Interim University Police and Public Safety Advisory Committee: Supersedes EM 05-007 and EM 79-018

From: Gayle E. Hutchinson, President

Subject: Interim University Police and Public Safety Advisory Committee: Supersedes EM 05-007 and EM 79-018

Upon the recommendation of the Academic Senate and the concurrence of the Provost, I approve the Interim University Police and Public Safety Advisory Committee.

INTERIM UNIVERSITY POLICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

I. POLICY

The California State University and Chico State hold campus safety, security, and wellbeing as a priority for all students, employees, and visitors on campus. Chico State recognizes and accepts the duty to identify, develop, and implement policies, programs, and procedures across all divisions of the university to meet the priority to enhance safety, security, and wellbeing. To meet this priority, the University Police and Public Safety Advisory Committee (UPPSAC) acts as an advisory body to the President and the Academic Senate Executive Committee by researching and recommending policies, programs and procedures to enhance campus safety, security, and wellbeing for all members of the campus community. The UPPSAC works to develop and promote accountability, trust, and communication between all members of the campus community, members of the Chico community, and divisions of the university working to enhance safety, security, and wellbeing on campus.

The UPPSAC proactively seeks the advice and counsel of diverse campus community members and experts in related policies, programs, and procedures to create a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment that positively impacts the safety and quality of life of our students, faculty, staff, and community.

The UPPSAC provides support and leadership for implementing recommendations across the campus using a subcommittee structure where each subcommittee focuses on policy, program, and procedure recommendations designed to meet campus safety, security, and wellbeing goals. Initial subcommittees are identified in the appendix.

II. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE UPPSAC AND SUBCOMMITTEES

Responsibilities of UPPSAC

1. provide leadership and facilitate communication between community members and the President of the University and Academic Senate Executive Committee to address matters of public safety, security, and wellbeing;

1. review and give consideration to the recommendations in the Final Report of the Presidential Task Force to Examine University Police Policies and Practices (2021) and subsequent relevant reports;
2. through examination, identify potentially inequitable, ineffective, inefficient, or harmful existing policies, procedures, and programs related to campus safety, security, and wellbeing;
3. oversee and facilitate work of UPPSAC subcommittees to meet the goals of the UPPSAC to enhance public safety, security, and wellbeing;
4. stay informed of current issues facing police throughout the CSU system, the state of California, and the nation in collaboration with the University Police Department (UPD) Chief of Police;
5. receive a monthly summary of the community focused activities of the UPD from the Chief of Police including progress on UPPSAC recommendations;
6. meet as appropriate to address critical, timely, police and public safety issues faced by the Chico State community;
7. act as a liaison with constituent groups to share information about the activities of the UPPSAC and to gain feedback and recommendations from their constituency;
8. share feedback and recommendations from relevant constituencies with the UPPSAC;
9. refer, as appropriate, concerns regarding individual university employees to the appropriate university human resources office for review.

Responsibilities of the Subcommittees

1. under the direction of the UPPSAC, through research of best practices, examine and provide recommendations for change of policy, programs, and procedures on matters of public safety, security, and wellbeing identified by the UPPSAC;
2. examine and provide recommendations on matters of equitable policing, particularly changes in policies and procedures, training and education, and recruitment, hiring, and retention practices, or matters that may impact the privacy, civil rights, or civil liberties of members of the Chico State community, or that promote a culture of care;
3. examine current policies and practices, and provide recommendations on campus structures, infrastructure, and grounds to enhance public safety and security;
4. act as liaison with constituent groups to share information about the activities of the subcommittee(s) and to gain feedback and recommendations from their constituency;
5. share feedback and recommendations from relevant constituencies with the subcommittee(s).

III. MEMBERSHIP

University Police and Public Safety Advisory Committee and subcommittee membership shall include faculty, staff, and student representatives from the divisions of Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Business and Finance, Information Technology, University Advancement, and the Associated Students (AS).

Voting Members (20-21)

• Chief Diversity Officer
• Dean of Students (or designee)
• Director, Tribal Relations (or designee)
• Associate Director, Cross Cultural Leadership Center (or designee)
• Director, WellCat Services (or designee)
• Director, Accessibility Resource Center (or designee)
• Associate Vice President, Facilities Management and Services (or designee)
• Associated Students Director of Social Justice and Equity
• Associated Students Commissioner of Community Affairs
• One student, appointed by the Associated Students
• One to two students, selected via an Associated Students nomination process, appointed by the Dean of Students
• Four faculty members, at least two who are either tenured professors (associate or full) or are lecturers with full-time, three-year unconditional appointments to the university, appointed by the Academic Senate Officers, in consultation with the Committee on Committees
• Two staff members, appointed by Staff Council
• One member of staff or faculty, appointed by the CSU Chico Labor Council
• One officer of the University Police Department, appointed by the Chief of Police
• One member of the community, appointed by the President

Student appointments will serve for one academic year, renewable. Appointed faculty and staff will serve staggered two-year terms with the ability to continue consecutive terms of service.

Non-Voting Members Staffed to the Committee (8)

• Chief, University Police Department
• Chair, Academic Senate (or designee)
• Chief of Staff to the President
• Director, Environmental Health and Safety (or designee)
• Director, Risk Management (or designee)
• Representative from the Office of Academic Personnel (OAPL)
• Director, Labor Relations and Compliance/Title IX Coordinator/DHR Administrator (or designee)
• Representative of University Communications

The committee will be co-chaired by one tenured faculty member or full-time lecturer and one student who have each served on the committee for at least one year. The co-chairs will be recommended by the committee and appointed by the President, pursuant to the CSU Campus Police and Safety Advisory Committee policy. The term of chair will commence at the beginning of each academic year, and shall be one year, renewable for up-to one year. No chair may serve for more than two consecutive years, but may return as chair after at least a one-year break in service as chair.  

Subcommittee Membership

All voting members of the UPPSAC will serve on at least one subcommittee, but no more than two subcommittees. Each subcommittee will be chaired by a voting member of UPPSAC, elected by the members of the UPPSAC. In addition to voting members of the UPPSAC, each subcommittee will be staffed by additional faculty, staff, students, and community members as appropriate for meeting subcommittee goals and structure. The subcommittees are intended to offer diverse perspectives on challenges and recommendations considered by each subcommittee, therefore, the subcommittees should seek broad and diverse representation from across the campus community. Each subcommittee must have representation from staff, faculty, and students. All subcommittee members are eligible to vote within the subcommittee.

IV. PROCEDURES

The University Police and Public Safety Advisory Committee will meet within the first 4 weeks of the fall semester each year to create a charge for the committee and subcommittees of the UPPSAC, identify chairs of each subcommittee, and develop a list of expert UPPSAC, campus, and community members for each subcommittee to support the mission of each subcommittee. Subcommittees will be convened by the Friday of the 8^th week of the fall semester. Throughout the fall semester, each subcommittee will examine concerns of public safety, security, and wellbeing, research best practices for addressing each concern, and create a written recommendation for action of the appropriate division of the university to develop policies and implement programs to address the concern. By the end of the fall semester each year, the UPPSAC will convene a meeting with the President and Academic Senate Executive Committee to present the recommendations developed in each subcommittee.

The President will consult with the Academic Senate Executive Committee to determine adoption of the UPPSAC recommendations. Adoption of recommendations offered by the UPPSAC and its subcommittees remains at the discretion and responsibility of the President of the University.

By the 12^th week of the spring semester, the UPPSAC co-chairs will convene a meeting with the President and Academic Senate Executive Committee to receive an update and discuss the annual progress toward meeting the recommendations of the UPPSAC.

In May of each academic year, the University Police and Public Safety Advisory Committee will make a report to Academic Senate with a summary of activities of the committee, community feedback, and progress on committee recommendations. Each semester, reports of the committee will be published to the committee website.

At least twice per year, preferably in spring to facilitate goal setting for the following academic year, the UPPSAC will hold public forums to facilitate feedback from the community regarding safety, security, and wellbeing.

All members of the UPPSAC will receive orientation on the expected practices and responsibilities regarding the purpose and sensitivity of the committee’s work. All committee and subcommittee chairs will receive training from appropriate campus human resource offices in how to identify and refer concerns regarding personnel to appropriate campus offices. Additionally, all chairs will receive training on how to maintain the integrity of confidentiality of the committee.

The President’s Office will assign administrative support staff to the committee. UPPSAC support staff is responsible for coordinating UPPSAC meetings, taking minutes, and maintaining the committee website, and assisting with campus communications. Subcommittees will be coordinated by each subcommittee chair.

APPENDIX

University Police and Public Safety Advisory Committee Subcommittees

• Building Transparency and Legitimacy
• Policy and Oversight
• Community Policing and Crime Reduction
• Training and Education
• Campus Wellness and Safety

To view the pdf version of EM 21-028 (PDF).