By Gwen Frost
AS VP for Governmental Affairs-elect Ana Ramirez discussed the legislative agenda, including advocating to create a self-sustaining, state-sponsored loan program for undocumented students, one similar to California’s DREAMer Loan Program, as well as considering lowering the residency requirement for in-state financial aid from three years to one year, which would ensure that more undocumented students would have access to higher education at this University. “Support for Undocumented Immigrants” as a measure would also advocate for undocumented students’ right to work on campus, regardless of their DACA status.
AS President Simrun Chhabra proposed the creation of a position that would create a closer relationship between students now and alumni, a liaison of sorts. This would be a student position that could also possibly help ease the transition from undergrad to postgrad, and open up communication between students and graduates who are now in the field.
The Washington Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps low-income individuals obtain food and groceries supplementing their income with SNAP benefits. On food and security, Annie Gordon announced that SNAP benefits are to be accepted at the food mart on the bottom floor of Buchanan Towers.
The request has been submitted to the federal government., which Gordon says could take 8 months to get approved. If you use SNAP Benefits this could be allowed by the start of the next school year (2018), which means that groceries on campus could be more affordable for students with SNAP benefits, starting next year.
Annie Gordon discussed providing risk assessment for the residence halls, and has reached out to the AS personnel office to talk about Suicide Prevention Trainings. When discussing the possibility of a smoke-free campus, Chhabra indicated it was important to mitigate the impact on environment and neighborhoods around campus, as it’s possible that smokers would be driven to the periphery of campus, into neighborhood space, or the arboretum.
Recent controversial talks at Western by actress Naomi Grossman and, subsequently, free-speech advocate Jonathan Zimmerman, invoked the topic of who speaks on campus.
“How do we really check through on which speakers are coming?” Chhabra asked. She suggested possibly bringing speakers through a student senate, and allowing different colleges to propose their concerns or voice support.
The “WWU You’re In!” Facebook pages that Western provides and manages for newly accepted Western students was also discussed. People in the institution want to sustain the platforms for students to communicate and “preserve this ability to connect with the community through Facebook,” Chhabra said.
These pages help students make friends, find roommates, and discuss opportunities at Western.
“The ability to connect students in a way that allows them to build community,” Chhabra said, “but we do not have the capacity in this organization to sustain the ‘You’re In’ pages.”
Sustaining the pages requires having someone to check them daily, administer members, make sure no one is spamming the page, etc.
Students from the ESC stood and gave a statement, read by Junior Millka Solomon, who called for support from faculty, students and the University to demand that Western act transparently in the development and implementation of the multicultural center.
Forty percent of the multicultural center is being withheld from students, Solomon said, and 70 percent of the multicultural center is being funded by student fees. The student’s statement asked the University not to go in to construction of the center without involving the ESC with the plans of what will be going into that space. As majority stake holders, Solomon asked for the opportunity to communicate and implement what students of the ESC need, “not what the university thinks we need.”
“We want to be very clear that as ESC students we will not be silenced,” Solomon said , asking for impactful communication as opposed to the University using their identities as a diversity initiative. “Our existence on this campus is more than just a percentage.”
The Global Pathways Program (GPP) was next on the agenda. Chhabra vocalized concern about these diversity initiatives.
“Why is there such a focus to increase these numbers, who is this for the benefit of? Is it for the University to look more diverse?” she asked.
Hunter Eider said the purpose of the GPP is to internationalize the student body, to increase to five percent international student enrollment (Western is at one percent right now).
“They will not be taking seats from Washington state students,” Eider said.
President Sabah Randhawa showed up five minutes after the ESC gave their statement. He began his advocation for the GPP, saying that Western has one or less percent international students in the student body approaching 16,000.
“It’s not unusual to have between five up to seven or eight percent international students,” said Randhawa. He said in the past decade Western has tried to up their numbers in that category, with little to no success.
Schools like Simon Fraser in British Columbia, along with other nearby schools are also seeking third-party entities to help advance enrollment of international students. These third-parties serve “to help the University market abroad and gain students from abroad,” Randhawa said.
Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services Melynda Huskey said she was puzzled that, as an institution, we would not want international students to be part of our community.
“We live in a global world,” Huskey said. She sees the goals of both domestic and international diversity as things that needed to proceed forward hand-in-hand.
“[The GPP] in no way takes space away from any qualified Washingtonians,” said Randhawa. “We will sustain the same ratio of nonresidents to residents.”
After the GPP discussion, Gordon re-read the ESC’s earlier statement that had been read by Solomon, so that Randhawa could hear it. AS VP for Diversity Erick Yanzon gathered his things and walked out after the statement was finished.