The ASWSU Senate delivered a resolution to the Department of Residence Life emphasizing the need for a transparent appeals process for paraprofessionals who undergo termination.

At their Wednesday meeting in CUB 204, The Senate unanimously approved a motion to provide more than 150 WSU sponsors and resident advisors with a chance to justify their actions upon facing termination.

Residence Life is one of few employers at WSU without an appeals process for fired employees, according to Resolution 43-02.

A former sponsor of Stimson Hall, Tristan Hanon, said many refrain from speaking out due to fear of repercussions.

“There’s a culture of fear within residence life,” said Tristan Hanon, former ASWSU director of legislative affairs.

Hanon said the last two years have been flooded with incidences in which students were given no opportunity to appeal being fired from their positions as on-campus paraprofessionals.

“Several of my best friends were fired last year and are scared to come before you and say what happened,” Hanon said. “A simple disagreement with a hall director is enough to fire someone.”

Hanon applied this year to become a sponsor for Stimson Hall but was denied the position because he, along with others, had spoken out against the hall director’s alleged manipulation of the sponsor system.

“Within Stimson alone, three sponsors were fired and one resigned,” Hanon said.

Hanon said two former sponsors were unable to attend WSU this year due to the controversy that surrounds Stimson Hall.

He said one of his friends has been living in his car due to financial difficulties resulting from his termination from Residence Life.

“This is from a department of the university who says they’re focused on community,” Hanon said.

This issue does not only involve Stimson, Hanon said. He said it affects various residence halls across the WSU campus.

Over the summer Sen. Hayley Hohman worked at McDonalds, where she received a contract that stated after 90 days of employment she could not be fired at will.

“In Residence Life, when you have your food and housing tied to it, you can be fired at will at any time,” Hohman said. “McDonalds affords more rights than our university does.”

The resolution states individuals who have been fired are required to “relocate immediately following termination.” Hohman said being barred from ever stepping foot in a given hall upon termination is a corruption of community.

“Especially if you’re an RA or a sponsor, you really develop a community with those people and that becomes your home,” she said. “To be kicked out within 48 hours is just unfortunate.”

Hohman was not the only senator displeased by the inadequate disciplinary cycle and lack of an appeals process.

Sen. Jacob Montaño explained that ASWSU plans to forward the contents of the resolution to President Taylor Hennessey, RHA President Ryan Baye and John Fraire, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment.

“We are trying to improve not only upon the contract but also upon the system itself to show that WSU does care about their students and won’t put them through this ordeal that many people have suffered through,” Montaño said.