By Hailey Murphy
On the morning of November 2, 2017, the AS Board gathered in Old Main 340 for their weekly meeting. Besides fixing typos, approving new committee members and discussing what’s to come in future meetings, here are the highlights.
Resource and Outreach Programs Laptop Proposal
Erick Yanzon, AS VP for Diversity, proposed using funds not to exceed $4,000 (as estimated by IT Manager Jeremy McAllister) from the AS Repair and Replacement Budget to purchase three Microsoft laptops for the following ROPs: Womxn’s Identity Resource Center, Social Issues Resource Center and Veteran’s Community Coordinator.
One laptop will be given to each office, for the use of it’s employees.
Currently, the computer equipment for ROP is insufficient for the amount of employees in these offices. Particularly for the Womxn’s Identity Resource Center, who employs four people, as well as a work study position and volunteers. Due to the structure of the room, there is no way to have more than two computers in the office, and thus students are limited on their computer access.
This is also a problem for the Veteren’s Community Coordinator, who works out of Old Main but doesn’t have a work area that meets the needs of the position.
Alexander LaVallee, AS VP for Business and Operations, posed the question of why the ROP can’t use the tablets that are available for checkout at the info desk.
Considering the limited supply of tablets, the info desk’s desire to keep them within the building, and the AS Board’s use of them for meetings, it was decided that the ROP doesn’t have consistent enough access to the tablets. There are too many people requiring access to them, particularly with the overlap of office hours within the ROP.
The motion passed with majority.
Redirection and Reaffirmation of the Non-Academic Building Fee
LaVallee proposed a motion last week to redirect $110,000 per year from the Non-Academic Building Fee to the expansion of the VU and the Bookstore, specifically for the expansion of the Multicultural Center. This $110,000 comes from a $45 fee each quarter on student tuition.
While this redirection had already been passed by the board, a change of language was needed within the document. Originally, it was stated that the student fee may be increased by the AS Board in any year. LaVallee changed this language to “increased or decreased” to ensure that the student fee be properly assessed and modified by future board members.
Resource and Outreach Programs Laptop Proposal
Erick Yanzon, AS VP for Diversity, proposed using funds not to exceed $4,000 (as estimated by IT Manager Jeremy McAllister) from the AS Repair and Replacement Budget to purchase three Microsoft laptops for the following ROPs: Womxn’s Identity Resource Center, Social Issues Resource Center and Veteran’s Community Coordinator.
One laptop will be given to each office, for the use of it’s employees.
Currently, the computer equipment for ROP is insufficient for the amount of employees in these offices. Particularly for the Womxn’s Identity Resource Center, who employs four people, as well as a work study position and volunteers. Due to the structure of the room, there is no way to have more than two computers in the office, and thus students are limited on their computer access.
This is also a problem for the Veteren’s Community Coordinator, who works out of Old Main but doesn’t have a work area that meets the needs of the position.
Alexander LaVallee, AS VP for Business and Operations, posed the question of why the ROP can’t use the tablets that are available for checkout at the info desk.
Considering the limited supply of tablets, the info desk’s desire to keep them within the building, and the AS Board’s use of them for meetings, it was decided that the ROP doesn’t have consistent enough access to the tablets. There are too many people requiring access to them, particularly with the overlap of office hours within the ROP.
The motion passed with majority.
Redirection and Reaffirmation of the Non-Academic Building Fee
LaVallee proposed a motion last week to redirect $110,000 per year from the Non-Academic Building Fee to the expansion of the VU and the Bookstore, specifically for the expansion of the Multicultural Center. This $110,000 comes from a $45 fee each quarter on student tuition.
While this redirection had already been passed by the board, a change of language was needed within the document. Originally, it was stated that the student fee may be increased by the AS Board in any year. LaVallee changed this language to “increased or decreased” to ensure that the student fee be properly assessed and modified by future board members.
The AS Board agreed to this change in language with a majority vote.
Student Enhancement Fund Charge and Charter
LaValle proposed a motion in which modifications were made to the Student Enhancement Fund Charge and Charter. Instead of the committee having two students at large, it was changed to three.
This change was made to ensure that the committee has a higher student population than faculty population. LaValle believes that there could be issues of bias within the committee. To ensure proper use of Student Enhancement Funds, more students will be involved in the committee in following years.
Info Items: Election Committees
AS President Simrun Chhabra came forward to clarify and review three different AS Election committees. These are the Election Advisory Committee, the Elections Board and the Election Appeals Panel.
The Election Advisory Committee makes recommendations on how the AS Board should hold the AS Elections. The Elections Board reviews any grievances brought forth from the student body regarding the fairness of the AS election. The Election Appeals Panel makes a final decision regarding the disqualification of a candidate, if an appeal is made by the Elections Board. These three committees coordinate to ensure a just election.
Julia Rutledge, AS VP for Activities, asked if the Election Board historically has had a hard time filling the seats.
As it turns out, the Elections Board has 12 students-at-large positions, which is unprecedented for AS committees. Never have all the seats been filled. Additionally, the Board may never meet. They’re only called together in the case of a grievance during the election.
This is a problem because at least five students need to be at the meeting, and they often have about 24 hours to get everyone together after a grievance has been filed.
“I don’t see how sustainable this is,” Yanzon, AS VP for Diversity said, in referring to the Election Board. “I don’t see the rationale behind having three bodies.”
Student Enhancement Fund Charge and Charter
LaValle proposed a motion in which modifications were made to the Student Enhancement Fund Charge and Charter. Instead of the committee having two students at large, it was changed to three.
This change was made to ensure that the committee has a higher student population than faculty population. LaValle believes that there could be issues of bias within the committee. To ensure proper use of Student Enhancement Funds, more students will be involved in the committee in following years.
Info Items: Election Committees
AS President Simrun Chhabra came forward to clarify and review three different AS Election committees. These are the Election Advisory Committee, the Elections Board and the Election Appeals Panel.
The Election Advisory Committee makes recommendations on how the AS Board should hold the AS Elections. The Elections Board reviews any grievances brought forth from the student body regarding the fairness of the AS election. The Election Appeals Panel makes a final decision regarding the disqualification of a candidate, if an appeal is made by the Elections Board. These three committees coordinate to ensure a just election.
Julia Rutledge, AS VP for Activities, asked if the Election Board historically has had a hard time filling the seats.
As it turns out, the Elections Board has 12 students-at-large positions, which is unprecedented for AS committees. Never have all the seats been filled. Additionally, the Board may never meet. They’re only called together in the case of a grievance during the election.
This is a problem because at least five students need to be at the meeting, and they often have about 24 hours to get everyone together after a grievance has been filed.
“I don’t see how sustainable this is,” Yanzon, AS VP for Diversity said, in referring to the Election Board. “I don’t see the rationale behind having three bodies.”
The Board agreed the matter would need further discussing. The motion was tabled.
University Strategic Planning Feedback
Eric Alexander, Associate Dean of Student Engagement and Director of VU Organization, and Bill Lyne, English Professor, presented their strategic plan for Western at the board meeting. Alexander and Lyne are members of the strategic planning committee, which has been drafting a strategic plan for Western.
This plan outlines the goals for the University from 2018 through 2024. These goals include providing education grounded in liberal arts and sciences, gaining an understanding of the land on which Western is built, creating an inclusive environment and providing equal opportunities for all.
The strategic plan went through a number of focus groups before coming to the AS Board. At the meeting, they were seeking the board’s opinion on the plan so they can continue to make edits. The final draft is due in December for approval by the Board of Trustees.
Among the board, one thing was clear: the language used in this plan needs to be not just inclusive, but focused.
“I’m sick of the word ‘inclusion’… We need to center the goals around these folks [underrepresented students],” said Yanzon said.
When asked to clarify, Yanzon said that thinking of underrepresented students, whatever their identity may be, is not good enough. These folks should be at the center of their attention– simply including them doesn’t do enough to allow these students to succeed.
In reply, Lyne admitted, “You’re probably never going to find that in an institutional document.”
The Board continued to discuss how the language in the document needs to be more focused on the group that their speaking on. For example, the section on sexual assault prevention should be survivor-focused. The section on indigenous lands must be focused on indigenous people.
In addition, the AS Board acknowledged the need for more cultural classes to be taken by the student body. The GUR system is meant to expand the knowledge of the student body, but that’s not always the case.
“There’s a way to get through the GUR system with- out ever challenging someone’s idea of identity and privilege,” said LaValle said.
University Strategic Planning Feedback
Eric Alexander, Associate Dean of Student Engagement and Director of VU Organization, and Bill Lyne, English Professor, presented their strategic plan for Western at the board meeting. Alexander and Lyne are members of the strategic planning committee, which has been drafting a strategic plan for Western.
This plan outlines the goals for the University from 2018 through 2024. These goals include providing education grounded in liberal arts and sciences, gaining an understanding of the land on which Western is built, creating an inclusive environment and providing equal opportunities for all.
The strategic plan went through a number of focus groups before coming to the AS Board. At the meeting, they were seeking the board’s opinion on the plan so they can continue to make edits. The final draft is due in December for approval by the Board of Trustees.
Among the board, one thing was clear: the language used in this plan needs to be not just inclusive, but focused.
“I’m sick of the word ‘inclusion’… We need to center the goals around these folks [underrepresented students],” said Yanzon said.
When asked to clarify, Yanzon said that thinking of underrepresented students, whatever their identity may be, is not good enough. These folks should be at the center of their attention– simply including them doesn’t do enough to allow these students to succeed.
In reply, Lyne admitted, “You’re probably never going to find that in an institutional document.”
The Board continued to discuss how the language in the document needs to be more focused on the group that their speaking on. For example, the section on sexual assault prevention should be survivor-focused. The section on indigenous lands must be focused on indigenous people.
In addition, the AS Board acknowledged the need for more cultural classes to be taken by the student body. The GUR system is meant to expand the knowledge of the student body, but that’s not always the case.
“There’s a way to get through the GUR system with- out ever challenging someone’s idea of identity and privilege,” said LaValle said.