The Associated Students of Madison has encountered problems with the cooperation of university administration in efforts to revive the Campus Safety Advisory Board, a shared governance committee intended to focus on campus student safety concerns.
Student representatives announced at ASM's Campus Safety press conference Tuesday that the advisory board will be implemented next semester after a rash of violent crimes and sexual assaults in the downtown Madison and campus areas this semester, including the two recent sexual assaults of UW-Madison students.
The advisory board, which is supposed to be a committee with responsibility shared by students and administration, has remained dormant throughout the year despite recent crimes near and on campus.
According to ASM Campus Relations Chair and UW-Madison junior Christie Penn, there has been little response from university administration despite ASM efforts to revive the board. ASM has attempted to touch base with administration since the beginning of the semester, when ASM first introduced safety initiatives, but there has been a lot of ""beating around the bush,"" according to Penn.
Penn said there seems to be a lack of leadership by Lavar Charleston, administrator for the advisory board and a UW-Madison dean of students who specializes in student advocacy and judicial affairs.
""The leadership wasn't there on behalf of the dean of students office, we had people attempt to meet with them several times,"" Penn said. ""We've been having a lot of resistance from the office that way.""
Charleston did not return repeated phone calls as of press time.
Kelly Arendt, current ASM campus safety intern and UW-Madison sophomore, said ASM intends for the advisory board to effectively come up with a plan to prevent crime on campus, rather than simply respond to it.
ASM hopes once the advisory board is up and running, it will be able to evaluate ongoing student efforts to minimize crime on campus, and avoid an abundance of related student safety programs, according to Penn.
Arendt said ASM's focus on campus safety for this semester was to research and discuss safety issues with other student organizations, such as Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment, a group devoted to preventing sexual assault on campus, the Roosevelt Institution, a student think tank focused on state politics, and fraternities and sororities as part of the Langdon Street Watch Program.
ASM also plans to extend the neighborhood watch program currently in place on Langdon Street and to offer free self-defense classes for men and women at the Southeast Recreation Facility and Natatorium.
