Updated April 11, 2025
The FAQ guidance below is intended to accompany the Protection of Minors Policy and related requirements for OSU programs and personnel.
In addition to this FAQ, please refer to the Protection of Minors Policy Flowchart.
General Policy Guidance
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse*
*FAQs for mandatory reporting can be found here
Who is required by this policy to report child abuse or neglect?
Activity Registration
Training
Background Checks**
Non-University Organizations / Third Party
1. What is the Protection of Minors Policy and why was it adopted?
University Policy 07-040 was adopted as OSU policy on 10/21/2019, with a significant update in 2023. The purpose of the policy is to promote and protect the safety of minors who participate in activities both on and off campus and to establish requirements for youth programs affiliated with or supported by the university.
2. Does the Protection of Minors Policy apply to me?
The policy applies to university employees and volunteers who interact with minors in their capacity as representatives of the university. For a graphical representation, please refer to the Protection of Minors Policy Flowchart.
In addition, the policy includes contract provisions for university employees or units that work with non-university entities, individuals or third parties operating youth programs on university property.
3. What is a 'youth program?'
A youth program is a university event or activity that involves minors (under age 18) who are unaccompanied by their parent or guardian.
This includes university-operated programs, which may take place on or off campus and are offered by a university unit or OSU representative, or university-hosted programs, which take place on university property but are operated by a third party contractor, vendor, student-run organization or other non-university entity.
Examples of youth programs, which require pre-registration, include:
- On-campus activities with minors, including group visits and campus tours, overnight camps, child care, instructional programs, day camps, academic camps, recreation camps/clinics and athletic camps;
- Off-campus or virtual activities with minors that engage university representatives in an official capacity, such as outreach events and community service activities;
- Internships, unpaid work experiences and volunteer opportunities involving minors;
- Any overnight activities, transportation, or university-coordinated travel with minors, including activities that may operate outside of a structured youth program (e.g., study abroad or service-learning trip).
4. Are there any exceptions to the Protection of Minors Policy?
The following types of activities are not considered 'youth programs' under the policy but remain subject to the provision limiting One-on-One Interactions, and other laws, university policies and standards, and procedures, such as mandatory child abuse reporting:
- Events open to the public that are not specifically intended for a youth audience, but which minors may attend, and during which parents or guardians are expected to be responsible for the direct supervision of the minors at all times.
- Employment of minors who are working for the university, when the minors are not also participants in a youth program.
- Activities and programs in which minors are serving exclusively as subjects in research that has been approved by the Human Research Protection Program and Institutional Review Board (IRB), and when the minors are not also participants in a youth program.
- Undergraduate or graduate academic degree programs, classes, or other activities in which minors are enrolled or admitted as degree-seeking students.
5. Who is required by this policy to report child abuse and neglect?
All university employees, regardless of their affiliation with or involvement in youth programs, must follow mandatory reporting procedures if they have reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect.
Separate from any legal duty, non-employees and volunteers acting as youth program personnel or support personnel are required by this policy to report reasonably suspected child abuse discovered while performing duties related to the program.
Additional FAQs for mandatory reporting can be found here.
6. Which activities need to be registered, and who is responsible for registration?
Any youth program that engages a university representative in an official capacity, or which utilizes OSU property, resources or brand, must be registered by the college or departmental unit that is operating or hosting the activity.
The Sponsoring Unit must identify a university employee as the person-in-charge, who is responsible for registration and overseeing compliance and overall administration of the youth program, including programs operated by non-university entities using OSU property.
7. What is the registration process?
The registration process is outlined here.
8. How often do events or activities need to be registered?
Registration for ongoing programs should be completed annually, at the beginning of the academic year.
Registration for one-time events or seasonal programs should be completed at least 30 days prior to the proposed start date of the activity.
9. What training is required for faculty/staff/volunteers involved in OSU youth programs?
An overview of minimum training requirements can be found here.
All youth program personnel must complete university-approved training annually, in one of two ways:
- The Office of Youth Protection provides online training content that meets university standards for employees and volunteers whose service involves direct engagement with minors in a university youth program.
- If a college or unit chooses to utilize its own training resources, the content must cover the required topics outlined in the Youth Safety Training Assessment worksheet.
10. How can someone access online training content related to youth protection and child safety?
The following course is available in the OSU Youth Program Registry (login required) for any employee or volunteer who is associated with a university youth program:
Youth Safety Training (30 min) - Content from United Educators Protecting Children series, which covers topics such as predators, codes of conduct, and reporting. Interactive course includes animated scenarios and a knowledge check related to OSU policy requirements.
The following course is made available in Bridge to OSU employees, which requires ONID login to access:
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse - Critical training available to all OSU employees.
11. Who is required to complete a background check?
Employees and volunteers who will have direct engagement with minors in a university youth program are required to participate in the university's Criminal Records Check and Sex Offender Registry Check process, which is coordinated by University Human Resources.
Vendors, contractors, or non‐university operators offering youth programs on university property are responsible for implementing a background check protocol that aligns with University Policy 07-040 Protection of Minors and University Policy 05‐010 Comprehensive Background Checks.
Additional FAQs related to university background checks can be found here.
12. How often is a background check required?
Background checks must be completed for all youth program personnel before they are authorized for direct engagement with minors in a youth program, and must be renewed every two years or more frequently following date of hire, initial service date, or position assignment.
Additional FAQs related to university background checks can be found here.
13. What are the requirements for non-university operators or third party entities offering youth programs on univeristy property?
Sponsoring units working with non-university entities operating, attending, or participating in youth programs on university property must document the relationship in writing and obtain appropriate approvals from authorized unit representatives and signature by a University Contract Officer before the youth program commences.
Such agreements must include, at minimum, language to address compliance with incident reporting and responsibility for background screening, selection, supervision, and conduct of all chaperones, agents, employees, and volunteers under the external organization’s control.
For more information about contracting policies, including approved OSU forms and departmental responsibilities related to contracts, visit https://contractservices.oregonstate.edu.
14. What is the university's policy on One-on-One Interactions?
One-on-one interactions between a minor and an employee or authorized adult (who is not the minor’s parent or guardian) must be observable or interruptible by another adult and should only take place in open, well-illuminated areas.
This provision applies to OSU employees regardless of their involvement in youth programs.