The Associated Student Government is expanding its role in campus safety this year, committing to new programs and partnerships aimed at protecting students, faculty, and staff. ASG leaders are taking steps to create a safer, more supportive environment for the University of Arkansas community.
This renewed focus comes as ASG President Amanda Hux and Vice President Laney Kellybrew step into their executive roles, joined by Executive Cabinet Director of Safety Gillian Sawyer. These ASG leaders are committed to safety education and resource accessibility for students campus-wide. Their initiatives bridge policy and programming, translating safety priorities into actionable solutions, including programs for emergency preparedness and NARCAN training. NARCAN training is especially important, as it teaches participants to recognize opioid overdose and administer the life-saving drug Naloxone.
New internal safety developments include moving Sawyer and the Associate Director of Safety, Lauryn Posey, under Kellybrew’s vice presidential oversight. Kellybrew will now oversee safety programming, and she looks forward to continuing NARCAN training for all agents, as well as Safety Week and participating in It’s On Us Week. Kellybrew is also beginning to discuss plans for the Angel Shot program which will see ASG working with community partners and organizations to ensure a safer environment at the university’s main entertainment hub.
Another change this year is Sawyer’s appointment to a hazing prevention task force. Hux described Sawyer’s role on the task force as representing student perspectives as the task force enforces the Stop Campus Hazing Act. The new law requires institutions to “disclose hazing incidents that were reported to campus security authorities” or other local agencies in annual security reports.
Current safety initiatives reach many corners of campus including sexual assault prevention, drug abuse awareness, accessibility and accommodation across campus. In previous years, cabinet programs have partnered with Student Affairs departments such as the Sexual and Relationship Violence Center (SRVC) and Pat Walker Health Center programs like Substance Education, Assessment, and Recovery (SEAR). Sawyer hopes to strengthen these partnerships this year.
Title IX educational outreach is also a key objective for Kellybrew and Sawyer. In collaboration with Title IX administrators, Sawyer is leading a committee dedicated to providing accessible education and resources for the U of A community. Kellybrew noted widespread misunderstandings about Title IX and emphasized that the task force’s goal is to bring together undergraduate and graduate representatives, as well as faculty to educate their peers about available resources.
The increased implementation of preventative programs like NARCAN and fentanyl strip test training, Angel Shots and Title IX education is important to ensure the university remains a place where students feel safe to focus on academics, mental wellness, and community life.
On Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, the university experienced an active shooter threat that was later revealed to be a hoax. Hux acknowledged that the event was “emotionally taxing” and that many students continue to feel the “heaviness that came with those events.” As the student body’s representatives, ASG leadership has been addressing concerns raised after that day. Hux and other agents are bringing actionable points of discussion to administrators’ attention.
One issue that was especially concerning to students during the threat was the issue of outward-opening doors. This infrastructure aspect has been brought to the attention of Clayton Hamilton, chief administration officer for Campus Services by Hux and Kellybrew
Additional meetings have taken place with the Director of UAPD, CAPS representatives, and the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jeremy Battjes regarding how to better address emergency responses; Hux emphasizes improving student training and understanding of the “Avoid, Deny, Defend” protocols, beginning with a training session for ASG agents and other student leaders.
ASG plans to host a listening session about the Aug. 25 events, which will be open to students, faculty, and staff for an opportunity to have their concerns heard by administration. Hux wants the UArk community to know that conversations and efforts to improve our campus response to those events remain ongoing.
As ASG leaders work to expand safety programming and strengthen partnerships across campus, their efforts reflect a broader push to ensure students feel secure both inside and outside the classroom. The message remains clear: safety is a top priority for student leaders and administration.
Ava McGuire // Associate Secretary // Instagram @ava.mcguire_