BYU Public Management Professor Appointed to State Civil Rights Committee

PROVO, Utah — Jan 24, 2007 — Brigham Young University assistant professor of public management Chyleen Arbon was recently appointed by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to a two-year term on its Utah Advisory Committee.

“I feel very privileged to be able to serve in a capacity where I can work with others to address discrimination,” Arbon says. “This appointment goes hand-in-hand with my current research on promoting equity in the public sector.”

The commission is charged with monitoring and investigating issues relating to “discrimination or a denial of equal protection of the laws under the Constitution because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice.” They appraise federal laws and policies; issue public service announcements; and submit findings and recommendations to the president and Congress.

“This appointment is recognition of how highly respected Chyleen Arbon is in administrative and policy circles in Utah and nationally. Her experience in working as an analyst for the Utah State Legislature pays off not only in the classroom and in her research but also in her sound policy advice,” says Romney Institute of Public Management Director Gary Cornia.

Arbon joins the state committee in time for its discussion of civil rights issues affecting American Indians in Utah, which is part of a multi-state regional project addressing discrimination against American Indians. The committee will consider education, law enforcement, economic development and health care concerns and review presentations by elected officials, tribal leaders, educators, attorneys and community leaders.

As a member of the state advisory committee, Arbon will assist the commission with its fact-finding, investigative and information dissemination functions. She will serve without compensation as a special government employee.

Additional topics before the nationwide commission include elementary and secondary school desegregation, No Child Left Behind, domestic wiretapping in the war on terror and Title IX athletics.

The Romney Institute of Public Management was named in 1998 for three-term Michigan Governor George W. Romney. Part of Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management, the Romney Institute offers a master’s degree in public administration through both pre-service and executive programs. The Romney Institute has a long tradition of preparing young people for careers in public service and is dedicated to educating men and women of faith, character and professional ability who will become outstanding managers and leaders in public and nonprofit institutions worldwide.