More Than a Requirement: What Clarke’s Annual Safety Report Means for Students

Every year, Clarke University provides students with information about campus crime, fire safety, emergency procedures, and other safety policies. For many students, an email or announcement containing a detailed list of policies and statistics may be easy to overlook. However, the information is provided for an important reason: students have a right to know about safety on their campus and what resources are available if something happens.

Fire Extinguisher on campus

The annual report is required under the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act. The federal law requires colleges and universities to disclose certain information about crime and fire safety on and around their campuses. While the report is partly a legal requirement, its purpose goes beyond checking a box. Knowing what types of incidents are reported on campus can help students understand their surroundings and make informed decisions about their own safety. Clarke’s reported crime statistics show why reviewing the report matters. In 2023, the university reported two rapes on campus. In 2024, it reported one rape, one fondling offense and two burglaries. In 2025, the report listed two aggravated assaults. These figures reflect reported incidents, and reviewing multiple years of data gives students a clearer picture of the information the university is required to disclose. Students who are interested in learning more about safety at Clarke can search for their institution and view its reported statistics.

Knowing the numbers is only one part of campus safety. Clarke also provides campus security services. Security can be reached by dialing 6393 from a campus phone or (563) 588-6393 from an off-campus phone. In an emergency involving medical services, a fire or police, students should call 911 first and then immediately notify campus security. Campus security can be an additional resource for students, but it does not replace emergency services when there is an immediate threat, or someone needs urgent medical attention. Clarke provides information about campus emergency procedures and its missing student notification policy. These policies are designed to give students and employees guidance before an emergency happens, rather than expecting people to figure out what to do in the middle of one. Clarke’s fire statistics provide another part of the safety picture. The university’s report lists zero fires, fire-related injuries and fire-related deaths in on-campus student housing for each year from 2023 through 2025.  

Another major part of the university’s safety information involves Title IX and sexual misconduct. Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities, and Clarke has designated officials who can receive and investigate sexual misconduct complaints when appropriate. Information about the university’s sexual misconduct policy is available in the Student Handbook and Employee Manual. For students, knowing that these policies exist is important even if they never personally need to use them. If a student experiences or witnesses sexual misconduct, knowing where to go for information or support can make it easier to seek help. The university also provides information about registered sex offenders. Under federal law, colleges and universities must tell their campus communities where they can find information provided by the state about registered sex offenders. Clarke directs students to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry for this information.

Ultimately, campus safety is not something that belongs only to security officers or university administrators. Students play a role in it, too. Before an emergency, students should save the campus security number in their phones, learn where to find Clarke’s emergency procedures, review evacuation, and shelter locations for the buildings they use most and make sure their emergency contact information is current. Students should also know the steps for reporting an emergency: call 911 first when there is an immediate threat, fire or need for medical or police assistance, provide the location and nature of the emergency, follow the dispatcher’s instructions and then notify campus security. Students should also be aware that Clarke’s missing student notification policy addresses students who have been missing for more than 24 hours and allows resident students to provide confidential contact information for notification. Students should read university alerts and report suspicious or concerning situations rather than assuming someone else will do so.

The annual crime and fire report is therefore more than a required document. It gives students information they can use before and during an emergency. Students do not need to memorize every policy or statistic, but they should know how to call 911, how to reach campus security, where to find Clarke’s safety procedures and what actions to take when an emergency occurs. Taking a few minutes to prepare now can make it easier to respond quickly and safely later. Clarke’s safety and security information is available through the university’s website, and students should check it regularly as policies and procedures are reviewed and updated.