Inclusive Public Safety

The Inclusive Public Safety Advisory Committee’s charge is to provide guidance to Public Safety on how to enhance their practices and policies and further foster an inclusive and equitable University community.

The Committee, which includes Public Safety representatives, will discuss issues of importance to the Columbia community and make recommendations that support inclusion and belonging on Columbia’s campuses.

Public Safety will partner with the Advisory Committee to obtain information about campus sentiment and review intended policy and practice changes to ensure that they are in alignment with the University’s stated commitments to safety, anti-racism, and the elimination of all other forms of bigotry.

Share Your Feedback

As we enter a new academic year, the Inclusive Public Safety Advisory Committee (IPSAC) invites your feedback. What makes you feel safe on campus? How can Public Safety best support you? How are campus security measures impacting you? Is there a safety issue on campus that you think has not been addressed?

The students, faculty, and staff who make up IPSAC want to hear from you. Acknowledging the unprecedented events of last spring and the ongoing presence of additional security on the Morningside campus, the Committee welcomes your feedback. Enter your UNI to access the feedback form.

More information about the Inclusive Public Safety Committee (IPSAC)

The Committee, which includes Public Safety representatives discusses issues of importance to the Columbia community and makes recommendations that support inclusion and belonging for everyone on Columbia’s campuses. Public Safety partners with the Advisory Committee to obtain information about campus sentiment and review intended policy and practice changes to ensure alignment with the University’s stated commitments to safety, anti-racism, and elimination of all other forms of anti-bigotry.

Chair: Melissa Begg
Dean, Professor of Social Work & Biostatistics, Columbia School of Social Work

Ex-Officio: Peter Cymrot
Associate General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel

Ex-Officio: Gerald Lewis
Vice President for Public Safety

Phoebe-Sade Arnold
Director, Community Affairs

Talia Bodner
Student, General Studies and Jewish Theological Seminary

Jorge Farina
Executive Director, IT and Projects, Department of Public Safety

Sandra Bernal Garcia
Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Mailman School of Public Health

Noa Fay
Student, School of International and Public Affairs 

Tara Hanna
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Student Life and Executive Director for Residential Life, Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Sandra Harris
Vice President for Community Affairs and Partnership Engagement, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Diana Hernandez
Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences, Department of Sociomedical Sciences​​​, Mailman School of Public Health

Mariam Jallow
Student, Columbia College

Maria Martinez
Student, Columbia College

Jalaj Mehta
Student, School of Engineering and Applied Science

Robert Mulvey
Student, School of General Studies

Patrick Oakley
Director, Morningside Operations, Department of Public Safety

Ixchel Rosal
Senior Associate Vice President for Student Life, University Life

Jilliene Rodriguez
Associate Dean for Diversity and Community Engagement, School of International and Public Affairs

Aandishah Samara
Student, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Kayla Stadeker
Student, School of International and Public Affairs

Tamesha Steward
Manager for Training and Development, Public Safety

Will Turner
Associate Professor of Medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center; Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Shuangyi Xu
Student, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Nour Yousry
Student, Mailman School of Public Health

Janie Zhang
Student, Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science

In 2020, Columbia’s Working Group on Inclusive Public Safety began its work, focusing on creating an inclusive and equitable campus community. As an extension of Columbia's work to fulfill its commitment on anti-racism, the group’s charge was to ​recommend concrete strategies for ensuring we have inclusive safety for all on Columbia’s campuses. The working group was comprised of students, staff and faculty from both the Morningside and Medical Center campuses who collaborated with leadership from the Department of Public Safety. Throughout Fall 2020, the working group diligently engaged the community, examined existing trainings and practices, and explored the definition of inclusive public safety. To learn more about the group, read the initial announcement.

On January 31, 2022, President Lee Bollinger announced the launch of the Inclusive Public Safety Advisory Committee (IPSAC) to continue the work with Public Safety on how to enhance their practices and policies and further foster an inclusive campus community. IPSAC remains active, and you can learn more about their recent work above.