Inclusive Campus Initiative Virtual Community Forum 10.28.2022 Student Leader Advocacy
General Summary:
• Mental health and CAPS with Dr. Hingwe
• Ways to sustain yourself and maintain your mental health
• Working on advocacy for students of color and students from marginalized backgrounds.
• Student advocates share their work and what they’re advocating for.
Detailed Summary:
• Mental health and wellbeing action steps.
• Mental health Check-In questions to ask yourself daily.
• Questions for faculty and staff to think about after this VCF and think of what they have in place to support students from vulnerable populations.
• Crises resources
Panelists
Arianna Pittenger, The Directer of Equity and Anti-discrimination for the Council of Graduate Students
• Working with the college of social science on their DEI strategic plan.
Nadir Hamid, ASMSU Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer.
• Researching why students are not able to pursue and finish the goals that they have at the university during the four year timeline.
• Working on the student five-year DEI plan.
Connor Le, the ASMSU Representative for the Asian
Pacific American Student Organization.
• Building name changes and donor accountability policies with MSU
• Working on MSE becoming a sanctuary campus
• Focusing on trying to get large data points in diversity surveys into smaller units; having disaggregate data will allow MSU to look at what specific communities are struggling in, in order to help them.
Ishwari Kapale, ASMSU Representative for International Student Association.
• Major works include free menstrual products across campus. Improving lighting and building a fence around the red cedar river in order to enhance campus safety.
• Working to improve the ESM training workshops on campus, this bill is to gain more student input and inspire students to come out and report incidents of sexual violence.
• Working to improve the transportation services for international freshmen.
Neely Bardwell, Co-Chair for the North American Indigenous Student Organization.
• Working on changing the way the university views their land grant status. Educating students, staff, and faculty on the land grant history and how the university came to be.
• Advocating on MSU recognizing Indigenous peoples day officially.
• Advocating for the Morrill Hall to be changed.
Devin Roberts, Treasurer on the BSA E-board
• Importance of knowing history
• The goal of equity, inclusion, and inclusive campus forum.
Esli Mendoza, ASMSU Representative for Crew.
• Working on creating a safe environment for latinx students.
• Working on how to better support students on campus.
Maddie “Poppins” Tocco, Counsel Students with Disabilities Representative.
• Working on getting vaccination clinics set up around campus.
• Student advocacy.
Adam Arnold, Residence Hall Association Representative for the Jewish Student Union.
• Making sure bills are passing and helping students within the dorms.
• Working on collaborating with other groups on campus.
Michael Coffey, Cores and Cops Council of Rational Ethnic Students Chair
• Working on making cores and cops its own standing entity.
• Going over governance pieces.
• Working on how DEI can support marginalized students.
Questions:
How are students taking care of their mental health while balancing their advocacy and schoolwork?
• Prioritizing cultural events is a form of healing.
• Asking yourself if it will feel good to be in a certain role and if it’s worthwhile.
How can staff, faculty, and administration help support student advocacy?
• Get out and talk to students at organizations.
• Promptly responding to students and being involved in the issues being brought up to them.
• Upper administration taking action on students’ concerns.
Do you like your role as student advocates?