AS Executive Board update graphic PJ Heusted // AS Review
By PJ Heusted
The Associated Students Executive Board met on Friday, Jan. 29 for their fourteenth meeting of the 2020-21 academic year.
Black Student Organization Demand Updates
VP for Diversity Ranulfo Molina shared that the hiring committee for the BSO Coalition Development Specialist is setting up interviews with candidates.
Senate Pro-tempore Sargun Handa shared that she is working on a survey to send out to the student body about the proposed Power, Liberation, Equity and Justice GUR change.
Handa also shared that the two students appointed to the Legacy Review Task Force are AS Personnel Director Kaylan Rocamora and Senator for the College of the Environment Laura Wagner.
VP for Governmental Affairs Nicole Ballard shared that the Council of Presidents proposed an amendment to SB 5227, a bill that would mandate DEI training for faculty, staff and students at colleges and universities, that would remove the bulk of the requirements in the bill. She said that there has been pushback against the bill, but these amendments particularly disappointed her.
Summer Quarter Fees
Vice Provost for Outreach and Continuing Education Robert Squires and Executive Director of Budgeting and Planning Faye Gallant spoke as guests to receive feedback from the board regarding the fee structure for summer quarter.
The OCE is currently considering the use of three separate fee structures: one for the Bellingham campus, one for summer sessions at other Western campus locations and one for separate programs that already use separate fee structures.
AS President Abdul Malik Ford asked if there were estimates for summer enrollment for this year. Squires shared that last year Western saw a record high in enrollment with a 20-30% increase and about 4000 students attending, but he was unsure if this year would be similar.
AS Finance Council Value Statement
Handa shared a value statement created by the AS Finance Council as a clearly defined statement of their core values. Handa said that the document will not be sent out to the student body but will be used to maintain accountability in the decisions made regarding AS spending and budgeting.
Abolishing the Federal Lobbying Trip
In order to address the second BSO demand, Handa suggested beginning the process of officially abolishing the board’s federal lobbying trip and reallocating the funds budgeted for it to the Black Student Coalition.
Molina suggested putting those funds into a budget for the future BSO Coalition Development Specialist to give them a starting budget for the year.
No formal changes were made during the meeting and future conversations need to be held in order to plan how to move the funds from the AS Executive Board to either a temporary holding account to be given to the BSO that is not currently a part of the AS.
Western Intersectional Lobby Day [WILD] Agenda
Student Advocacy and Identity Resource Center [SAIRC] Representation and Outreach Coordinator Mariam-Renee Wolters spoke as a guest to share the drafts from the SAIRC, Disability Outreach Center [DOC] and Ethnic Student Center [ESC] for the WILD agenda.
The SAIRC portion of the agenda contains six items: Supporting Students’ Basic Needs, Creating Successful and Stable Futures for Foster Youth with Disabilities, Ensuring Equity in Healthcare, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Supporting Our Undocumented Community and Mixed Status Families at Western and in Washington State and Prison to Postsecondary Education Pathways.
The DOC portion of the agenda contains two items: Increase Access to Healthcare and Increase Accessibility in Public Spaces.
The ESC portion of the agenda contains three items: Equitable Access to Healthcare, Make Juneteenth a Legal Holiday and Equitable Living and Housing.
Information regarding specific legislative action being supported can be found in the linked copies of the drafts as seen above.