AUSTIN, Texas — With tens of thousands of students set to flood the University of Texas at Austin in the coming weeks, university leaders have decided to bring back a program aimed at providing safety and clean up efforts on West Campus.
West Campus is filled with student housing and sits close to the main campus. Last year, UT introduced its West Campus Ambassadors, and due to what President Jay Hartzell calls a success, he decided to enhance the program for the upcoming fall semester.
That means there will be more ambassadors and an extension of services that will tackle the neighborhood as a whole.
UT said the team will increase from 18 members to 30.
"We're doing what we can to protect the safety and security of our students," Hartzell said during an Aug. 14 news conference.
The ambassadors are divvied up by cleaning and safety services. The tasks include keeping the streets on West Campus clean, removing graffiti around businesses and escorting students who want extra protection to and from locations.
"Having like, that safeguard, you know what I mean? I think that's really beneficial," UT student Natasha Bekti said.
The ambassadors will focus on are on Guadalupe Street, often referred to as “The Drag,” to the east; Lamar Boulevard to the west; West 29th Street to the north; and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the south, according to the university.
"Density has some, you know, city challenges with it, and so we were trying to address what looked to us like a neighborhood that wasn't honestly like it used to be," Hartzell said.
Hartzell said he took into account the comments from parents, students and business owners about what more was needed from the program
Kevin Morris Sr., who leads the cleaning team, said he's been with the program since it rolled out and calls his contribution a "big part of who I am."
"I grew up in East Austin, so to be a part and to give back, that's a big, big thing for me," Morris Sr. said. "And just being able to change or influence some of the young ones."
The safety ambassadors will be available 24 hours a day, Thursday through Sunday, and 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Wednesday. There is a hotline students can use to reach them: 512-429-3278.
The university said since August 2023, the ambassadors have:
- Escorted over 500 people safely throughout the West Campus neighborhood
- Hauled away over 30,000 pounds of trash
- Greeted and engaged with over 15,000 visitors
- Removed over 2,000 pieces of graffiti
With the increase in ambassadors, Morris Sr. said he and his team hope to create a safe and vibrant environment for students.
"What we are to do is here to motivate, support, encourage and of be that beacon of light or that that that entity that you guys can lean on if [students] need it," Morris Sr. said.
The program is currently up and running, and the university is still looking to hire more ambassadors.