USHE Campus Safety and Equity Advisory Council - Utah System of Higher Education

USHE Campus Safety & Equity Advisory Council

The Campus Safety & Equity Advisory Council was formally established by the Utah Board of Higher Education in November 2021 to capture the student voice on issues related to safety and equity at public Utah colleges and universities across the state. CSEAC serves as an organized feedback group of students from diverse backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences to ensure institutional and state-level safety and equity-related policies, procedures, and programs successfully capture the student perspective.

The council advises the Board of Higher Education and engages with policymakers, leaders, organizations, and other student groups across the state. CSEAC is committed to providing honest feedback, recommendations, and student insight and advocates for the well-being, safety, and equity of each student across the state. The council’s feedback and recommendations are focused on ensuring Utah students, including those who have historically been underserved or under-represented such as undocumented, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and first-generation students, have a safe and equitable experience throughout their time at Utah colleges and universities, focusing on areas including (in no particular order):

Equity, inclusion, and belonging
Physical safety
Campus law enforcement
Sexual harassment
Sexual assault
Discrimination
Emergency procedures and protocols
Community involvement with safety
Mental health
Accessibility
Affordability
Admissions
Sports teams
Student resources
Scholarships, funding, and financial aid

Charter

USHE Campus Safety and Equity Advisory Council Charter

Application

Application to join the USHE Campus Safety & Equity Advisory Council

Any enrolled student within a USHE institution, either degree-granting or technical college, may apply.

Documents required to apply:

Statement of interest
Resume
Letter of recommendation

*Applicants will be appointed for a term that ends June 30, with the option to complete 1 additional term assuming continued enrollment and active participation.

The council relies heavily on the members’ personal experiences and insights. Council members are selected for their ability to convey the unique perspectives and understandings that come from their own experiences and histories, as well as demonstrated awareness of the peers they associate with who may or may not be college students.

A $1,000 scholarship is available to council members to help offset the cost and time students devote to the work of the council. Meetings are held approximately once per month (September, October, November, January, February, March, and April). Each council member is required to attend 7 meetings to maintain the scholarship and participation in the council. A few alternative meetings will be offered as needed for students who cannot attend the regularly scheduled council meetings. Council members can expect to spend between 4-5 hours per month dedicated to their work on the council.

CSEAC consists of up to 16 council members and one chair (the Utah Board of Higher Education Degree-Granting Student Board Member). USHE strives to ensure each USHE degree-granting institution has two students on the council. However, if no qualified applicants apply from an institution, USHE reserves the right to fill vacancies with candidates from any of Utah’s other colleges and universities.

Council Members

The council may have up to 17 students from USHE degree-granting institutions (including the degree-granting student Board member chair).

Current council members are:

– Xitlalli Villanueva, Weber State University (Chair)

– Tiffany Chan, University of Utah (Vice Chair, returning member)

– Lindsay Simons, Salt Lake Community College (returning member)

– Reed Hammond, Southern Utah University

– Ta’Mariah Jenkins, Utah State University-Logan

– Isamar Jimenez, Utah State University-Logan

– Que Begay, Utah State University-Blanding

– Alayne Jenkins, Utah State University-Eastern (returning member)

– Laiza Moreno, Utah Tech University (returning member)

– Alejandra Henriquez Roncal, Utah Tech University

– Nahjae Malone, Utah Tech University

– Aarushi Rohaj, University of Utah (returning member)

– Melody Sadrin, University of Utah

– Daira Rodriguez, Utah Valley University

– Julyssa Lopez, Westminster College (returning member)

– Colette Mortensen, Weber State University (returning member)

– Ruby Vejar, Weber State University

Previous Council Recommendations

During council meetings, members discuss the various topics within the scope of the charter. These discussions provide insights, key learnings, recommendations, ideas, etc. that are used to inform the Board, the Commissioner’s office, and our institutions. Here are summaries of previous council meeting takeaways.

Connect with and Contact CSEAC

Each council member, including the chair and vice chair, bears the responsibility to represent students across USHE and the state of Utah. The council welcomes any input, ideas, issues, concerns, etc., held by students on items related to those listed in the charter.

If you’d like to connect to a council member(s), or if you’d like to pass along any information, feedback, ideas, etc., please use this contact form. If you are a student, please specify which institution you attend in the body of your message.

USHE Campus Safety & Equity Advisory Council

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