The ASWSU Department of University Affairs is revisiting the idea of implementing a resource page to Canvas and creating a committee for the Title 9 Office. The Department for Legislative Affairs discussed efforts from Coug Day at the Capitol. 

According to Nikolai Sublett director of university affairs, last year a resolution was passed to implement an emergency resource tab on Canvas to make resources on campus more accessible to students.

However, the resolution was denied because of possible traffic that would come from people being on the page, Sublett said. 

“We’re gonna kind of revisit and talk about different options to really bring these resources to the forefront,” Sublett said. 

The department for university affairs is also working with the Title 9 office to create a committee as a way to improve the office, Sublett said.

“[We’re] really trying to make a lot of the resources and a lot of the training more accessible,” he said.

According to Sublett, the office wants to have more fliers with QR codes in private places, so people can feel comfortable scanning them with no one seeing, around campus to give people more access to these resources.

The office also wants to create a committee to help provide feedback to any type of harassment investigations without any bias towards the subject at hand, Sublett said.

Coug Day at the Capitol took place Jan. 23 where WSU students went to Olympia to lobby efforts geared to enable WSU students an opportunity to meet with state lawmakers and discuss highereducation priorities according to the WSU Government Relations website.

According to Savannah Eakin, deputy director of legislative affairs, Olympia is talking about not passing House Bill 1002also known as Sam’s Law, which turns hazing into a Class C felony.

Due to this decision, Eakin decided to incorporate efforts from the Interfraternity Council and involved thepresident and fraternity presidents to make sure the law goes through.

Students also advocated for a college grant and asked for 70% median family income and currently, the Senate is leaning towards a 65% median family income, Eakin said. Changing the median family income means that if families exceed more the 70% of the median family income they can not be eligible for the grant and WSU is attempting to get it down to 65% to make it more feasible for students. 

“At this rate is better than nothing because financial aid, right now, isn’t a really hot topic,” Eakin said.

According to Eakin, Olympia has seen a budget shortfall for the first time in eight years.

“So we have to take into consideration what’s more important to us,” Eakin said. 

House Bill 1522 was also discussed at the Capitol which requires institutions to ask and require applicants to sign statements regarding subsequent findings or investigations of sexual misconduct at scholarly or professional associations before an official offer to employment, Eakin said. 

“That is doing really well and it looks like it’s going to be very helpful,” Eakin said. 

Lastly, students advocating for a Native American scholarship which they thought was going to come to an end are back to the proposal, Eakin said. 

“I talked to the rep[representative] and she’s actually going to try to just advocate for WSU students, which would mean it’s a pilot program,” Eakin said.