SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's public colleges and universities are set to receive safety and security upgrades following a new report approved by the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) last Friday. The recommendations come in the aftermath of the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University (UVU) a year ago.
USHE, the entity overseeing the state's higher education institutions, approved the report and its policy changes and security upgrades, aiming to enhance safety across the entire system. Amanda Covington, USHE Board Chair, noted that leaders, law enforcement, and emergency management professionals collaborated on the report, providing "great insights and recommendations" for campus safety.
The report identifies over 25 areas for improvement across all campuses. These include the development of more standardized methods for evaluating and providing security for on-campus events, as well as better information sharing regarding pending threats. University of Utah Department of Public Safety Chief Keith Squires, who helped author the report, emphasized the opportunity for institutions to share real-time information and best practices, thereby elevating safety and security levels for communities.
Further recommendations call for improved coordination among campus policing agencies, broader community law enforcement agencies, and private security providers. Chief Squires explained that even large institutions like the University of Utah rely on bringing in personnel from other departments for major events like football games to maintain flexibility. This need for external support, he noted, extends even to more rural areas with smaller campuses.
Under the new recommendations, students and faculty will also be required to conduct regular trainings on safety and security protocols.
The USHE aims for the new system of information sharing and standardized alerts and response to benefit all institutions, recognizing that while larger universities may have more resources, smaller schools can benefit from shared expertise. USHE Commissioner Geoffrey Landward stated that various institutions already excel in certain safety practices, and these successes can now be shared across the system. Snow College President Stacee McIff welcomed the recommendations, telling FOX 13 News on Friday that a smaller school like hers, without all the resources of larger institutions, is eager to "beef up and accelerate some of the work we’re doing with campus safety."
However, during the USHE meeting where the report was presented, Salt Lake Community College President Greg Peterson raised concerns. He pointed out that some recommendations currently lack the necessary capacity or funding for implementation at his institution.
To address these resource gaps, USHE plans to seek at least $5 million from the Utah State Legislature. This funding would support the hiring of a statewide campus safety coordinator and provide security fixes for individual schools. Commissioner Landward expressed hope that the public would largely not notice significant changes, noting that if the system is working effectively, its operations often go unnoticed. He indicated that visible changes for the public would primarily involve more training and opportunities to practice safety protocols.
Last week, Utah Valley University released its own report examining the circumstances surrounding Charlie Kirk's assassination. While this UVU-specific report found some inconsistencies in law enforcement and university response, it concluded that no UVU employee or agent acted in bad faith or willful disregard for safety in the events leading up to or following the assassination.
