The University of Rhode Island student senate discussed strengthening unity on the senate board, Disability, Access and Inclusion plans at URI, heard a proposal for a sustainability center and announced a new chair of the Student Organization Committee.
External Affairs Committee Chair Kendal McCloskey reminded the senate that it was National Kindness Day during the meeting. Student senate President Argha Goswami acknowledged that some senate members may feel a disconnect between one another outside the student senate space.
Goswami proposed the idea of the board going around the room sharing one random fact about each other that would not be known to the other senate members. Each member participated in the activity.
Goswami concluded by asking if the members felt heard in the senate and asked for feedback on how members could feel more heard. Sen. Kairy Elizabeth Gonzalez expressed she felt heard sometimes but not all the time.
Speaker of Assembly Lauren Peckham reminded the senate to continue to encourage students to comment on the URI policy change forum. Peckham said the commenting period is open until Friday.
Director of the Disability Access and Inclusion office Paige Ramsdell held a presentation to share more about her team and the work they do.
“Our mission is to collaborate with the URI community to create equitable access by design,” Ramsdell said. “My job is always to raise the bar – to help people decide things more inclusively from the start so that hopefully people will need fewer accommodations.”
Ramsdell explained how her team will help to make sure that enough access is provided to students in as many ways as possible.
“I can’t change the K-12 system, but I can change the experiences of students here at URI,” Ramsdell said.
Ramsdell provided her contact information for students interested in learning more about DAI’s plan and how students can get the resources they need.
The president of sustainability management, Dylan Murdock, and the sustainability vice president and project manager, Sen. Kiersten Sundell, proposed the idea for a sustainability center. Their proposal was to gain support from the student senate on the student-driven initiative.
The proposal, which has been in the works for two years, laid out the plans and ideas towards revolutionizing sustainability on campus, Sundell said. Murdock said that he and the students on the project are looking for opportunities to push the project forward.
“We are here today at the senate to make this work,” Murdock said. “We need that initial sustainability coordinator so we can start taking this information in databases we’ve already created about all the different projects, programs and connections on this campus and start taking action on a larger level.”
Sen. Jacob Milner was sworn into position as the new chair of the Student Organization Committee after Sen. Joey Hook stepped down from the position. Peckham nominated Milner and was seconded by Academic Affairs Committee Chair Hannah Collins.
The next student senate meeting will take place on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Room 300.