AS Executive Board update graphic PJ Heusted // AS Review
By PJ Heusted
The Associated Students Executive Board met on Friday, Feb. 5 for their fifteenth meeting of the 2020-21 academic year.
The board welcomed the new VP for Sustainability Zarea Lavalais for her first meeting on the board.
Black Student Organization Demand Updates
Executive Director of Student Engagement Eric Alexander shared that he and the Facilities Development and Capital Budget narrowed down their list of locations to a few specific spaces within the VU for a Black Student Space.
VP for Student Services Carson Brock shared that the Black Affinity Housing Space Task Force hopes to receive student feedback about the current space and potential suggestions for its final design.
Senate Pro-tempore Sargun Handa shared that the Power, Liberation, Equity and Justice requirement survey will be sent out to students shortly and that a survey about the Huxley name change was sent to Huxley students but they hope to send it out to all students soon.
Handa also shared that Dean Kit Spicer from the College of Fine and Performing Arts allocated $3000 for each department within the college to bring in Black speakers, performers, artists or other guests.
AS President Abdul Malik Ford said that administrators are creating a position that will work specifically to determine if and how the university will transition to a self-operating dining system after the contract with Aramark expires. The position will function as a liaison between students, administration and the dining programs.
VP for Governmental Affairs Nicole Ballard said that she is working on developing an Administrative Lobby Day and hopes to center the BSO demands in that work.
Western Intersectional Lobby Day Agenda
Student Advocacy and Identity Resource Center Representation & Outreach Coordinator Mariam-Renee Wolters shared the finalized and condensed WILD agenda.
Several similar agenda items from the SAIRC, Ethnic Student Center and Disability Outreach Center were condensed to create the finalized agenda that includes the following items: Increasing Equitable Access to Healthcare, Make Juneteenth a Legal Holiday, Equitable Living and Housing, Supporting Student’s Basic Needs, Creating Successful and Stable Futures for Foster Youth with Disabilities, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Supporting Our Undocumented Community and Mixed Status Families at WWU and in Washington State and Increase Accessibility in Public Spaces.
The WILD agenda was approved unanimously with a friendly amendment to allow for edits to improve clarity and correct grammar.
BSO Demand #2
AS Business Director Noemi Bueno spoke as a guest to discuss the process of moving funding from a federal lobbying trip to the Black Student Coalition.
Ford said that after conversations with Bueno, Business Office Program Adviser Raquel Vigil and VP for Diversity Ranulfo Molina that the best route seems to be to set up a grant to the coalition.
The grant route will establish funding through the reserves of the AS instead of creating a separate account within the AS for the coalition. The Black Student Coalition previously stated that they do not want to be a part of the AS and the grant route allows them to receive funding without being housed within the AS.
Molina said the timeline currently would involve setting up a three year grant of $36,000 but they are still looking for university funding for the coalition.
No official decisions or actions were taken during the meeting to allow for the board and other budget authorities to continue to set up the grant fund and finalize the system they will use to reallocate the funds as well as continue to find other places that funding will come from.
Special Election Results
Ballard presented the results of the special election.
Students elected Zarea Lavalais as VP for Sustainability and passed the constitutional amendment with 333 votes in favor and 35 votes against.