Clery Act

What is the Clery Act?

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 USC §1092(f)) is a federal law originally known as the Campus Security Act. The Clery Act requires colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses, as well as fire statistics that occur in student housing. 

The Clery Act is named after Jeanne Clery, a 19-year-old Lehigh University freshman, who was raped and murdered in her campus residence hall in 1986. Clery's parents stated that if they had known about the crime on campus, they never would have allowed their daughter to attend that college. In response to this tragic incident, the Clery Act was passed.  

Since it was signed into law in 1990, the Clery Act has undergone many changes to include additional requirements about the rights of sexual assault victims, sex offender notifications, emergency response, and protection for whistleblowers. 

The crime and housing fire statistics are reported using the definitions outlined by the Clery Act. These statistics represent a compilation of crime and fire reports from the University of Texas Police Department, Fire Prevention Services, and numerous other campus partners, as well as from the Austin Police Department and other agencies around the state and country. The statistical data is used to develop meaningful policies around prevention, awareness, and response and to create the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report distributed to all UT students and employees on or before October 1st each year. 

2023 Annual Security & Fire Safety Report