Violence Prevention Committee at NOVA

2025–2026 Actions

Based on concerns raised by NOVA faculty and staff through the Huron Report and the systemwide findings of the recent VCCS Classroom Safety audit, Dr. Anne M. Kress is charging the VPC with completing the following actions related to Virginia Code in the 2025-2026 academic year:

1. Creating a collegewide information campaign that addresses and fulfills the intent of items (i) and (ii).
2. Following the mandate established by the code in item (iii) by establishing a NOVA policy and procedure that clearly identifies the "circumstances under which all faculty and staff are required to report behavior that may represent a physical threat to the community," defines the processes for reporting such behavior, and articulates the consequences of not reporting such behavior as required. This work should follow the Policy on Policy Development (101/101P).
3. Working with the NOVA Threat Assessment Team to update NOVA Policy 119 Threat Assessment so that it meets the expectations outlined in the code (iv) and provides clear and published procedures that address the topics outlined in the code (a, b, c). This work should follow the Policy on Policy Development (101/101P).
4. Ensuring that the appropriate information is included in both the NOVA Faculty and Staff Handbooks and developing a formal process for updating these handbooks annually.

Periodic updates will be provided and a final report on the committee's actions and outcomes will be delivered by June 15, 2026.

1. Each college shall establish a violence prevention committee with responsibility for education and violence prevention on campus. The membership of this body shall include representatives from the following areas: student affairs, human resources, law enforcement, a mental health professional or counseling services representative, and others who have knowledge, professional expertise, or responsibilities that could assist the committee with completing its work and shall consult with legal counsel as needed. However, in all cases, the membership of the committee must comply with the requirements of Virginia Code § 23.1-805.
2. Each violence prevention committee shall publish for its college community a clear statement of its mission and membership, as well as the committee’s leadership role in the area of violence prevention.
3. Each violence prevention committee shall publish periodic guidance to faculty, staff, and students regarding the following:
   1. How to recognize and report aberrant or potentially harmful behavior that may represent a threat to the community;
   2. To whom on the college’s threat assessment team potentially threatening behavior should be reported and under which circumstances faculty and staff are required to report such behavior;
   3. Policies and procedures for the following:
      1. the assessment of individuals whose behavior may present a threat;
      2. appropriate means of intervention with such individuals; and
      3. actions to resolve potential threats, including but not limited to interim suspension, referrals to community services boards or health care providers, and medical separation to resolve potential physical threats, and notification of family members or guardians, or both, unless such notification would prove harmful to the individual in question, consistent with state and federal law. Each college shall establish policies and procedures for interim suspension and medical separation that include procedures to ensure due process.

Each college also shall establish a threat assessment team. Membership of this body shall include representatives from the following areas: student affairs, human resources, law enforcement, and a mental health representative.

The violence prevention committee may also be designated the campus threat assessment team if the counseling services representative is also a mental health professional. The threat assessment team may supplement its membership with others as necessary to assist it with fulfilling its purpose. However, in all cases, the membership of the team must comply with the requirements of Virginia law.

The threat assessment team shall invite VCCS legal counsel to provide legal advice. The team may invite other representatives from campus to participate in individual cases, but no such representative shall be considered a member of the team.

The threat assessment team shall implement the assessment, intervention, and action policies of the violence prevention committee.