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Policy No: 2069
Responsible Office: Academic Affairs
Last Review Date: 04/03/2023
Next Required Review: 04/03/2028
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Children of Employees and Students in Campus Facilities
1. Purpose
The University of South Alabama (USA) values its employees and students and acknowledges the important role that families play in our lives. This policy addresses the circumstances under which it is appropriate to bring non-student, minor children to the workplace or classroom. This policy is intended to foster respect for the needs of all parties impacted by the presence of non-student, minor children on the campus, in the workplace, or in the classroom.
2. Applicability
This policy applies to the University General Division (all campus-based units), and pertains to all individuals doing work for or on behalf of the University, including faculty, administrators, staff, and students.
3. Definitions
Non-Student; Minor Child: A minor child (under the age of 19) who is not enrolled in classes at USA.
Parent: Any employee or student who has responsibility for a Non-Student, Minor Child while in the workplace or classroom regardless of the employee’s or student’s relationship to the child.
4. Policy Guidelines
4.1. Typically, Non-Student, Minor Children should not be present in the workplace or the classroom on a frequent or continuing basis.
4.2. Exceptions to this general rule include:
4.2.1. Minors who are enrolled as students at USA.
4.2.2. Programmatic activities for non-students and minor children with appropriate adult supervision that are officially sponsored or approved by the University (e.g., recruitment visits, campus tours, athletics events, etc.).
4.2.3. Brief visits (e.g., an employee brings his/her child, grandchild, or other minor relative in to introduce that child to co-workers), provided the employee supervises the child(ren) at all times during the visit.
4.2.4. Special employer-sanctioned occasions that are coordinated with and approved by the employee’s supervisor where attendance by children is encouraged. Conditions set forth in section 4.3 (below) must be properly addressed and the employee’s work schedule should also be considered.
4.2.5. Visits coordinated with and approved by the employee’s supervisor after considering and satisfactorily addressing the factors set forth below (section 4.3). Any such approved visits must be brief and occur only in exceptional times. The parent employee must supervise the child(ren) on such visits and ensure that the child(ren) is not disruptive to the work environment. It is not appropriate for non-student, minor children to be in the workplace on a regular basis, such as after school each school day or on regularly scheduled school holidays.
4.2.6. Visits coordinated with and approved by the student’s instructor after considering and satisfactorily addressing the factors set forth below (section 4.3). Any such approved visits must be brief and occur only in exceptional times. The parent student must supervise the child(ren) on such visits and must ensure that the child(ren) is not disruptive to the classroom environment. It is not appropriate for Non-Student, Minor Children to be in the classroom on a regular basis, such as after school each school day or on regularly scheduled school holidays.
4.2.7. In the event of an emergency, and only if there are no other reasonable alternatives, parent employees may have children present in the workplace for brief periods of time. Ideally, the immediate supervisor’s approval should be obtained beforehand. Similarly, in the event of an emergency, and only if there are no other reasonable alternatives, parent students may have children present in the classroom for brief periods of time, with the instructor’s approval. Such arrangements are only to be temporary in nature and may be granted, in the supervisor’s and instructor’s discretion, only in circumstances where the employee and supervisor or the student and professor have considered and satisfactorily addressed the factors set forth in section 4.3 below. When authorized, the parent employee/student must supervise the child(ren) at all times and should not leave the child(ren) in the custody of another University employee or student, even for brief periods of time.
4.2.8. Any child with an illness that prevents the child from going to a childcare facility or from attending school should not be brought to the workplace or into the classroom. No child with an infectious disease should be brought to the workplace or into the classroom under any circumstances. If employees or students must attend to their children and short-term care cannot be arranged, employees should record time off in accordance with the University policies, as appropriate, to accommodate their children during working hours and students should converse with their instructor to discuss alternatives to class attendance.
4.3. The exceptional circumstances under which non-student, minor children may be brought into a particular workplace or classroom setting should be established in a discussion between the employee and supervisor or the student and instructor, respectively, considering the following factors:
4.3.1. Whether the parent is willing to accept full responsibility for the child’s safety and for any damage to property or injury to persons that is caused by the child’s presence.
4.3.2. The extent to which the child’s presence in the workplace or classroom environment creates a potential danger to the child (or USA students or employees) or exposes the University to liability.
4.3.3. The extent to which the child’s presence in the workplace or classroom environment poses a risk of breach of confidentiality with respect to information in the workplace.
4.3.4. The extent to which the child’s presence in the workplace or in classroom environment disrupts or has the potential to disrupt the work or classroom environment and/or creates an atmosphere that is not conducive to achievement of the specific goals and objectives of the workplace or classroom.
4.3.5. Such other factors as the supervisor or instructor deems appropriate.
4.4. Non-Student, Minor Children are not permitted as visitors in work or classroom areas where safety and/or confidentiality factors exist unless prior permission has been received from the appropriate University authority. The exceptions set forth in section 4.3 are not applicable to such work or classroom areas. Please refer to the Minors in Laboratories, Shops, and Hazardous Areas policy.
5. Procedures
N/A
6. Enforcement
Employees who violate this policy may be subject to disciplinary actions, up to and including termination of employment. Students who violate this policy may be subject to disciplinary actions up to and including suspension or expulsion.
7. Related Documents
Minors in Laboratories, Shops, and Hazardous Areas (Policy)
Policies and Procedures for USA-Sanctioned Academic Camps and Youth Programs