Central Student Government's University Council met on Sunday, November 21st. A summary of the recap has been provided below. A full recap can also be found here.
School/College Updates:
ESG - Alex Vandeweghe
Wrapped up fall elections, large candidate turnout (2:1 for open positions), WN 22 semester first returning to normal scheduling system (working with deans and transportation)
SEAS - Kat Cameron
Working on DEI requirements, working with comms to put out letters to school (i.e after rittenhouse trial, ahmad arbury in the works), are other schools doing these types of letters?
LSA - Tyler Watt
LSASG finalized elections, binding ballot question about renaming Angell Hall (results were mixed to inconclusive, unsure about next actions), hosted Nithya/Carla and HAIL survivor, hosting HAIL T-shirts in LSA SG office, looking into making a task force dedicated to raising advocacy for sexual assault prevention (winter semester), CSG election results coming out in the following days
SMTD - Nicholas Felder
Cementing paperwork for official student government, past week big with DEI office (looking for new chief officer, had 3 finalists come in and give presentations for students), inclusive teaching modules for faculty are concluding (videos pre-recorded by faculty, intentional about members who were asking, looking for diversity and people related to content)
CSG - Nithya Arun/Carla Voigt
Spoke at LSA SG, support around Hail To The Victims cause (staffing tent, creating reimbursement program for those purchasing materials to support them), late night ride reimbursement (give 1 time $15 reimbursement for lyft/uber/rideshare taken), Angell Hall resolution passed assembly (more to come!), working with maize and blue cupboard to provide more culturally diverse foods, student budget be supported by student life, free grad gown distribution, co-sponsoring land-back conversation with MESA for NAHM, producing campus safety resource guide, anti-racism award for student orgs coming soon (student orgs will apply for grant), finished compost bin distribution, still distributing menstrual cups, CAPS began “Let’s Talk” (office hours with CAPS members, meet with staff for 15 minute convos to figure out next steps), new app called “Together All” (peer-to-peer wellness app to message college community nationwide)
RHA - Agnes Dunne
Wellness week approaching (partnering with campus orgs), just went to regional conference, talking about compensation for e-board (fee)
Medical - Serena Bidwell
Trouble with lack of respect for libraries
Topics
Hail to the Victims
Calling on students to plan a form of walk-out/demonstration to admin to display student care and how the school needs to serve the purposes of student collaboration and safety
Survivor speak-out delivered information on departmental cover-up about more than just Anderson being the problem
Thoughts on walk-out?
Talk to Ford students (Lily) who did this recently about results and logistics
Difficult with finals approaching, petition more feasible
Potential of writing a statement with support of all student orgs and governments on campus
Sign a resolution as UC
Send out a google form for a public signing of a petition (for students) in the all-campus email
In place of student org or in addition to passing of legislation ideas?
Rittenhouse etc. Verdicts Responses
Med deans sent message to school about emotion-packed time regarding verdict and provided wellness resources
SEAS dean communicated with Kat on statement
Chance to be anti-racist
Any action from CSG would be student-started
Raising CSG Student Fee
$9.19 from each student from tuition goes to CSG
$2 go to child care support program automatically
Other money gets parsed out into other established programs to the point where there is not much additional money for new projects
Student fee has not risen with the tuition and inflation increases
Pell-grant students collect stipend of $15/hour (hour caps per week)
LSA SG - $1.50 per semester per student