Editing University of Utah (section)

==Student life==
[[File:Student life center univ of utah.jpg|thumb|Student Life Center]]
[[File:Uofu union.jpg|thumb|right|[[A. Ray Olpin]] University Union and courtyard]]

Close to 50% of freshmen live on campus, but most students choose to live elsewhere after their first year, with 13% of all undergraduates living on campus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.obia.utah.edu/ia/cds/2015-2016/CDS_2015-2016.pdf|title=Common Data Set 2015-2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012151939/http://www.obia.utah.edu/ia/cds/2015-2016/CDS_2015-2016.pdf|archive-date=October 12, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The university is located in a large [[Salt Lake City, Utah MSA|metropolitan area]]. Many students live in the neighborhoods immediately surrounding the university. An additional 1,115 family apartments are available to students, staff, and faculty. One of the university's primary four goals for long-term campus growth is to increase student engagement through the addition of on-campus housing, intramural fields, athletic centers, and a new [[student activity center]].<ref name="plan elements">{{cite web|url=http://www.facilities.utah.edu/static-content/facilitiesmanagement/files/pdf/2008_UofU_CMP_5_Plan_Elements.pdf|title=Plan Elements (50 MB)|year=2008|work=Campus Master Plan|publisher=University of Utah|access-date=May 22, 2009|archive-date=June 10, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610094127/http://www.facilities.utah.edu/static-content/facilitiesmanagement/files/pdf/2008_UofU_CMP_5_Plan_Elements.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The current student activity center, the [[A. Ray Olpin]] University Union, is a common gathering place for university-wide events such as Crimson Nights, roughly monthly student activity nights; PlazaFest, a fair for campus groups at the start of the school year; and the Grand Kerfuffle, a concert at the end of the school year. The building includes a cafeteria, computer lab, recreational facilities, and a ballroom for special events. The Union also houses the [[Lowell L. Bennion|Lowell Bennion]] Community Service Center, CESA (Center for Ethnic Student Affairs) which provides an inclusive space for students and houses various advising programs of the Office of Equity and Diversity, the Union Programming Council which is in charge of promoting student life on campus through events like Crimson Nights, and ASUU (the Associated Students of the University of Utah), which is responsible for appropriating funds to student groups and organizations on campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asuu.utah.edu/govt |archive-url=https://archive.today/20090309210426/http://www.asuu.utah.edu/govt |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 9, 2009 |title=ASUU: Government |publisher=Associated Students of the University of Utah |access-date=May 22, 2009 }}</ref> ASUU holds [[Partisan primary|primary]] and general elections each year for student representatives, typically with 10–15% of the student population voting.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/news/candidates-fight-low-voter-turnout-1.1598515|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215033558/http://dailyutahchronicle.com/news/candidates-fight-low-voter-turnout-1.1598515|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 15, 2017|title=Candidates fight low voter turnout|last=Thompson|first=Jeremy|date=March 5, 2009|work=The Daily Utah Chronicle|publisher=University of Utah|access-date=March 22, 2009}}</ref>

Because of the large number of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|LDS Church]] members at the university, there is an LDS [[Institute of Religion]] building near main campus, as well as several LDS student groups and 46 campus [[Ward (LDS Church)|wards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ldsces.org/iws1/index.aspx?p=60611|title=Institute of Religion&nbsp;– University of Utah|publisher=[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]|access-date=May 27, 2009}}</ref> Approximately 650 students are part of 6 [[Fraternities and sororities in North America|sororities]] and 8 [[Fraternities and sororities in North America|fraternities]] at the university, most of which have chapter houses on "Greek Row" just off campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greeks.utah.edu/pageview.aspx?id=7730 |title=Welcome to Greek Row |publisher=University of Utah Greek Council |access-date=May 22, 2009 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greeks.utah.edu/|title=Greek Council&nbsp;– Office of Student Involvement|publisher=University of Utah|access-date=April 10, 2013|archive-date=January 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126143100/http://greeks.utah.edu/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The University of Utah has a [[dry campus]], meaning that alcohol is banned on campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.facilities.utah.edu/portal/site/facilities/menuitem.f3f7b0b1f50f8fe6d0f3d010c1e916b9/?vgnextoid=2021762b3055d110VgnVCM1000001c9e619bRCRD|title=Alcohol and Drug Policies|publisher=University of Utah Department of Public Safety|access-date=May 22, 2009|archive-date=June 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609173028/http://www.facilities.utah.edu/portal/site/facilities/menuitem.f3f7b0b1f50f8fe6d0f3d010c1e916b9/?vgnextoid=2021762b3055d110VgnVCM1000001c9e619bRCRD|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2004, Utah became the first state with a law expressly permitting [[Concealed carry in the United States|concealed weapons]] on public university campuses.<ref>{{cite news|agency=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18355953|title=Utah only state to allow guns at college|date=April 28, 2007|work=NBC News|access-date=May 22, 2009}}</ref> The University of Utah tried to uphold its gun ban but the [[Utah Supreme Court]] rejected the ban in 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/LegalCenter/story?id=2469016&page=1|title=University of Utah Can't Ban Firearms on Campus |last=Croft|first=Gregory T.|date=September 20, 2006|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=May 22, 2009}}</ref>