Utah Valley University Forms Committee To Create Charlie Kirk Memorial

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 19, 2025, 12:12 AM

utah valley university forms committee to create charlie kirk memorial

Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, the university is creating a committee to develop a memorial. Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University (UVU) on Sept. 10, 2025, the university is creating a committee to develop a memorial. The UVU Memorial Committee will be co-chaired by Scott M. Smith, UVU Board of Trustees chair and Qualtrics co-founder, and Amanda Covington, Utah Board of Higher Education chair.

The committee will include students and political leaders, among other key stakeholders. “As a committee, we will listen to community voices and carefully consider the many perspectives surrounding this memorial,” Covington said. “This is an important process, and we are committed to approaching it with thoughtfulness and respect.” UVU has received an outpouring of support, ideas, and suggestions regarding a memorial from students, faculty, staff, the community, local and national business leaders, and elected officials. The university is approaching this process with care, ensuring that community input guides the memorial’s direction. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meet at the White House.

OREM, Utah (KUTV) — Utah Valley University officials announced the creation of a new committee tasked with developing a memorial following the assassination of Charlie Kirk on campus. The committee will be co-chaired by UVU Board of Trustees Chair Scott M. Smith and Utah Board of Higher Education Chair Amanda Convington. Its members will include students, political leaders, and "other key stakeholders," according to the university. UVU said it has received an outpouring of support, ideas, and suggestions regarding a memorial from students, faculty, and the greater community. Officials said it will handle the process of creating the memorial with care.

"As a committee, we will listen to community voices and carefully consider the many perspectives surrounding this memorial," said Covington. "This is an important process, and we are committed to approaching it with thoughtfulness and respect." (Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) People visit a makeshift memorial for Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. The university announced Monday that a committee will develop an on-campus memorial. Almost two weeks after conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University speaking event, the Orem school has announced it “is creating a committee to develop a memorial.”

According to a news release Monday, the committee will be co-chaired by Scott M. Smith, UVU Board of Trustees chair and Qualtrics co-founder, and Amanda Covington, Utah Board of Higher Education chair. It is unclear if anyone else has been selected to serve on the committee. The panel will include “students, political leaders and other key stakeholders,” according to the release. Community members can share ideas and receive updates at uvu.edu/memorial. “As a committee, we will listen to community voices and carefully consider the many perspectives surrounding this memorial,” Convington said in a statement.

“This is an important process, and we are committed to approaching it with thoughtfulness and respect.” “This is an important process, and we are committed to approaching it with thoughtfulness and respect.” I imagine there will be memorials created at multiple schools in the coming year. Utah Valley University forms committee to create Charlie Kirk memorial Utah Valley University officials announced the creation of a new committee tasked with developing a memorial following the assassination of Charlie Kirk on campus. The committee will be co-chaired by UVU Board of Trustees Chair Scott M.

Smith and Utah Board of Higher Education Chair Amanda Convington. Its members will include students, political leaders, and “other key stakeholders,” according to the university. Utah Valley University has taken steps to honor Charlie Kirk, the slain political activist and Turning Point USA co-founder, with the announcement of a committee formed to develop a memorial on campus. According to KUTV, the memorial comes on the heels of Kirk's assassination during a speaking event at UVU. The committee is said to be inclusive of students, political leaders, and "other key stakeholders." The newly-established committee will be co-chaired by UVU Board of Trustees Chair Scott M.

Smith and Utah Board of Higher Education Chair Amanda Convington. Smith emphasized the collective effort, stating to ABC4, "We will coordinate with state and local officials, the family of Charlie Kirk, the wider community, the Utah Board of Higher Education, UVU’s Board of Trustees... In a separate but related event, UVU recently held a vigil with heightened security as per KSLTV. This security measure followed not just the campus tragedy, but also a recent threat of violence targeting the university made by an individual in Summit County. Despite the enforced precautions, the university encouraged attendance in the spirit of peace, reflection, and mutual support. The vigil itself saw a strong community turnout.

Nathan Holladay, a recent high school graduate who witnessed the makeshift memorial for Kirk, praised the purpose of the vigil, telling KSLTV, "We need to be able to come together, so hopefully that sense... Utah Valley University has announced plans to create a memorial in honor of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was tragically assassinated during a speaking event on campus earlier this month. The university confirmed that a special committee has been established to oversee the project and ensure it reflects the values of both the UVU community and the broader public touched by Kirk’s work. The committeee, known as the UVU Memorial Committee, will be co-chaired by Scott M. Smith, chair of the UVU Board of Trustees, and Amanda Covington, chair of the Utah Board of Higher Education. In addition to university leaders, the group will include students, faculty, political figures and other stakeholders.

Their role will be to gather input, review proposals and guide the process from concept to completion. UVU leaders noted that since Kirk’s death on September 10, the campus has experienced an outpouring of support and a flood of suggestions on how best to honor his memory. Ideas have come not only from within the university but also from business leaders, elected officials and national supporters who respected Kirk’s influence. While the exact form of the memorial has not yet been determined, possibilities include a statue, plaque, or landscaped area that allows for reflection and remembrance. University officials emphasized the importance of community involvement in shaping the memorial. They expressed their commitment to listening to diverse perspectives and ensuring the final design represents both Kirk’s legacy and the values of the institution.

The project is seen as an opportunity to bring people together during a time of mourning while also creating a lasting tribute. Kirk’s assassination has prompted discussions nationwide about how universities can better protect guest speakers and audiences during high-profile events. While details of UVU’s long-term security strategy remain under review, the memorial stands as a symbolic first step in acknowledging the impact of the tragedy. OREM, Utah – Students at Utah Valley University protested a proposed Charlie Kirk memorial as the university memorial committee reviews project plans and donations grow. Following Charlie Kirk’s death on Sept. 10, Utah Senator Daniel McCay launched a now six-figure fundraiser for a memorial to be placed on UVU campus.

In response, Utah Valley University announced the formation of a committee to review and guide the proposal. The effort has prompted discussion among students, including an organized protest on Oct. 21st by the Students for Democratic Society club. The demonstration comes after a campus observance of the National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk. About 20 students gathered in the Sorensen Courtyard Tuesday afternoon just after 2:00 p.m. to voice opposition to the proposed Charlie Kirk memorial.

Some protesters carried signs while others waved a pirate flag and played music on a large speaker, including Muse’s “Uprising”. Protesters engaged passing students in conversation throughout the afternoon, exchanging thoughts and ideas. Demonstrators cited multiple concerns about the memorial proposal, including what they described as Kirk’s divisive rhetoric, fears that a memorial could turn campus into a tourist destination rather than an educational institution, and potential... “This is a guy who constantly stirred the pot in order to advance his own career,” said Jack McNiven, co-president of the Civil Disobedience club, which is seeking university approval. “He was not a person who stood for unity…The reverence, and frankly worship being directed towards Charlie right now, is in my opinion, very disgraceful, and it’s not accurate to the way he lived...

Utah Valley University Forms Committee To Create Charlie Kirk Memorial

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