The Associated Students of the University of Arizona, the university’s undergraduate student governing body, met to discuss Campus Closet, provide updates and pass the club Diversity, Equity and Inclusion resolutions Wednesday, Feb. 17.
Campus Closet Request
Grace Jacobson, Campus Closet’s executive director, came into the Zoom meeting during the call to the audience with a presentation about Campus Closet. Campus Closet is an ASUA-backed club that provides students with business/professional attire that cannot afford it. The presentation provided information on how many items the closet has, as well as how the clothing and shoe racks ASUA provided money for last semester are being put to use.
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Campus Closet asked ASUA for funds that would go towards pant hangers, size markers and an iPad which would help with organizing all of the closet’s digital links and inventory.
The cost of all of this would be approximately $689. Jacobson also requested that ASUA assist in getting Campus Closet’s link onto ASUA and UA’s websites for greater exposure. The closet’s next distribution will be March 17 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Sonora Ballroom on the first floor of the Student Union Memorial Center.
Update on CAPLA Journal
Senator Anisa Hermosillo provided an update during her senator report on the issue regarding changing the name of the yearly College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture journal.
The journal, started by the CAPLA honorary Tau Sigma Delta, was turned over to a professor a few years ago and was recently brought to TSD’s attention regarding the derogatory name of it, the [TRANS-] Journal. TSD requested that the professor change the name of the journal, which they refused to do, and it was then brought to the attention of Hermosillo, the college’s ASUA senator.
Hermosillo shared that she and Senator Jack Haskins of the College of Fine Arts met with the leader of LGBTQQA who suggested that they go in and help educate the professor on the meaning of the term and why it is important to change the name of the journal out of respect for the community.
Hermosillo also met with CAPLA’s DEI, who said they would step in and help, seeing as the change is obviously necessary. The name will hopefully be changed by the end of the next two months. The callout for the journal has already taken place, meaning this year’s issue will still bear the current name.
DEI Club Resolutions Pass
Two resolutions concerning diversity, equity and inclusion within ASUA-backed clubs were proposed last week to the Senate and moved to an action item this week.
The first resolution concerns the land acknowledgement stating that clubs must include the land acknowledgement into their constitutions, as well as reciting the acknowledgement at the beginning of club meetings. The land acknowledgement provides recognition of the history of the land that UA sits on.
The second resolution focuses on student leadership DEI training in the clubs. The resolution cites that all executive members of a club must go through student leadership diversity training, organize one training per semester for their club and provide space for open discussion revolving around DEI in the clubs.
These resolutions are a big step towards increasing DEI among student groups, something the Senate has been working on all year. The resolutions were voted on and both passed unanimously.
Reminders
Elections applications are available for interested students, and general elections will take place at the end of March.
ASUA’s virtual open house focused on admissions and advising will take place later this month. Follow ASUA’s Senate Instagram for updates on the exact date and time.
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