Transcribed from a recording by Josh Hughes
- AS VP for Governmental Affairs Ana Ramirez opened by speaking about the legislative agenda. She noted that few students had signed up for Lobby Day, and that the committee was planning on extending the deadline to January 9, five days before Lobby Day. The board approved the finalized language for the Lobby Day agenda, with the exception of a bullet point under Support for Undocumented Students. Victoria Matey, AS Ethnic Student Center Internal Coordinator, updated the language, and the board considered this stronger than the original sentence.
- AS VP for Activities Julia Rutledge spoke about the AS Communications Committee’s charge and charter, explaining that the charge and charter changes had already been looked over by the Communications Committee. Because new positions had been added to the AS, the charge and charter decided to add new positions. Because of this, every office will now have a publicity coordinator sitting on the committee.
- AS VP for Business and Operations Alex LaVallee talked about the Communications Office equipment proposal, a proposal to replace and add equipment to make live streaming more accessible on campus for AS or any events that need live streaming. A second proposal requested a new Surface Pro for the Communications Office so that student employees did not need to use their personal computers. AS VP for Diversity Erick Yanzon explained that previously the former KVIK coordinator owned the equipment himself, and asked if videographers in the future would need to learn the Surface Pro equipment. The board ultimately decided that there were too many unanswered questions in the proposals, and LaVallee concluded that he would find more information on previous live streams before bringing the proposal back to the board.
- AS President Simrun Chhabra brought up a discussion on student free speech in relation to the Jonathan Zimmerman talk that occurred on campus. The board had been sent an email from a protestor at the event who received a notice that they had violated the student conduct code. The student was largely disappointed in how the university handled first amendment rights in that specific space. AS VP for Student Life Annie Gordon talked about how there were two different issues at hand to be talked about: supporting the individual students going through the problem, and the board responding to a student that spoke peacefully that could still be disciplined. Yanzon talked about trying to keep the AS accountable when bringing speakers to campus that might not align with student values. Club Hub Program Advisor Casey Hayden talked about the importance of providing more awareness on campus about how to do free expression within the school’s guidelines. Gordon brought up the idea of the board making a statement about free speech versus hate speech. The board ultimately decided to not act upon anything at the moment, but continue the conversation at a later meeting.
- LaVallee stated that he and AS VP for Academics Hunter Elder had attended a Student Technology Fee renewal committee meeting that addressed improving the printing quota. He said that the board would son receive a list of the proposals brought up in the meeting.
- Rutledge reported that in a Student Publications Council Meeting, the committee had voted to end publication of Western Weekend because no one picked it up on campus.
- Gordon reported that she and Rutledge were trying to find funding through the AS for the on-campus food pantry.