ASWSU welcomed WSU Police Chief, Gary Jenkins and Sean Greene, associate vice chancellor for facilities and operations, to speak at their weekly meeting Wednesday.

Greene said the two of them were there to answer questions related to safety on campus. First, he said card swipe access into residence halls does not necessarily add to room security but that the card access does add accountability so they can identify who went in what room. 

When asked about possibly providing students with updates on events happening on campus, because students are given updates through email about important incidents, Jenkins said emails are already sent to students to update on important information. He recommended following the WSU Police Department Facebook page because they post updates on incidents there.

On the issue of installing cameras in certain buildings on campus, there were plans when the Compton Union Building was originally renovated in 2006–07 to install cameras in certain areas, but this idea was seen as an invasion of privacy by students, Greene said. 

Any cameras that may be installed now would not be put in the hallways, but instead in entryways, Greene said. He would like to hear feedback from students about public consensus now, as he believes it has shifted over time. 

Greene said the current cameras on WSU’s campus are pretty well spread out and not all designated to one area. In addition to that, he said the refurbishments with Rogers Hall are continuing and will be coming back online next fall.

There are varying levels of expense for students living on campus depending on where they live, but the newer halls are generally the most expensive to live in, Greene said. When asked about the possibility of overbooking the cheapest halls available, he said that has not been a problem at the moment.

The senators also heard from Gabriela Rodriguez-Garcilazo, director of health and safety. She said they are currently working on CPR training, although the number of attendees is yet to be determined. 

Rodriguez-Garcilazo said she is planning for sexual assault awareness week to be April 10–14 and is speaking to Alternatives to Violence on the Palouse to set up some workshops. 

The senators next heard from Alvin Azana, deputy director of diversity and inclusion. He encouraged everyone who had not attended the inclusive language workshop to reach out to him and on March 2, they will be hosting a talking circle where they plan to discuss imposter syndrome.

Chelsey Crowne, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals coordinator, said they are working on an annual event called Dance Marathon, a fundraiser for children’s hospitals, which will be coming to WSU this year.

Crowne said the program is a big help in supporting these hospitals. The event will take place sometime in spring 2024 and at the moment they are recruiting students who are interested in helping.

The senators voted to approve Bill 52-34, which officially approved ASWSU President Jacob Martinez having his monthly meetings with Chancellor Elizabeth Chilton instead of President Kirk Schulz because he is no longer on the Pullman campus.

Finally, the senators reviewed a message they received from GPSA President Samantha Edgerton asking where they stand on the proposed student fee increase that they are presenting to GPSA on Monday, which the senators said they have not discussed as of yet. 

The senators said the main concern from GPSA seems to be that they believe transportation is trying to push them to vote a certain way. At the moment the senators decided not to officially comment on the issue because stating their opinions about increasing the budget could be considered a conflict of interest.

The senators plan to meet with transportation on March 22.