Programs Involving Minors

• UT System Safety Policy 0575 - Programs for Minors
• UT Martin Policy

Covered Adults Designations and Decision Trees

• Faculty and Staff
• Students
• Volunteers

Action Steps for Covered Programs

Step #1

Identify all individuals who are considered Covered Adults, including the Program Director or Event Organizer, and confirm they are listed in IRIS (as either an active employee or an active Friend-Volunteer of the University).

For those Covered Adults who are not employees, you must enter them as a Friend-Volunteer of the University in IRIS. This will ensure a personnel number is created, which is required and allows for better tracking. Please DO NOT enter them as Guest Travelers.

Step #2

The Program Director should complete the online Program Registration form.

All relevant event information and Covered Adults should be included as part of the registration process.

Notes:

• The Program Director (or designee) must submit an Program Registration form (either online or paper copy) at least 30 days prior to the event to allow appropriate time for review, training, and appropriate checks.
• If the sponsor of a Covered Program is not a University Unit, the Program Director shall require the sponsor to sign an Indemnification form. A copy should be forwarded to the Chief Business Officer/ Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration and the Designated Official.

Step #3

Each Covered Adult will be required to have a background check completed and on file with HR with the appropriate package type. This check is valid for 4 years.

The Program Director is responsible for ensuring all Covered Adults have completed this requirement. Contact Human Resources for information and directions on completing the appropriate background checks.

Each Covered Adult must complete the required training. This training is valid for 2 years.

The required “Child Protection Training for Covered Adults” is an online training module in K@TE, the learning management system. The Program Director is responsible for ensuring all Covered Adults have completed this requirement.

All training must be completed with a final score of at least 70%. To access the required training, please use the link below and sign in using your NetID and password. http://kate.tennessee.edu/

Step #4

Included with the K@TE training, each Covered Adult must read and sign the Mandatory Reporting Law form, which is submitted to the Designated Official.

Also, the Program Director should create a version of the Standards of Conduct for Covered Adults form and distribute it to all Covered Adults. Likewise, the Program Director should create a Standards of Conduct for Minors and distribute those to involved Minors. Program Directors should also determine the appropriate Medical Release form, distribute that to Minor’s parents and guardians. These forms do not need to be submitted to the Designated Official, but the Program Director does need to maintain a copy of these completed forms for their records.

Step #5

Registration Complete! Once the Designated Official has approved the program, the Program Director is then responsible for ensuring all Covered Adults are complying with the policy to be verified by the Designated Official.

• If you have any questions about the Minors on Campus policy or need information, please email the Designated Official, Lt. Chad Worley, at cworley@utm.edu.
• If you have any questions about Background Checks, please contact Human Resources at (731)881-7845.
• If you have questions about the training, contact the Designated Official at cworley@utm.edu. If you are having issues with the K@TE platform, please contact  AskKate@tennessee.edu or review the Help section on the K@TE website, Help Topics · K@TE (tennessee.edu)

• Appendix A: Program Registration Form
• Appendix B: Mandatory Reporting Law Form
• Appendix C: Authorization for Self-Administration of Prescription Medication
• Appendix C: Medical Information and Medical Treatment Release and Authorization Form
• Appendix C: Medical Treatment Authorization and Release Form
• Appendix D: Indemnification and Hold Harmless Form
• Appendix E: Standards of Conduct for Covered Adults
• Appendix F: Standards of Conduct for Minors

Note

These forms, once completed, will automatically submit to the Designated Official

Appendices C, E, and F do not need to be returned to the Designated Official. The Program Director must maintain a copy of these completed forms.

Appendix D only needs to be completed when the sponsoring organization is not affiliated with the University.

You will need to contact the Designated Official, Lt. Chad Worley at cworley@utm.edu

Each Covered Adult must complete:

• The child protection training
• Have an approved background check
• Sign and submit the form, “Tennessee Law on Mandatory reporting of Child Abuse or Child Sexual Abuse”

The sponsor of the Covered Program must sign the required indemnification agreement (Appendix D) and submit the form to the campus CBO and Designated Official.

The objective of this policy is to promote a safe environment for minors by fostering a University culture that is committed to preventing, recognizing, reporting, and addressing child abuse and child sexual abuse. The background check will help to ensure the safety of our employees, students, and visitors.

The average turnaround time after we submit the background check request (following receipt of consent from the Covered Adult) is 72 hours. Background may take longer depending on several factors: number of aliases, number of prior residences, and the speed of the reporting agency. For these reasons, please allow at least one to two weeks of processing time for each background check.

Human Resources will conduct all background checks. Please contact HR for background checks or questions about them.

Background checks shall be repeated no less frequently that every four (4) years.

Background information will be regarded as confidential and protected against unauthorized disclosure. Information shall not be released or otherwise disclosed to any person or agency, except to persons who need to know this information in order to make a determination regarding employment.

Yes. All training must be completed with a final score of at least 70%. To access the required training:

1. Log into K@TE.
2. Search for “Child Protection Training for Covered Adults” in the upper-right search field.
3. Click “Request.”
4. Begin your training!
   • Be sure to allow popups.
   • If you get a Javascript error window, close it.

Individual UT Employees

Complete the “Child Protection Training for Covered Adults” online training module in K@TE, the learning management system

External Users (including volunteers, contractors, students, student workers and grad students)

Access Child Protection Training for External Users. Be sure to know the name of your program/program affiliation and the program director’s name.

The Program Director is responsible for ensuring that all Covered Adults have a completed background check and training prior to interacting with minors. The Program Director should work with the Designated Official and Human Resources regarding the workflow status of their event registration form.

You will need to contact the Designated Official at cworley@utm.edu or (731)881-7776. All events that involve minors with a UT sponsoring department must be registered with the Designated Official. If an event is near the starting date or already underway, the Designated Official will determine is the policy requirements can be addressed. If not, the Designated Official may instruct the Program Director to cancel the event to include notifying the appropriate dean or vice chancellor.

Not necessarily. Any background check results that include a criminal history will be evaluated by the Designated Official, Human Resources, and General Counsel on a case-by-case basis. The Designated official and/or HR will notify the Program Director of any applicant that has been denied participation, but will specific information related to the criminal history will not be shared.

Yes, anyone participating as a covered adult must be recorded in IRIS. For those individuals that are not employees, they must be listed as a Friend of the University for Risk Management purposes.