USHE Campus Safety & Equity Advisory Council

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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

Applications are due by 11:59 pm on Friday, June 9, 2023.

Application to join the USHE Campus Safety & Equity Advisory Council

Applicants must be current matriculated students at USHE degree-granting institutions and must remain enrolled at their current institution for Fall semester 2023 and Spring semester 2024.

2023- 2024 vacant council seats are available for students from:

  • Salt Lake Community College
  • Snow College
  • University of Utah
  • Utah Tech University

 

The entire council will turn over at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Applicants from all eight USHE degree-granting institutions will be able to apply for the 2024-2025 cycle opening in Spring 2024.

Documents required to apply:

  • Statement of interest (written or recorded audio or video)
  • Reference (contact information for a staff member or faculty member at your college or university is willing to recommend you for this council)

 

After an initial review of application documents, candidates who submitted a complete application may be invited to participate in a virtual interview with one or more members of the review committee. The virtual interview will be recorded and submitted to the entire selection committee for review and consideration.

Applicants selected to join the council will be required to serve one term (Fall 2023 and Spring 2024).

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 seven 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 are expected to adequately prepare for each meeting by research relevant resources on their campus and talking to staff, faculty, and student stakeholders to glean other insights from members of the campus community.

CSEAC consists of up to 8 council members and one chair (the Utah Board of Higher Education Student Board Member). USHE strives to ensure each USHE degree-granting institution has one student on the council. However, if no qualified applicants from an institution apply, USHE reserves the right to fill vacancies with a candidate from another institution.

The council may have up to 9 students from USHE degree-granting institutions (including the degree-granting student Board member chair).

Check back for information about the 2023-2024 council members.

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.

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.