In a time of rising anti-Semitism in the U.S., the University of Utah is taking deliberate action to become a national leader in creating a positive campus climate for members of the Jewish community. A campus climate survey has been sent to all students who have self-identified as Jewish. The confidential survey takes roughly 10 minutes to complete and closes Friday, May 7, 2020.

Students should look for the survey in their Umail email accounts and/or personal email accounts. Students who identify as Jewish who did not receive the survey from Hillel for Utah and would like to participate, please email hillelutah@gmail.com and include a valid student ID in the email request.

Anti-Semitic hate crimes and bias incidents on college campuses more than tripled from 2012-2019, according to the Anti-Defamation League. These include explicit anti-Semitic incidents as well as new, more pernicious ways of targeting, isolating and demeaning students who express their Jewish identity.

As one of its core values, the University of Utah “celebrates the rich diversity of people as well as creative and intellectual traditions by being inclusive in every respect.” University leadership in partnership with Hillel for Utah have committed to engage with diverse peers and viewpoints within the community so that proactive steps may be taken that foster a positive campus climate for all students.

Faculty and staff will be invited to participate in the next phase of this initiative. Those interested in learning more now can reach out to Dean of Students Jason Ramirez or Hillel for Utah Executive Director Dana Tumpowsky.

About Hillel for Utah

Hillel for Utah is committed to enriching the lives of Utah’s Jewish students so they may in turn enrich the Jewish people and the world. Hillel International has supported Jewish life on campuses around the world for nearly a century and serves students at 550 campuses worldwide. Hillel for Utah and the University of Utah are part of Hillel International’s inaugural cohort of the Campus Climate Initiative (CCI), which partners with select campus administrations across the nation to ensure a positive environment in which Jewish students— and all students—can express their identities and values, free of harassment, hostility or marginalization.