are exempted from the centralized requirements for background checks and training. 

When completing the registration form, below the section for Activity Adults, there is a section for Guest Speakers. Please enter anyone meeting the above criteria here. If a guest speaker is entered into the portal as an Activity Adult, they will be prompted to complete a background check/training, so please be sure to enter them as a Guest Speaker. 

The Minors Protection Office will aim to review all registrations within 7 days and either contact you for additional information or advise on the next steps for your Minors Activity. 

If you have not yet submitted your form, please simply log into the Minors Protection Portal. Your partially completed form should show up on your dashboard for you to continue working. 

If you have already submitted your form, please contact the Minors Protection Office with the information that needs to be edited. 

From inside the portal, please select “Help” in the top right corner to send a help request to the Minors Protection Office. You may also send an email to the Minors Protection Office letting us know the issue you’re running into, and we will assist. 

The centralized national criminal background check conducted through the Minors Protection Office will include: 

• SSN Trace
• Criminal Felony & Misdemeanor - unlimited number of counties as revealed by SSN Trace
• Federal Criminal - all districts as revealed by SSN Trace
• National Sex Offender Search
• Widescreen Plus National Criminal Search

Background checks required by the Minors Protection Policy and initiated by the Minors Protection Office will be centrally funded through the Minors Protection Office. Rhode Island background checks through the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation that are required by an external organization in order for Brown community members to participate are the responsibility of the sponsoring department/student organization.

Background checks are required at the following frequencies: 

• Brown faculty, staff, students (undergraduate, graduate, and medical), and Sponsored ID holders: Every three years
• Volunteer/Non-Brown individual: Annually

Once the Minors Activity registration form has been reviewed by the Minors Protection Office, all Activity Adults requiring a background check will receive an email from Hireright, Brown's background check provider, with details on how to sign in and initiate the background check. The process should only take a few minutes and is completed entirely online. Please be sure to take action promptly to avoid any delays in being cleared to engage in the Minors Activity. 

Any Activity Adult who will be driving a vehicle containing minors as part of the minors activity will need to complete a Motor Vehicle Records report. 

Adverse background checks results will be reviewed by the Minors Protection Office in collaboration with a representative from the relevant office (i.e., University Human Resources, Dean of the Faculty, or the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards), if applicable, in accordance with our standard operating procedure. 

Brown's centralized requirements include a national criminal background check, not a Rhode Island background check. However, specific Minors Activities may require adults working with minors to get a state background check. Verify all requirements with the Activity Administrator. 

Background checks are required for all Activity Adults - this includes all Brown faculty, staff, students, volunteers, and Sponsored ID holders, as well as non-Brown individuals, who oversee, supervise, or engage with minors in Brown and Non-Brown Activities. 

The one exemption in the Minors Protection Policy is guest speakers whose role in a Minors Activity is limited to a short, one-time presentation during which another Activity Adult meeting the requirements of the policy is present at all times.

The Protection of Minors at Brown training generally takes under 30 minutes to complete. 

Individuals with a Brown Workday account will take the training in Workday. Anyone without Workday access will need to reach out to the Minors Protection Office for instructions on completing the training. 

Activity Administrators for Brown Activities, as well as any other individuals designated a CSA under the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, are required to complete CSA training in Workday.

Minors protection training must be completed annually for any Activity Adults continuing to engage in Brown and Non-Brown Activities. 

Minors protection training must be retaken every year to continue to engage with minors in Brown and Non-Brown Activities. Please reference page 2 of this Workday Job Aid to “Retake Course.” You must select the “Retake Course” option for your training completion to be properly recorded. 

Rhode Island law requires any person who has reasonable cause to know or suspect that any child has been abused or neglected (as defined by law) or is the victim of sexual abuse by another child must report it to RIDCYFS within twenty-four hours.