Supporting Clery Act Compliance
- Important note: Audiebant does not claim to make an institution Clery Act compliant. Audiebant provides emergency communication systems that support alignment with Clery Act emergency notification and timely warning requirements. Legal compliance remains the responsibility of each institution.
- Last Updated: 21 January, 2026
What is Clery Act?
The Clery Act is a U.S. federal law that requires colleges and universities participating in federal financial aid programs to disclose campus crime information and maintain clear emergency communication procedures.
Formally known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the law is named after Jeanne Clery, who was killed in a campus crime in 1986. The Act is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.
The Clery Act focuses on transparency, preparedness, and rapid communication during serious or ongoing threats to campus safety.
A core requirement of the Clery Act is the ability to issue:
- Emergency Notifications for immediate threats to health or safety
- Timely Warnings for ongoing or continuing threats
- Clear instructions to students, staff, and campus visitors
- Consistent communication across buildings and outdoor areas
Audiebant provides real-time, multi-channel emergency communication designed for higher education campuses and complex environments.
Emergency Notification vs Timely Warning
- Evacuation: the process of getting people safely out of the premises
- Invacuation: the process of bringing people safely into, or to safer parts of the premises
- Lockdown: the process of securing the premises to prevent individuals entering or leaving the premises, e.g. to restrict or prevent entry by an attacker by locking doors, closing shutters or using available barriers
- Communication: the process of alerting people on the premises to the danger, e.g. providing instructions to remain in place or move away from any danger
How Audiebant supports this
The Clery Act distinguishes between emergency notifications for immediate threats and timely warnings for ongoing or continuing threats. Institutions must be able to issue both, using clear and consistent communication methods.
Key capabilities include:
- Campus-wide emergency notification without delay
Rapidly issue emergency notifications across buildings and outdoor spaces when there is an immediate threat to health or safety. - Timely warning communication
Deliver clear, consistent messages for ongoing or continuing threats, aligned with Clery Act timely warning expectations. - Multi-channel delivery
Reach students, staff, and visitors through audio announcements, visual displays, and digital notifications. - Zoned and targeted messaging
Send specific instructions to residence halls, classrooms, athletic facilities, or defined campus areas. - Rapid activation and control
Authorized users can activate and update messages from mobile or desktop systems.
Communication Requirements
The Clery Act requires institutions to have the capability to notify the campus community without delay upon confirmation of a significant emergency or dangerous situation.
Common communication expectations include:
- Immediate emergency notifications when a serious threat exists
- Clear and understandable instructions for protective actions
- Communication that reaches students, employees, and visitors
- Multiple delivery methods to avoid reliance on a single channel
- Regular testing and training of emergency notification systems
- Documentation of procedures and system use
Emergency communication should not rely on a single channel such as mobile alerts alone. Institutions must be able to reach people indoors and outdoors, including classrooms, residence halls, libraries, athletic facilities, and public spaces.
Who does it affect?
The Clery Act applies to:
- Public colleges and universities
- Private colleges and universities
- Community colleges
- Technical and vocational institutions
- Any institution participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs
Coverage includes on-campus property, non-campus property, and certain public areas near campus, as defined by the Act.
Why act now?
Clery Act enforcement is ongoing, and penalties for noncompliance can be significant, including fines and loss of federal funding eligibility.
Common challenges institutions face include delayed emergency notifications, inconsistent messaging across campus, over-reliance on mobile alerts, gaps in indoor and outdoor coverage, and insufficient testing or training.
Audiebant supports higher education institutions with scalable emergency communication systems that improve response speed, clarity, and campus-wide reach.
Ready to get ahead?
Audiebant helps colleges and universities design and deploy reliable emergency communication systems that support Clery Act emergency notification and timely warning expectations.