New UofU high-level position created to address 'student experience' won't oversee safety

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — With the goal of enhancing campus life for tens of thousands of students, the University of Utah has hired its first-ever "chief experience officer," a high-level position in President Taylor Randall's cabinet.

But a recurring issue that has drawn scrutiny and questions for the U—safety—is not part of the job description.

“It’s really about looking at all of the parts of the experience that students are having, streamlining it, making it better,” said Andrea Thomas, recently appointed chief experience officer.

Her role was added to “connect the dots” for students awash in loads of information.

“There’s so much available at the university," she said.

Thomas would seem well-suited for the role. She was an assistant dean in the David Eccles School of Business, and had executive positions in Walmart and The Hershey Company.

A spokesman for student government, Jack O’Leary, who said he’s had good discussions with university leaders on safety, put security “in the top five issues.”

But the university has been beset by the murders of two female students in the last four years—Lauren McCluskey and Zhifan Dong—who police said were killed by men who were once boyfriends.

In both cases, parents said the university did not do enough to protect their daughters, and the U paid a multi-million dollar settlement to the McCluskey family.

Veteran law enforcement officer Rodney Chatman was hired as chief of university police, ostensibly to make public safety changes, but Chatman was soon placed on leave, investigated for months, and cleared of any criminal misconduct.

Chatman is now suing the university, saying among other things, his proposed reforms were blocked.

“And then he was fired, and he became a scapegoat,” said his attorney, Kathleen McConkie.

“In your view, are the issues that former chief Chatman raised—that needed to be fixed—have they been fixed?” 2News asked.

“No, I don’t think so," ’McConkie replied.

Then, there was a state audit that said U housing was not making reports to police—and the University Hospital system was not reporting crime stats required by law.

While not in her direct portfolio, Thomas called safety “critically important,” and said the U has learned more and improved.

University spokespersons noted Friday the school has a chief safety officer, Keith Squires, the former commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety. Squires serves in addition to acting U Police Chief Jason Hinojosa.