Clery Geography

Where Campus Safety Reporting Applies

Under the Clery Act, colleges and universities must classify and report crimes according to specific geographic boundaries. Understanding these areas helps explain what appears in the Annual Security Report and when the University is required to issue Timely Warnings or Emergency Notifications.

On-Campus

This includes:

  • Buildings or property owned or controlled by MGA, located within or near campus, and used for educational or administrative purposes.
  • Areas used to support campus life, such as academic buildings, libraries, athletic facilities, student centers, and residence halls.
  • Buildings owned by MGA but leased or operated by another party (such as food vendors or campus retail) if they are frequently used by students and support MGA programs.

If MGA owns or controls the space and it sits within the continuous boundaries of campus, it is counted as on-campus for Clery reporting.

On-Campus Student Housing

This includes:

  • Any student housing facility that is owned or controlled by MGA, and
  • Located within the main, contiguous campus area.

Residence halls fall into this category and require separate Clery statistics in addition to the larger on-campus numbers.

Public Property

This includes public areas that are:

  • Directly next to campus (sidewalks, streets, crosswalks, public parking), and
  • Easily accessible to students and staff.
Examples:

Sidewalks bordering campus, the street in front of the campus entrance, or a city-operated parking lot adjacent to an MGA building.

Non-Campus Property

This includes:

  • Buildings or property owned or controlled by officially recognized student organizations (such as fraternity/sorority houses), and
  • Buildings or property owned or controlled by MGA that are:
    • Used to support educational purposes,
    • Frequently used by students, and
    • Located outside the main, contiguous campus area.
Examples:

A facility used for aviation training at another location, or an off-campus property regularly used for academic programs or student activities.

Why Clery Geography Matters

The Clery Act requires institutions to categorize reported crimes based on these geographic areas to ensure consistency, accuracy, and transparency in campus safety reporting. Understanding these categories helps students, employees, and families interpret safety data and better understand where incidents are occurring.