WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1st, 2022- The Associated Students of Southern Oregon University meeting was called to order at 6:01 pm. Speaker of the Senate, Pascal Brasseur, started off the meeting with SOU’s land acknowledgment. The meeting agenda was amended and approved.
A meeting was held recently pertaining to the possibility of new security cameras for the campus. An estimate was given for a new security camera system, but the option to renovate the current system is still being considered. This project is slowly in progress, and input from teachers, administrators, and students will be welcomed. A QR code for a survey will be posted around campus soon for students to share their thoughts.
Gabrielle Slyfield, ASSOU Student Body President, reported back on the biweekly Tuition Advisory Council meeting. The overall trend was that enrollment numbers are down as expenses remain high. She also met briefly with Susan Walsh, Provost Vice President for Academic Affairs, and discussed how to make downtown Ashland into a ‘student university town’, encouraging students to stay in Ashland over the weekends.
Mason Patterson, Student Body Vice President, stated that the elections committee will be starting up soon. This committee will set up timetables for when elections open and close, as well as help participants to spread their election materials. Mason continued to share news of a new ASSOU website.
We then heard from a guest speaker from OSPIRG, a student-made public interest group established in 2001 dedicated to making campuses a better place. OSPIRG students advocate with policymakers, collect petitions, host events, and more. Currently, their main campaigns are to help Oregon fight climate change by switching to 100% renewable energy and to make the cost of textbooks more affordable for students. They are hosting an upcoming ‘Solar Smoothie Stand’ at SOU for their indigenous water rights campaign.
OSPIRG students will attend a lobby day on February 7th where they lobby elected officials and legislators. A lobby training day will be provided over Zoom to work with activists who are experienced in these events. OSPIRG chapter meetings are available to attend through a link on SOU’s Presence.
A video of Jeanne Stallman, Associate Vice President Government Relations and Outreach, was played, explaining an upcoming lobby day for ASSOU. Members will meet with legislators, and each lobby a bill of their choice that speaks to them in order to obtain support on the bills SOU needs.
A new ASSOU member was sworn in, Taham Khosroabadi.
The council then went over changes made to the bylaws. These were changes in wording to better reflect how these bylaws are actually practiced. These adaptations were made to the ‘Committee List and Descriptions of Advisory Council’ and ‘Student Fee Committees’ sections. These changes were approved and passed council voting.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:06 pm.
