FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
02 February 2023
CONTACT:
Meghan Savaglia, Press Office Director
press@asm.wisc.edu
262.441.1041
ASM Hosts First Meeting of Spring Semester, Vacancies Filled
MADISON, WI — On Wednesday evening, the Associated Students of Madison Student Council held its first meeting of the Spring 2023 semester. Many vacant positions and Student Council seats were filled, including for the Anti-Violence Coordinator, Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair and more.
The following students were approved to fill the vacancies on Student Council & Coordinating Council: Siwei Qian for the Student Council College of Agriculture & Life Science seat, George Graham for the Student Council School of Business seat, Hailey Ferguson for the Student Council School of Nursing seat and Shia Fisher, Ace Filter, Taryn Hanson, Jess Harlan, Bre Medina, Ethan Park and Dominic Zappia for open seats on Student Council for the College of Letters & Science. Landis Varughese was elected to the position of Anti-Violence Coordinator, Andrew Pietroske was elected Grant Allocation Committee Chair, Emmett Lockwood was elected Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair, and Dominic Zappia was elected Shared Governance Committee Chair.
Legislation regarding transfer student opportunities was presented by Representative & Student Activity Center Governing Board Vice Chair Ethan Dickler. Dickler highlighted his own experience as a transfer student and discussed the importance of a pre-enrollment academic advisor being available to incoming transfer students. Per the UW Transfer Transition Program website, a pre-enrollment academic advisor is not “currently” available to incoming transfer students. The Transfer Transition Program offers “Transfer student coordinators [who are] current UW-Madison students who have been through the transfer process before.” However, it is noted that Transfer Student Coordinators cannot discuss degree requirements, transfer credits or UW Madison course selection. The legislation, titled “Transfer Student Equity,” calls for re-funding the pre-enrollment academic advisor position for transfer students.
Representative Dickler’s legislation was later co-signed by Legislative Affairs Chair MGR Govindarajan, Representative Haochen Wang, Equity & Inclusion Chair Emmett Lockwood, and Shared Governance Chair Dominic Zappia, and passed with unanimous consent. This legislation can be viewed here.
The “Continue to Raise” Campaign legislation also passed unanimously at the Wednesday night meeting, marking the Associated Students of Madison’s commitment to fight for fair and equitable student wages across all campus employment units. This legislation has been previously introduced at the November 10th, 2022 Student Council Meeting. More information on the campaign can be found in the Press Release from the 11.10.22 meeting and in the legislation sponsored by Chair Ndemazea Fonkem.
Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair Emmett Lockwood introduced legislation in support of the UW Workers’ COVID Response Working Group. An open letter penned by the UW Worker’s COVID Working Group addressed to Chancellor Mnookin has received signatures from UW Madison students, staff and faculty, as well as from the greater Madison community. The legislation proposes support to the requests made in the open letter for the Spring 2023 semester. The open letter can be viewed here, and the proposed legislation can be viewed here. This legislation was tabled until a future Student Council meeting.
The next Student Council will be held next week on Wednesday, February 8th at 6:30 p.m. on the 4th floor of 333 East Campus Mall.
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-- Associated Students of Madison: Meghan Savaglia