In its eleventh meeting, the 19th Undergraduate Senate discussed updates from the University working group on immigration, events for Disability Awareness Week and additions to the ASSU’s pool of lending equipment for student groups.

Different senators are looking into work opportunities for international students, adding a paragraph about financial aid in the syllabi of courses that have course fees and working with key administrators to hold open office hours for students, sustaining an initiative that began last year.

Immigration committee

At the start of the meeting, the Senate discussed how they could best represent student voices on immigration in response to a recent announcement that Vice Provost for Student Affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole will be holding weekly office hours with students to hear their concerns about the travel ban and DACA.

Student body Vice President Vicki Niu ’18, who first announced the initiative via email, urged Senators to show administrators that the University’s response to federal immigration policy matters to the student body by attending office hours.

“[It’s] important that people show up [to the office hours] so that administrators know that this is an issue that students really care about,” said Niu.

Niu wrote in her email that the issues students raise at office hours will be raised at weekly meetings of the University working group on immigration, potentially informing Stanford’s policies.

According to Niu, Senator Doris Rodriguez ‘20, who was not present at the meeting, suggested that the Senate also hold weekly office hours before meeting with Vice Provost Brubaker-Cole so that the Senate can accurately represent student needs.

Disability Awareness Week

Senators Remy Gordon ’20 and Kojoh Atta ’20 encouraged everyone on the Senate to support Disability Awareness Week by attending events such as film screenings and the opening of Abilities Hub, the newly-established community center. Senator leaders hope to have a large ASSU presence at the events so that administrators know that students are committed to raising awareness for disability.

Speakers and the Lending Library

The Senate allocated funds to buy speakers that will be shared among all student groups after Phi Kappa Psi requested funding to purchase them for their upcoming all  campus party.

Transferring the money to the lending library, Senators decided, will allow more student groups to have access to the same equipment, while also holding groups accountable for the speakers’ condition in the long term.

The decision will allow Phi Kappa Psi to use speakers at the party without deviating from Senate precedent — past senates have not allocated funds for student group parties, other than traditions such as Full Moon on the Quad.

Contact Eva Hangartner at ehangart ‘at’ stanford.edu.