ASM Demands In-State Tuition Equity, Condemns Rising Anti-Semitism, Requests Menard Center Information
Posted: 2022-04-14 11:04:58 Expiration: 2032-04-22 01:04:58
Associated Students of Madison
333 East Campus Mall, 4301 Student Activity Center, Madison, WI
Website: asm.wisc.edu Phone: 608/265-4ASM
E-mail: press@asm.wisc.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
14 April 2022
CONTACT:
Tyler Katzenberger, Press Office Director
press@asm.wisc.edu | 715-465-0289
ASM Demands In-State Tuition Equity, Condemns Rising Anti-Semitism, Requests Menard Center Information
MADISON, WI — On Wednesday, the ASM Student Council approved legislation calling for in-state tuition equity for DREAMers, condemning rising anti-semitism at UW-Madison, and requesting information from the UW-Stout Menard Center.
The “Support for Tuition Equity for Undocumented Students” resolution was introduced in conjunction with Dreamers of UW-Madison, an advocacy group for undocumented and DACAmented higher education issues. The legislation demands UW-Madison provide in-state tuition rates for undocumented students who reside in Wisconsin instead of charging them out-of-state tuition and international fees. The change, which has already been enacted at multiple other Big Ten universities, would reduce undocumented students’ attendance cost burden by nearly $30,000 per year1.
“Our peers and the people who supported this resolution are on the side of our undocumented and DACAmented population.,” Dreamers of Wisconsin Executive Director Cristhabel Martinez said. “It is a huge relief to hear that we have that support because this is a fight that’s been going on forever… [but] this is just the beginning. We still need to see change at the legislative level.”
Dreamers of UW-Madison has published a tuition equity petition and a policy brief with more information on undocumented students’ tuition residency exclusion, both of which can be found here.
ASM also approved the “Resolution Addressing Anti-Semitism on Campus” on Wednesday. Introduced by Representative Anna Glasman, the resolution denounces the recent rise in anti-semitic incidents2 at UW-Madison, acknowledges that anti-semitism has been a recurring issue on-campus for over a century, and urges university administrators to discipline perpetrators of all recent and future anti-semitic acts.
Additionally, ASM passed a resolution requesting documentation of the specific student groups the UW-Stout Menard Center for the Study of Institutions consulted regarding the UW System Free Speech Survey[3][4]. As an official governmental body of the State of Wisconsin under Wis. Stat. 36.09(5), ASM called for the Menard Center to provide all details on which student groups were involved, how they were consulted, what their feedback was, and how the feedback was used regarding the survey.
“Shared Governance was not respected when the Menard Center came up with this survey, yet we have been told that they apparently did speak with student groups,” Legislative Affairs Chair and resolution sponsor MGR Govindarajan said. “Through this legislation, we will find out if the Menard Center really did speak to students and why they didn’t speak to the elected student governments they’re supposed to consult.”
ASM also voted on multiple bylaw edits on Wednesday. Four new bylaw edits were introduced and approved in the first of two necessary times, including legislation to remove committees and boards that no longer exist, modernize Student Services Finance Committee (SSFC) bylaws, prepare ASM for admission into the new UW System Student Governance Assembly (UWSSGA), and replace the Campus Relations Committee with a Public Relations Board.
Finally on Wednesday, ASM appointed Grace Woo as Student Judiciary General Council and approved 2022-23 Student Activity Center space allocations.
The final Student Council meeting of the 28th Session of ASM will be on Wednesday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Hearing Room on the 4th Floor of the Student Activity Center at 333 East Campus Mall.
1 https://bursar.wisc.edu/tuition-and-fees/tuition-rates
2 https://captimes.com/news/education/uw-madison-administrators-uw-hillel-speak-out-against-recent-antis emitic-incidents/article_383aeabd-e5e3-500a-ac15-fe8b5f94d3f5.html
3 https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2022/04/fishing-for-answers-free-speech-survey-delayed-until-fall-20 22-amid-campus-community-concerns
4 https://badgerherald.com/news/2022/04/07/uw-system-delays-free-speech-survey-that-contributed-to-resi gnation-of-uw-whitewater-chancellor/
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-- Associated Students of Madison: Tyler Katzenberger