ASWWU Executive Board

Purpose

This website is meant to provide centralized communication and updates related to the Associated Students of Western Washington University (ASWWU) Executive Board’s work and advocacy for demands forwarded by WWU Black Student Organizations on June 19, 2020. The AS Executive Board acknowledges that the ASWWU has historically failed Black students and we, as an organization that supports all students, must do better. We appreciate the many students who have challenged us to do better, asked us to think about our mechanisms for support, and have let us know their disappointment in our communication. No words will adequately capture the historical harm or barriers that the ASWWU has imposed upon Black students, nor will a website ever erase the broken promises from ASWWU leadership to Black student leaders.

This website is a starting place and underscores our ongoing commitment to meeting, and advocating for, the demands of WWU Black Student Organizations. Looking ahead, we need to improve our communication on specific work we’re doing and conceptualize this page as a starting point. We hope you’ll consult this page as a resource, reach out to your elected officials for questions on specific initiatives, and apply for AS jobs, committee appointments, or run for office to help shape our organization.

Context

On June 4, 2020, the Associated Students of Western Washington University (ASWWU) released a statement outlining 14 commitments to address and dismantle systemic anti-Blackness within the organization. On June 19, 2020, WWU Black Student Organizations forwarded an email to ASWWU and Viking Union leadership detailing three demands for the ASWWU and 19 demands for Western Washington University. Upon receipt, ASWWU leadership committed to advocating for all these demands at all levels of university governance with specific attention to promptly and transparently operationalizing the demands for the ASWWU. Many of these demands intersect with various commitments made by the ASWWU on June 4, 2020. On July 11, 2020, WWU Black Student Organizations sent an email to the ASWWU Executive Board and their advisors/colleagues outlining frustration with the lack of communication from the Board about meeting their June 19th demands. On July 30, 2020, WWU Black Student Organizations sent an email to ASWWU and Viking Union personnel, indicating a continued lack of communication and action related to their June 19th demands; they also indicated a failure on the part of Viking Union leadership to meet previously set communication goals.

ASWWU's Work to address demands from WWU Black Student Organizations (BSO)

The following chart consists of updates provided by members of the Executive Board in work they are doing that is aligned with demands from WWU Black Student Organizations for both the ASWWU and WWU. Individual board members who are engaged in the listed work have their last names and positions following each update. Find their contact information and position descriptions on the left column of this page. This information was last updated on June 9, 2021.

WWU Black Student Organizations' ASWWU Demand #1: Create a Black student space

• March 12, 2021: Alexander stated that he is meeting with Facilities Development and Capital Budget colleagues on space allocation for the BSO.
• Attending frequent meetings with Viking Union leadership alongside the AS VP for Activities and AS VP for Diversity to prioritize the creation of Black student space within the Viking Union. Should a long-term solution not be immediately feasible, Ballard requests immediate options be identified and presented to the working group/committee. Ballard confirmed with Greg McBride that an architect has been hired to assist with the design of this space (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Molina, AS VP for Diversity; Kaemingk, AS VP for Activities; Harren, AS VP for Sustainability)
• As soon as student compensation is finalized, McBride will assemble a subcommittee of the chartered group to look at space design. This committee/working group will be comprised of Black student leaders, professional staff, and ASWWU employees (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Arranging meetings and conversations with Viking Union leadership to solidify a plan of action to respond to Black student space and coalition (Molina, AS VP for Diversity; Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Kaemingk, AS VP for Activities)
• Following update session on September 4, 2020, at which a quorum of the Executive Board was not present, Viking Union leadership indicated that construction in the building has been suspended and an architect has been assigned to this project; they are currently exploring the building to identify spaces that could be converted to space for Black students (Ford, AS President)
• Creating steering committee of Black students to brainstorm and map out how the final space will look (Ford, AS President)

WWU Black Student Organizations' ASWWU Demand #2: Abolish the AS Employee Development Fund [$5000], the lobbying trip to Washington D.C. [$4200] and defund all travel of the AS Executive Board. Invest this money into Black students.

• This demand is complete.
• April 28, 2021: Reallocated current Federal Lobby Day funding to the BSO Coalition and abolished the Federal Lobby Day account (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• April 27, 2021: Introduced abolition of AS Employee Development Fund to AS Finance Council and AS Executive Board (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore; Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs).
• March 12, 2021: Did not request continued allocation of the $4200 for the Federal Lobby Days Trip and commits to redistributing that funding to the BSO demands, once that account is further developed.
• $2,000 is being invested into the BSO Coalition from the Diversity Initiative Fund. (Molina, AS VP for )
• Black Student Coalition Account is in the works.
• Committed on June 30, 2020 at the Executive Board’s special meeting to reinvest those funds into support for Black students. If the Black Student Coalition is developed as part of the ASWWU, Ballard will advocate for those funds to be directly transferred to the Coalition’s budget. If the Black Student Coalition is developed to function externally of the ASWWU, those funds will return to the AS Reserves to support other student programs/projects on campus. Regardless, Ballard plans to propose action during the 2020-21 academic year for the Federal Lobbying Trip fund to be removed from the AS’ next budget (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Ensuring equitable and accessible recruitment of Black students to AS committees, specifically to AS Finance Council to ensure ethical and representative distribution of funds (Ford, AS President)
• Exploring use of Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund to support expenses related to resources and space for Black students (Ford, AS President)

WWU Black Student Organizations' ASWWU Demand #3: Immediately create the Black Student Coalition that is led by a council of Black student leaders and Black staff that are compensated

• April 27, 2021: BSO Coalition Development Specialist positions have been hired and begun their terms (Ford, AS President; Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• March 12, 2021: The BSO work group has developed job position description titled “BSO Coalition Development Specialist.” hired through the Viking Union. (Malik & Ranulfo)
• BSO Coalition Development Specialist hiring committee, has gone through the hiring process and hired three student employees. (Malik & Ranulfo)
• Developing plans for the Black Student Coalition to function within the ASWWU or externally; these plans will be presented to the chartered committee (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Frequent meetings with Viking Union leadership (Eric Alexander, Raquel Vigil, and Casey Hayden) to secure dedicated funding for student compensation as part of the Black Student Coalition (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Immediately getting student compensation approved by all University and legal bodies (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Harren, AS VP for Sustainability)
• Drafting a charge and charter for a committee/working group that will develop a structure for the Black Student Coalition and plan for implementation of Black student space in the Viking Union. This committee/working group will be comprised of Black student leaders, professional staff, and ASWWU employees. Everyone will be compensated for their time (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Meeting with SJE Committee to talk about funding for Black Student Coalition (Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• Reached out to UW VP for Diversity to chat about how their coalitions operate (Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• Exploring options for compensation of students who serve on the Black student coalition; initial options include the use of stipends, contracted compensation, and employment (Ford, AS President)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #1: Annual School-wide recognition and celebration of Black History Month, MLK Day, and Juneteenth

• HB 1016 makes Juneteenth an official state holiday beginning in June 2022.
• March 12, 2021: Western Intersectional Lobby Day Legislative Agenda included statewide recognition of Juneteenth.
• MLK Advisory Team was tasked with Virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Event. The University has put money forth to bring guest keynote speaker Ijeoma Oluo. In partnership with WWC, BTC, and NWIC. (Ford, AS President; Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• The ASWWU spotlighting Black History Month.
• Starting conversation about Juneteenth celebration.
• Working with Dr. Melynda Huskey, demanding increased and dedicated financial support for programs related to Black History Month, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Juneteenth (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• Working with Huskey to request that Black speakers, artists, and performers be brought to campus regularly to celebrate these important holidays (Brock, AS VP for Student Services)
• Exploring the Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund as a resource avenue to bring Black speakers and performers to campus for Black History Month, MLK Day, and Juneteenth (Harren, AS VP for Sustainability)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #3: Re-Evaluate each major application campus-wide

• April 27, 2021: Continued negotiations with college deans to re-evaluate major applications and GPA entry requirements (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• March 12, 2021: Lobbied through the Washington Student Association to remove standardized testing from university application processes. (Not major applications but maybe still applicable) 
• Lobbied for the removal of the EdTPA, a biased exam that hinders eligible BIPOC student teacher candidates from receiving their teaching certificate. 
• Corresponding with each Dean about their major applications that have a GPA requirement and its inherent anti-Blackness. Currently discussing alternatives (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Wrote on July 28, 2020 to WWU’s executive leadership, calling for an indefinite suspension on the use of GPA and SAT/ACT scores as part of admissions or major applications (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #4: Annual ‘Black Friday’ to be hosted before Thanksgiving Break

• Requesting from Huskey the implementation of a program from which profits from campus eateries on the designated “Black Friday” contributes directly to Black student organizations (Brock, AS VP for Student Services)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #5: Start-up week for Black Students

• Requesting that welcome week programs be created for incoming/prospective Black students (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Molina, AS VP for Diversity; Brock, AS VP for Student Services)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #6: Rename Huxley College, and rename campus buildings to honor important figures in Black history

• April 27, 2021: Appointed two student representative to WWU Legacy Review Task Force. Working to ensure BIPOC representation on that committee (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore; Lavalais, AS VP for Sustainability; Ford, AS President)
• Met with Provost Carbajal and emailed Huxley’s Dean to change Huxley College’s name (under discussion). Currently investigating the history behind the names Edens, Higginson, Fairhaven, and Woodring (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Nov. 23. 2021: The Executive Board and Student Senate submitted a statement to the Board of Trustees in support of renaming Huxley College. This statement can be read here.

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #7: Add Black art pieces, sculptures and famous Black figures in history to line the walls of their respective buildings and departments.

• April 27, 2021: Supported student senators in initiating this request with the Dean of CFPA (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Discussed how to integrate students sustainably into the process of picking the art on campus and possibly hosting a Black student art search to showcase Black student art within the new dorm building with Ranulfo Molina, Keenan Kaemingk, and CFPA Senator Aidyn Stevens.

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #8: Mandate anti-racism and anti-Blackness training for staff and create an anti-discrimination policy that can hold faculty and staff accountable

• This demand is complete.
• May 21, 2021: Mandatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training for all students and faculty in Washington higher education institutions though SB 5227, a bill that directly came from WWU's lobbying team (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs. 
• April 27, 2021: Work and discussions with WWU Faculty Senate to operationalize this demand (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• March 12, 2021: Brought this ask to the Washington Student Association to create and lobby for anti-racism training for all students, faculty, and staff within higher education institutions. 
• SB 5227 comes directly from WWU’s BSO Demands and was lobbied for at Western Lobby Day and Western Intersectional Lobby Day. 
• Continued to engage in conversations with administration and legislators around logistics, implementation, funding, etc. 
• Emailed Dr. Huskey, President Randhawa, and Eric Alexander about training they plan to implement for faculty and full-time staff. (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #9: Mandate anti-racism and anti-Blackness training for students

• This demand is complete
• March 12, 2021: SB 5227 encompasses both the student side and the faculty, staff, and administration side of training.
• Communicated with Casey Hayden, advisor to the AS Personnel Office, for state of anti-racism training for AS student employees (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Speaking with professional staff to create anti-Racism and anti-Blackness training for student employees as part of the Student Senate (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #11: Develop an African-American Studies program that is taught by Black staff

• May 21, 2021: $1.2 million dollars was advocated for and secured at Western Lobby Day and Western Intersectional Lobby Day to push for the creation of an Ethic Studies Department with 4-5 full time faculty. Future plans include asking WWU administration to create the African American Studies major first within the department and lobbying for expanding this funding for additional resources. (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• April 27, 2021: Met with Provost Carbajal about this demand alongside Ethnic Studies College progress (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• March 12, 2021: Lobbied Washington State for $3.4 million dollars to develop Ethnic Studies curriculum, the first step for building a College of Ethnic Studies that could house the African-American Studies program.
• Planning to collaborate with AS VP for Governmental Affairs and AS Director of Legislative Affairs to find funding for more faculty to create an African American Studies major (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #12: Stand by Shred the Contract and end the contract with Aramark

• April 27, 2021: Advocated for this position to the WWU Board of Trustees, wrote and affirmed resolutions for this position (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Involved as a member of Shred the Contract (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Supporting the ASWWU Board and Senate’s previous actions to endorse Shred the Contract’s work to end WWU’s contract with Aramark and shift to a self-operated dining system (Brock, AS VP for Student Services)
• Meeting with Shred the Contract student organizers in Fall 2020 to support their work to end WWU’s contract with Aramark (Harren, AS VP for Sustainability)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #13: Create a cross-cultural education course within each major, and mandate it as a major course requirement - not an elective

• April 27, 2021: Working on the creation of a new General University Requirement series called PLEJ (Power, Liberation, Equity, and Justice) (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Discussing with the Academic Coordinating Commission and Committee for Undergraduate Education work to create a mandatory cross-cultural education course in each major (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #14: Diversify the authors used in class curricula

• April 27, 2021: Began this conversation in the Honors Program (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Gathering student testimonials about the need for more Black texts, especially history textbooks, in order to persuade History, English, and Honors Program professors. In the future, these conversations will be campus-wide (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #15: Review the hiring process of all faculty within the College of Science and Engineering, College of Business and Economics, Psychology and Anthropology

• April 27, 2021: Consistently supported extension of searches to allow for more BIPOC candidates (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Reviewing the hiring process of all faculty within CSE, CBE, Psychology, Anthropology, and the Honors Program (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #18: Define 'reasonable accommodations' for students observing religious holidays

• April 27, 2021: This demand is complete
• April 27, 2021: Prepared clarified language for reasonable accommodations, which were approved by the Academic Coordinating Commission and Faculty Senate. Also, prepared and supported an ASWWU resolution, acknowledging WWU's obligation per state law to accommodate students during the holy month of Ramadan (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Discussing syllabus requirements with Academic Coordinating Commission and Title IX office to define reasonable accommodations for students observing religious holidays. Mandating at least a 12 hour extension and different exam times with penalty as breaking the anti-Discrimination code if not followed (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

Other work:

• Funding was lobbied for and secured for an increase in student support services, including BIPOC mental health counselors (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Drafting presentation for the Board of Trustees about how financial aid disproportionately negatively effects BIPOC students (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Voted against the housing and dining resolution which increased the cost for the Black and LGBTQ+ affinity student housing spaces (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Defund the Western Washington University Police and invest the money into recruiting and retaining Black Mental Health counselors. Lobbied Washington State for $3.4 million dollars of equity funding that would go to more BIPOC Mental Health Counselors during Western Lobby Days. Getting student feedback on the Local Lobby Day topics to create an inclusive agenda in the Legislative Affairs Council in hopes that we can lobby for defunding the Bellingham Police Department, since this is done on a local level. (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Continued communication with administration and legislators to see if fiscal notes within police reform bills would be going to further funding our own WWU Police Department.
• Getting student feedback on the Local Lobby Day topics to create an inclusive agenda in the Legislative Affairs Council in hopes that we can lobby for defunding the Bellingham Police Department, since this is done on a local level. 
• Continued communication with administration and legislators to see if fiscal notes within police reform bills would be going to further funding our own WWU Police Department.
• Frequent meetings with Viking Union leadership to ensure AS-support for Black student demands is complementary of professional staff’s work (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Molina, AS VP for Diversity; Kaemingk, AS VP for Activities)
• Creating a charge and charter for the Restructure of the ESC Committee in collaboration with ESC Advocacy and Programming Coordinator (Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• Meeting with Dr. Melynda Huskey to see where the University is in response to BSO and NASU demands. Additionally, if there are ways the AS and WWU can collaborate to meet these demands (Molina, AS VP for Diversity; Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Meeting with the Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund (SEJF) program team and Greg McBride to discuss how SEJF can meet Black Student Demands (Harren, AS VP for Sustainability)
• Collaborating with AS Executive Board members to support their work for Black student demands (Harren, AS VP for Sustainability)
• Meeting with WWU’s Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety to document their work to meet the demands of Black students (Molina, AS VP for Diversity, Brock, AS VP for Student Services, Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Serving on hiring committees for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance (Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• Collaborating with SJEC (Social Justice and Equity Committee) to create a survey aiming to identify needs of Undocumented Students at WWU during the COVID-19 pandemic (Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• Highlighting the fail rates of Introductory math courses at WWU and creating better educational resources. Asking CSE to submit a report on their progress in solving this issue (Students of color, especially Black and Indigenous students, and first-generation students disproportionately receive failing grades at an unacceptable rate) (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

BOARD MEMBERS

Purpose

This website is meant to provide centralized communication and updates related to the Associated Students of Western Washington University (ASWWU) Executive Board’s work and advocacy for demands forwarded by WWU Black Student Organizations on June 19, 2020. The AS Executive Board acknowledges that the ASWWU has historically failed Black students and we, as an organization that supports all students, must do better. We appreciate the many students who have challenged us to do better, asked us to think about our mechanisms for support, and have let us know their disappointment in our communication. No words will adequately capture the historical harm or barriers that the ASWWU has imposed upon Black students, nor will a website ever erase the broken promises from ASWWU leadership to Black student leaders.

This website is a starting place and underscores our ongoing commitment to meeting, and advocating for, the demands of WWU Black Student Organizations. Looking ahead, we need to improve our communication on specific work we’re doing and conceptualize this page as a starting point. We hope you’ll consult this page as a resource, reach out to your elected officials for questions on specific initiatives, and apply for AS jobs, committee appointments, or run for office to help shape our organization.

Context

On June 4, 2020, the Associated Students of Western Washington University (ASWWU) released a statement outlining 14 commitments to address and dismantle systemic anti-Blackness within the organization. On June 19, 2020, WWU Black Student Organizations forwarded an email to ASWWU and Viking Union leadership detailing three demands for the ASWWU and 19 demands for Western Washington University. Upon receipt, ASWWU leadership committed to advocating for all these demands at all levels of university governance with specific attention to promptly and transparently operationalizing the demands for the ASWWU. Many of these demands intersect with various commitments made by the ASWWU on June 4, 2020. On July 11, 2020, WWU Black Student Organizations sent an email to the ASWWU Executive Board and their advisors/colleagues outlining frustration with the lack of communication from the Board about meeting their June 19th demands. On July 30, 2020, WWU Black Student Organizations sent an email to ASWWU and Viking Union personnel, indicating a continued lack of communication and action related to their June 19th demands; they also indicated a failure on the part of Viking Union leadership to meet previously set communication goals.

ASWWU's Work to address demands from WWU Black Student Organizations (BSO)

The following chart consists of updates provided by members of the Executive Board in work they are doing that is aligned with demands from WWU Black Student Organizations for both the ASWWU and WWU. Individual board members who are engaged in the listed work have their last names and positions following each update. Find their contact information and position descriptions on the left column of this page. This information was last updated on June 9, 2021.

WWU Black Student Organizations' ASWWU Demand #1: Create a Black student space

• March 12, 2021: Alexander stated that he is meeting with Facilities Development and Capital Budget colleagues on space allocation for the BSO.
• Attending frequent meetings with Viking Union leadership alongside the AS VP for Activities and AS VP for Diversity to prioritize the creation of Black student space within the Viking Union. Should a long-term solution not be immediately feasible, Ballard requests immediate options be identified and presented to the working group/committee. Ballard confirmed with Greg McBride that an architect has been hired to assist with the design of this space (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Molina, AS VP for Diversity; Kaemingk, AS VP for Activities; Harren, AS VP for Sustainability)
• As soon as student compensation is finalized, McBride will assemble a subcommittee of the chartered group to look at space design. This committee/working group will be comprised of Black student leaders, professional staff, and ASWWU employees (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Arranging meetings and conversations with Viking Union leadership to solidify a plan of action to respond to Black student space and coalition (Molina, AS VP for Diversity; Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Kaemingk, AS VP for Activities)
• Following update session on September 4, 2020, at which a quorum of the Executive Board was not present, Viking Union leadership indicated that construction in the building has been suspended and an architect has been assigned to this project; they are currently exploring the building to identify spaces that could be converted to space for Black students (Ford, AS President)
• Creating steering committee of Black students to brainstorm and map out how the final space will look (Ford, AS President)

WWU Black Student Organizations' ASWWU Demand #2: Abolish the AS Employee Development Fund [$5000], the lobbying trip to Washington D.C. [$4200] and defund all travel of the AS Executive Board. Invest this money into Black students.

• This demand is complete.
• April 28, 2021: Reallocated current Federal Lobby Day funding to the BSO Coalition and abolished the Federal Lobby Day account (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• April 27, 2021: Introduced abolition of AS Employee Development Fund to AS Finance Council and AS Executive Board (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore; Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs).
• March 12, 2021: Did not request continued allocation of the $4200 for the Federal Lobby Days Trip and commits to redistributing that funding to the BSO demands, once that account is further developed.
• $2,000 is being invested into the BSO Coalition from the Diversity Initiative Fund. (Molina, AS VP for )
• Black Student Coalition Account is in the works.
• Committed on June 30, 2020 at the Executive Board’s special meeting to reinvest those funds into support for Black students. If the Black Student Coalition is developed as part of the ASWWU, Ballard will advocate for those funds to be directly transferred to the Coalition’s budget. If the Black Student Coalition is developed to function externally of the ASWWU, those funds will return to the AS Reserves to support other student programs/projects on campus. Regardless, Ballard plans to propose action during the 2020-21 academic year for the Federal Lobbying Trip fund to be removed from the AS’ next budget (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Ensuring equitable and accessible recruitment of Black students to AS committees, specifically to AS Finance Council to ensure ethical and representative distribution of funds (Ford, AS President)
• Exploring use of Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund to support expenses related to resources and space for Black students (Ford, AS President)

WWU Black Student Organizations' ASWWU Demand #3: Immediately create the Black Student Coalition that is led by a council of Black student leaders and Black staff that are compensated

• April 27, 2021: BSO Coalition Development Specialist positions have been hired and begun their terms (Ford, AS President; Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• March 12, 2021: The BSO work group has developed job position description titled “BSO Coalition Development Specialist.” hired through the Viking Union. (Malik & Ranulfo)
• BSO Coalition Development Specialist hiring committee, has gone through the hiring process and hired three student employees. (Malik & Ranulfo)
• Developing plans for the Black Student Coalition to function within the ASWWU or externally; these plans will be presented to the chartered committee (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Frequent meetings with Viking Union leadership (Eric Alexander, Raquel Vigil, and Casey Hayden) to secure dedicated funding for student compensation as part of the Black Student Coalition (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Immediately getting student compensation approved by all University and legal bodies (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Harren, AS VP for Sustainability)
• Drafting a charge and charter for a committee/working group that will develop a structure for the Black Student Coalition and plan for implementation of Black student space in the Viking Union. This committee/working group will be comprised of Black student leaders, professional staff, and ASWWU employees. Everyone will be compensated for their time (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Meeting with SJE Committee to talk about funding for Black Student Coalition (Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• Reached out to UW VP for Diversity to chat about how their coalitions operate (Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• Exploring options for compensation of students who serve on the Black student coalition; initial options include the use of stipends, contracted compensation, and employment (Ford, AS President)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #1: Annual School-wide recognition and celebration of Black History Month, MLK Day, and Juneteenth

• HB 1016 makes Juneteenth an official state holiday beginning in June 2022.
• March 12, 2021: Western Intersectional Lobby Day Legislative Agenda included statewide recognition of Juneteenth.
• MLK Advisory Team was tasked with Virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Event. The University has put money forth to bring guest keynote speaker Ijeoma Oluo. In partnership with WWC, BTC, and NWIC. (Ford, AS President; Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• The ASWWU spotlighting Black History Month.
• Starting conversation about Juneteenth celebration.
• Working with Dr. Melynda Huskey, demanding increased and dedicated financial support for programs related to Black History Month, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Juneteenth (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• Working with Huskey to request that Black speakers, artists, and performers be brought to campus regularly to celebrate these important holidays (Brock, AS VP for Student Services)
• Exploring the Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund as a resource avenue to bring Black speakers and performers to campus for Black History Month, MLK Day, and Juneteenth (Harren, AS VP for Sustainability)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #3: Re-Evaluate each major application campus-wide

• April 27, 2021: Continued negotiations with college deans to re-evaluate major applications and GPA entry requirements (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• March 12, 2021: Lobbied through the Washington Student Association to remove standardized testing from university application processes. (Not major applications but maybe still applicable) 
• Lobbied for the removal of the EdTPA, a biased exam that hinders eligible BIPOC student teacher candidates from receiving their teaching certificate. 
• Corresponding with each Dean about their major applications that have a GPA requirement and its inherent anti-Blackness. Currently discussing alternatives (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Wrote on July 28, 2020 to WWU’s executive leadership, calling for an indefinite suspension on the use of GPA and SAT/ACT scores as part of admissions or major applications (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #4: Annual ‘Black Friday’ to be hosted before Thanksgiving Break

• Requesting from Huskey the implementation of a program from which profits from campus eateries on the designated “Black Friday” contributes directly to Black student organizations (Brock, AS VP for Student Services)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #5: Start-up week for Black Students

• Requesting that welcome week programs be created for incoming/prospective Black students (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Molina, AS VP for Diversity; Brock, AS VP for Student Services)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #6: Rename Huxley College, and rename campus buildings to honor important figures in Black history

• April 27, 2021: Appointed two student representative to WWU Legacy Review Task Force. Working to ensure BIPOC representation on that committee (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore; Lavalais, AS VP for Sustainability; Ford, AS President)
• Met with Provost Carbajal and emailed Huxley’s Dean to change Huxley College’s name (under discussion). Currently investigating the history behind the names Edens, Higginson, Fairhaven, and Woodring (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Nov. 23. 2021: The Executive Board and Student Senate submitted a statement to the Board of Trustees in support of renaming Huxley College. This statement can be read here.

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #7: Add Black art pieces, sculptures and famous Black figures in history to line the walls of their respective buildings and departments.

• April 27, 2021: Supported student senators in initiating this request with the Dean of CFPA (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Discussed how to integrate students sustainably into the process of picking the art on campus and possibly hosting a Black student art search to showcase Black student art within the new dorm building with Ranulfo Molina, Keenan Kaemingk, and CFPA Senator Aidyn Stevens.

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #8: Mandate anti-racism and anti-Blackness training for staff and create an anti-discrimination policy that can hold faculty and staff accountable

• This demand is complete.
• May 21, 2021: Mandatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training for all students and faculty in Washington higher education institutions though SB 5227, a bill that directly came from WWU's lobbying team (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs. 
• April 27, 2021: Work and discussions with WWU Faculty Senate to operationalize this demand (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• March 12, 2021: Brought this ask to the Washington Student Association to create and lobby for anti-racism training for all students, faculty, and staff within higher education institutions. 
• SB 5227 comes directly from WWU’s BSO Demands and was lobbied for at Western Lobby Day and Western Intersectional Lobby Day. 
• Continued to engage in conversations with administration and legislators around logistics, implementation, funding, etc. 
• Emailed Dr. Huskey, President Randhawa, and Eric Alexander about training they plan to implement for faculty and full-time staff. (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #9: Mandate anti-racism and anti-Blackness training for students

• This demand is complete
• March 12, 2021: SB 5227 encompasses both the student side and the faculty, staff, and administration side of training.
• Communicated with Casey Hayden, advisor to the AS Personnel Office, for state of anti-racism training for AS student employees (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Speaking with professional staff to create anti-Racism and anti-Blackness training for student employees as part of the Student Senate (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #11: Develop an African-American Studies program that is taught by Black staff

• May 21, 2021: $1.2 million dollars was advocated for and secured at Western Lobby Day and Western Intersectional Lobby Day to push for the creation of an Ethic Studies Department with 4-5 full time faculty. Future plans include asking WWU administration to create the African American Studies major first within the department and lobbying for expanding this funding for additional resources. (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• April 27, 2021: Met with Provost Carbajal about this demand alongside Ethnic Studies College progress (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• March 12, 2021: Lobbied Washington State for $3.4 million dollars to develop Ethnic Studies curriculum, the first step for building a College of Ethnic Studies that could house the African-American Studies program.
• Planning to collaborate with AS VP for Governmental Affairs and AS Director of Legislative Affairs to find funding for more faculty to create an African American Studies major (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #12: Stand by Shred the Contract and end the contract with Aramark

• April 27, 2021: Advocated for this position to the WWU Board of Trustees, wrote and affirmed resolutions for this position (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Involved as a member of Shred the Contract (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Supporting the ASWWU Board and Senate’s previous actions to endorse Shred the Contract’s work to end WWU’s contract with Aramark and shift to a self-operated dining system (Brock, AS VP for Student Services)
• Meeting with Shred the Contract student organizers in Fall 2020 to support their work to end WWU’s contract with Aramark (Harren, AS VP for Sustainability)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #13: Create a cross-cultural education course within each major, and mandate it as a major course requirement - not an elective

• April 27, 2021: Working on the creation of a new General University Requirement series called PLEJ (Power, Liberation, Equity, and Justice) (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Discussing with the Academic Coordinating Commission and Committee for Undergraduate Education work to create a mandatory cross-cultural education course in each major (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #14: Diversify the authors used in class curricula

• April 27, 2021: Began this conversation in the Honors Program (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Gathering student testimonials about the need for more Black texts, especially history textbooks, in order to persuade History, English, and Honors Program professors. In the future, these conversations will be campus-wide (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #15: Review the hiring process of all faculty within the College of Science and Engineering, College of Business and Economics, Psychology and Anthropology

• April 27, 2021: Consistently supported extension of searches to allow for more BIPOC candidates (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Reviewing the hiring process of all faculty within CSE, CBE, Psychology, Anthropology, and the Honors Program (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

WWU Black Student Organizations' WWU Demand #18: Define 'reasonable accommodations' for students observing religious holidays

• April 27, 2021: This demand is complete
• April 27, 2021: Prepared clarified language for reasonable accommodations, which were approved by the Academic Coordinating Commission and Faculty Senate. Also, prepared and supported an ASWWU resolution, acknowledging WWU's obligation per state law to accommodate students during the holy month of Ramadan (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)
• Discussing syllabus requirements with Academic Coordinating Commission and Title IX office to define reasonable accommodations for students observing religious holidays. Mandating at least a 12 hour extension and different exam times with penalty as breaking the anti-Discrimination code if not followed (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)

Other work:

• Funding was lobbied for and secured for an increase in student support services, including BIPOC mental health counselors (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Drafting presentation for the Board of Trustees about how financial aid disproportionately negatively effects BIPOC students (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Voted against the housing and dining resolution which increased the cost for the Black and LGBTQ+ affinity student housing spaces (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Defund the Western Washington University Police and invest the money into recruiting and retaining Black Mental Health counselors. Lobbied Washington State for $3.4 million dollars of equity funding that would go to more BIPOC Mental Health Counselors during Western Lobby Days. Getting student feedback on the Local Lobby Day topics to create an inclusive agenda in the Legislative Affairs Council in hopes that we can lobby for defunding the Bellingham Police Department, since this is done on a local level. (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Continued communication with administration and legislators to see if fiscal notes within police reform bills would be going to further funding our own WWU Police Department.
• Getting student feedback on the Local Lobby Day topics to create an inclusive agenda in the Legislative Affairs Council in hopes that we can lobby for defunding the Bellingham Police Department, since this is done on a local level. 
• Continued communication with administration and legislators to see if fiscal notes within police reform bills would be going to further funding our own WWU Police Department.
• Frequent meetings with Viking Union leadership to ensure AS-support for Black student demands is complementary of professional staff’s work (Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs; Molina, AS VP for Diversity; Kaemingk, AS VP for Activities)
• Creating a charge and charter for the Restructure of the ESC Committee in collaboration with ESC Advocacy and Programming Coordinator (Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• Meeting with Dr. Melynda Huskey to see where the University is in response to BSO and NASU demands. Additionally, if there are ways the AS and WWU can collaborate to meet these demands (Molina, AS VP for Diversity; Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Meeting with the Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund (SEJF) program team and Greg McBride to discuss how SEJF can meet Black Student Demands (Harren, AS VP for Sustainability)
• Collaborating with AS Executive Board members to support their work for Black student demands (Harren, AS VP for Sustainability)
• Meeting with WWU’s Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety to document their work to meet the demands of Black students (Molina, AS VP for Diversity, Brock, AS VP for Student Services, Ballard, AS VP for Governmental Affairs)
• Serving on hiring committees for the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance (Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• Collaborating with SJEC (Social Justice and Equity Committee) to create a survey aiming to identify needs of Undocumented Students at WWU during the COVID-19 pandemic (Molina, AS VP for Diversity)
• Highlighting the fail rates of Introductory math courses at WWU and creating better educational resources. Asking CSE to submit a report on their progress in solving this issue (Students of color, especially Black and Indigenous students, and first-generation students disproportionately receive failing grades at an unacceptable rate) (Handa, AS Senate Pro Tempore)