By Chris Beswetherick
Students can make a difference at Western by being on committees. One of these is the Sustainable Action Fund (SAF) Committee, which sophomore Environmental Studies student Izzy Juell attends in order to have her voice heard.
At Western, there are several committees that take action to amend and create policies at the the Associated Students. Juell, and her peers in the committee, are students who are not AS employees. They are known as students at large. This means they represent the larger student body and speak for them at committee meetings.
These committees are responsible for meeting at least once per quarter where they voice what changes and developments they can enact in the AS. Juell attended her first committee meeting on October 12, and the board discussed how to improve their charge and charter, something they authored last year.
The Charge and Charter declares how the committee works and who makes up the committee membership. According to the document, the committee is responsible for overseeing the outcomes and operations resulting from the Sustainable Action Fund.
They review project applications, discuss long-term projects, critique the program and discuss how to better it, while also interpreting and maintaining the terms of the fund.
The committee also pondered how to involve more students. They were asked if they should be trustees for the student body, or a support for the Director of Sustainability. At the end of their meeting, they adjourned with a preview into the next meeting.
In this committee meeting, the group learned about the SAF Grant and its terms, and debated purchases by Campus Recreation Services, as well as the Green Power Purchase opportunity.
The AS announces all of these meetings on the REP section of their website. There, you can locate every committee and their meeting minutes. It is entirely open to the public, both online and in person. This site will give you everything you need to know to attend the meetings. This resource gives students the ability to make change in the campus, and take part in an inclusive group.
