Recap of February 17 ASUAF meeting

By Jonathan Wasilewski

At their weekly meeting on February 17, the Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, or ASUAF, discussed a bill reflecting changes to Title IX, ASUAF’s role in a bowling match on Giving Day, and eight different travel funding requests. It was decided that the February 25 ASUAF meeting would be canceled because some senators will be in Juneau; the next one will take place on March 3.

The Title IX bill, which updates training for the fall semester, will have a new module that focuses on reporting incidents and details clear explanations of Title IX violation behaviors. Per the U.S. Department of Education, Title IX is a 1972 amendment that prohibits gender discrimination in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.

Concerning the bill and Title IX, it was mentioned in a previous meeting that awareness without action is apathy, and implementing effective solutions without acknowledging campus safety concerns can amount to institutional indifference.

Finance Committee Chair Eugene Wiltz mentioned that the improvement to Title IX will cost $5,000, which Wiltz said ASUAF can cover from existing savings. Wiltz mentioned that ASUAF has six times that amount, but ASUAF President Jackson Nelson, attending via Zoom, brought up unanticipated expenses and not wanting to overspend.

“We’re figuring things out with the budget currently,” Nelson said. “It may be a good idea to table this until the next senate meeting so I can look at the implications of what that [$5,000] would look like.” 

The bill was sent to the Finance Committee after it was voted on.

Senators also passed a resolution urging faculty and administration to let students vote on academic appeals committees, which review disputes over grades or other academic rulings. Previously, only faculty members were allowed to vote. 

After External Affairs Committee Chair Brynn Illingworth asked if the resolution had fiscal impact and Rules Committee Chair Alexander Glackin affirmed it did not; it was passed unanimously.

ASUAF prepared for Giving Day, a 49-hour fundraising event in March. The student government will be holding a bowling match March 23-25 in the Wood Center, awarding $500 to the first-place organization, split evenly between a Giving Day cause and the winning team. The second place team will be awarded $150, and the third will be awarded $100, although no donations will be given by ASUAF to these second and third place teams.

After discussion, ASUAF will participate as a “ghost” team and forgo winnings if placed in the top three.

Nine bills were referred to the Finance Committee in the meeting. Seven bills were travel grants, one was for purchasing poster-making supplies with a cost of $75, and the other one sponsored content creation equipment, like a wireless microphone and yearly subscription to the editing program CapCut Pro, with a total cost of $600.

In the update portion of the meeting, Senate Chair Bonnie Brennen noted that Nelson will be in Juneau until February 25 and will be traveling to East Africa from March 4-19. According to Brennen, Nelson is also running for re-election as ASUAF president.

The Club Council approved six bills for clubs funding, and Director of Public Relations Lilly Varney mentioned recent campus events including the Winter Carnival and the Pasta Cookoff. According to Varney, the Winter Carnival was “fun,” and the Pasta Cookoff “went well.”

“We’re working on getting Spring Fest ready,” Varney said.

It was mentioned in an earlier meeting that student government nominations are currently open; they will close February 28. If students are interested in serving on the senate next year, now is the time to get on the ballot. Students need three nominations to get on the ballot for a Senator position.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m. after starting late in the BP Design Theater in the Usubelli Building. Future meetings will still be held in the Wood Center.

ASUAF meets every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Students are welcome to join and voice concerns to the members of the senate. For students not attending in-person, Zoom links are available at www.uaf.edu/asuaf/meetings