The University Of Utah: Working Toward An Inclusive Campus Culture

Press release from The University of Utah:

Mary Ann Villarreal, vice president for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, and Lori McDonald, vice president for Student Affairs

February 24, 2022

In recent weeks, our campus has endured unspeakable trauma. While we continue to heal, our resolve as the co-leaders of the President’s Commission on Equity and Belonging (PCEB) has only strengthened to ensure that our campus has an inclusive culture. 

Since we announced the Day of Collective Action on March 22, the PCEB and the appointed subcommittee have made significant progress toward finalizing the details of the day. This includes:

As the sessions, programs, and details become finalized we will share that information via these biweekly updates. 

Additionally, last week, the Office of the Dean of Students met with the ASUU Senate and continues to engage with campus groups for community input regarding the Student Code of Conduct revisions. These productive sessions continue to help Student Affairs finalize their plans for impactful revisions, and enable participants to have their voices heard. We expect to present a final proposal to the Academic Senate Executive Committee in early March, and then to the full Academic Senate shortly thereafter. 

Finally, the Racist & Bias Incident Report Team (RBIRT) has completed training for SafeU ambassadors to give presentations across our community so that students, staff, and faculty feel better equipped to use this resource, as needed. 

As a commission, we remain committed to making the U a more inclusive and welcoming community. 

This press release was produced by The University of Utah. The views expressed here are the author’s own.