University Safety Committee

Purpose or Function: The University Safety Committee assists the campus community by recommending uniform environmental, health and safety, risk management, and emergency management program guidelines. The primary functions of the committee are to a) work to ensure that environmental, health and safety, risk management, and emergency management considerations are integrated and embedded into all university functions, processes, and activities; (b) make assessments of environmental, health and safety, risk management, and emergency management needs; (c) provide the organization and impetus to facilitate integration of sound environmental, health and safety, risk management, and emergency management practices; (d) develop environmental, health and safety, and risk management rules and standard operating procedures to comply with laws and policies; and (e) provide guidance and advice to senior administration on mitigating, planning, responding to, and recovering from emergencies affecting the campus community and disseminating emergency preparedness information. Committee members are also responsible for disseminating emergency preparedness information to the constituents that they represent.

The committee will work with other university groups (e.g., Green Team, Facilities Use Committee) to address specific issues or concerns.  This will be accomplished through temporary ad hoc subcommittees comprised of members from the University Safety Committee, other recognized university groups, and the campus community at large.

Membership:

The committee will be chaired by the Director of Environment, Health and Safety.  The committee membership is comprised of the following:

  • One (1) representative from each of the following academic units appointed by dean/director: College of Business, College of Education & Human Development, College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts, College of Nursing & Health Sciences, College of Science, School of Arts, Media, & Communication, Mary and Jeff Bell Library, and College of Graduate Studies.
  • One (1) representative from each of the following Student Engagement & Success units appointed by the division vice president: University Counseling Center, University Health Center, Disability Services, Islander Housing, University Center, and Recreational Sports.
  • One (1) representative from each of the following units appointed by the unit supervisor:
    • Employee Development & Compliance Services
    • Facilities Services
    • Centers & Institutes
    • College of Science Operations
    • Human Resources
    • Information Technology
    • Intercollegiate Athletics
    • iCat
    • Marketing & Communications
    • Research and Innovation
    • Research Engagement
    • University Registrar
  • One (1) representative from each of the following bodies appointed by the body
    • Student Government Association
    • Staff Council
  • The Chief Compliance Officer and University Chief of Police will serve as voting ex-officio members.
  • The Administrative Associate for the Environmental, Health and Safety department will serve as the committee secretary in a non-voting ex-officio capacity.

Appointed members of the committee serve three-year renewable terms (with exception of student representatives who serve 1-year terms).

Chair: Environmental, Health and Safety Director

Responsible University OfficialAssociate Vice President for Operations

University Safety Committee Members
Name Unit Represented Term End

Freddy Sustaita

Environmental, Health and Safety (Chair)

N/A

Marvarene Oliver

College of Graduate Studies

May 31, 2026

Vacant

College of Business

May 31, 2025

Tammy Walker-Smith

College of Nursing & Health Sciences

May 31, 2024

Ronald Snarr

College of Education and Human Development

May 31, 2025

Jeffrey Turner

College of Science

May 31, 2025

Dugan Um

College of Engineering and Computer Science

May 31, 2025

Eric Moore

College of Liberal Arts

May 31, 2026

Jonathan Durham

School of Arts, Media, & Communication

May 31, 2026

Roxanne Singsaas

Mary & Jeff Bell Library

May 31, 2024

Tammy Walker-Smith

University Counseling Center

May 31, 2025

Shelley Martinez-Lopez

University Health Center

May 31, 2025

Joseph Hayen

Disability Services

May 31, 2026

John Lauer

Islander Housing

May 31, 2026

Rick Reyes

University Center

May 31, 2026

Kevin Martin

Recreational Sports

May 31, 2026

Emily Delaune

Student Government Association

May 31, 2024

Trennon Cavanagh

Staff Council

May 31, 2024

Gina Concannon

Centers & Institutes

May 31, 2025

Joe Miller

Research Engagement

May 31, 2026

Kristie Diaz

Employee Development & Compliance Services

May 31, 2026

Jennifer Escamilla

Human Resources

May 31, 2026

Luisa Butler

Marketing & Communications

May 31, 2026

Missy Chapa

University Registrar

May 31, 2026

Eric Schultz

Intercollegiate Athletics

May 31, 2025

Shane Gleason

iCat

May 31, 2026

David Ramcharan

Information Technology

May 31, 2026

Scott Meares

Facilities Services

May 31, 2025

Vacant

Research and Innovation

May 31, 2024

Philip Spreen

College of Science Operations

May 31, 2025

John LaRue

Chief Compliance Officer (ex-officio)

N/A

Alan Gutierrez

University Police Department (ex-officio)

N/A

Lori Barrera

Environmental, Health and Safety Administrative Associate (secretary)

N/A

 Last Updated: 03/27/2024