ASM Passes Legislation to Improve the Hate and Bias Reporting Process
Posted: 2023-12-07 20:06:22 Expiration: 2033-12-15 20:06:22
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
7 December 2023
CONTACT:
Kate O’Malley, Press Office Director
press@asm.wisc.edu
262.665.8800
ASM Passes Legislation to Improve the Hate and Bias Reporting Process
MADISON, WI — This Wednesday, December 6th the Student Council met for the last time of the fall semester. Majority of the meeting was dedicated to the Restructuring of the Hate and Bias Reporting Process Legislation proposed by the Equity and Inclusion Committee, which included a presentation by the Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT) Chapter on their Dare to Divest campaign during the meeting.
The legislation was brought forward in response to the university’s inaction and lack of accountability regarding the many hate and/or bias crimes and racially motivated incidents that have occurred on campus. The university’s unresponsiveness has left many students, specifically students of color, feeling threatened and unsafe on their campus.
At the Open Forum portion of the meeting, students and members of both the student council and the LIT Chapter expressed their support for this legislation. Many students emphasized how the university’s inability to hold racist perpetrators accountable sets the precedent that hate crimes and racism are tolerated on this campus. Students also expressed how creating a more timely and responsive hate and bias reporting process is the necessary first step toward ensuring all impacted students feel heard and safe within this community.
“An administration that chooses to ignore the experiences of its students is repeating the same violence by isolating the student body that requires a sense of belonging,” says Open Forum Speaker and Coalition Chair for LIT, Spencer Runde. He adds, “Together we can create a university where inclusivity isn’t a utopian dream, but is a material lived reality for every individual that steps foot on this campus.”
President of LIT, Xochitl Quinones includes, “I have been the victim of several racist, xenophobic, sexist, and homophobic comments at the hands of classmates, alumni, and staff with no real way to hold these people accountable.”
The legislation is in collaboration with the LIT Chapter’s Dare to Divest campaign which provides a set of 6 core elements and demands for restructuring the overarching reporting process and plan to hold the university accountable and to be transparent with their students. We as ASM urge the university to take actionable steps to improve this system by following the demands provided. This legislation was passed by unanimous consent and can be viewed here.
Further business includes the ASM FY25 Internal Budget being passed for the second and final time; in addition to the Student Judiciary, Student Activity Center Governing Board and Student Services Finance Committee budgets being passed as well.
New appointments to the Student Council included swearing in two new College of Letters and Sciences Representatives, Charlotte Neumann and Ana Shriver.
Final business included approving 2 bills in which RSOs were granted over 2% of the ASM Travel and Event Grant budget line by the Grant Allocation Committee. All were passed under unanimous consent. Grant Allocation Committee Chair Amaya Boman also reintroduced legislation to amend the necessary secondary approval of Student Council for these grants, as required in the ASM Constitution. The legislation was passed for again and will be voted on for the last time on the student ballot in the spring.
The first Student Council meeting for the next semester is still yet to be determined.
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-- Associated Students of Madison: Kate O’Malley