By Kristen Mitchell
Darrell Darnell, senior associate vice president for safety and security, is encouraging students to apply for the new Student Advisory Board (SAB), aimed at building bridges between campus police officers and the student body. The SAB will meet every month to address student concerns about university police policies and procedures.
The SAB will be made up of eight to 12 undergraduate and graduate students representative of the student body. Once it launches, the board will be student-led. Mr. Darnell said he wants student members to drive conversations and determine the agenda throughout the year.
“I want to give the students a voice where they can come directly to me with their safety and security concerns,” he said. “I also want to use it as an educational platform so that we have another vehicle for educating students on what we do, why we do it, how we do it, and how we are doing things to impact the student experience in a positive manner.”
The SAB will be advised by two representatives from GW Police and one representative from Enrollment and the Student Experience. The SAB initiative was announced earlier this year alongside a reorganization of the Division of Safety and Security.
“I think that if students fully participate in it, and they see it as a value, that to me will determine success,” Mr. Darnell said. “When students are involved, that’s when we are the most successful.”
Applications for the SAB are available now. Advisers plan to select members of the board by mid-September and hold the first board meeting by the end of the month. Anyone with questions about the application can find more information on the Safety and Security website.
