First-ever statewide student safety forum takes place at University of Utah

(KUTV) — The first-ever statewide forum on student safety that discusses critical safety topics impacting students is taking place at the University of Utah.

The event is at the U of U Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House and sponsored in partnership between the Utah System of Higher Education Board of Regents and university.

'Harris H. Simmons, Chair of the USHE Board of Regents, said in a prepared statement:

Student safety and wellness is a primary concern for all of us in higher education and it must be addressed at every level to ensure our students can focus on what they came to college to do—learn. We are all too aware of how safety and wellness directly impact the students we serve, and it is our hope that the USHE Student Safety Forum will be a catalyst in identifying solutions on our campuses.

Amid growing concerns of student safety and wellness on national and local campuses, the USHE Board of Regents is working to better understand the campus safety landscape and concerns of students to ensure campuses are safe places for learning.

To date, the USHE Board of Regents has worked in several key areas including:

• Gathering data on the state of mental health of Utah’s public college and university students.
• Launching the SafeUT app at all public colleges and universities in the state.
• Forming the Regents’ Mental Health Advisory Committee to continue improving student safety and wellness on campuses.

The U of U is among higher education institutions in Utah that have experienced tragic safety-related events in recent years, leading to a systemwide interest in improvements.

A critic of the university, Jill McClusky, mother of slain university student Lauren McCluskey, has said the higher education institution failed to protect her daughter after she called campus police more than 20 times in the days leading up to her death.

She and her husband are suing the university in a $56 million civil rights lawsuit after their daughter was shot seven times and murdered on campus in October 2018 by Melvin Rowland, a man she briefly dated.

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Incidents such as the McCluskey murder that took place on campus has led to major investments in personnel, training, educational efforts, policies and infrastructure, according to a press release.

The university recently hired the first chief safety officer and is adopting numerous student recommendations, such as consolidating evening class locations and offering a no-charge, on-demand evening ride service.

The USHE Student Safety Forum will drive conversations in the areas of:

• Title IX
• Mental Health
• Healthy Relationships
• Public Safety

Remarks will be given by the University of Utah President Ruth V. Watkins, USHE Board of Regents Chair Harris Simmons, student body presidents, campus experts, and others.