The ASWSU senators heard progress updates from the Chief of Staff and diversity, inclusion and veterans affairs department along with leaders from the Dean of Students Office.

Alvin Azana, diversity, inclusion and veterans affairs department director, said the department will be directing its attention towards WSU’s Black Student Union this month, in order to cooperate with them on events for Black History Month.

Chief of Staff Bailey Berger said she plans on working closely with BSU this upcoming month.

Dr. Jenna Hyatt, dean of students and interim vice chancellor of student affairs, then presented the leading members of the dean of students office to the senators, in order to explain the various campus partnerships at WSU.

Dr. Heather Case, associate dean for students and care case management director, said she is part of the Student Care Network team, which is a program at WSU that allows students to refer themselves or others for access to resources and early intervention regarding their emotional and physical well-being, academic performance, or access to financial, food or housing assistance.

“We want to be a bridge to help students when they’re experiencing an emergency so that they feel like ‘I can focus on this, and I can get to my professor when I have time,’” she said.

Case said the Student Care Network can be the difference between a student graduating or being recessed. She shared some information regarding the impact on students following the implementation of Academic Regulation 38B.

“247 first-year students were recessed – only 15% of those students had been referred to the student care team,” she said. “85% of those students didn’t even have an opportunity to engage with the resources that we provide.”

Case said the dean of students office supports an emergency funding, which can be requested by any student to pay off any expenses they have outside of WSU, such as rent, utility bills, or hospital bills.

Karen Metzner, associate dean of students and center of community standards director, said the Center for Community Standards focuses on supporting students and upholding their rights and responsibilities, Metzner said, as well as holding students accountable for behaviors that conflict with community expectations.

Case said the programs supported by the dean of students office should be advertised more to students, and said that it is their ultimate goal to help all students graduate and allow them to be successful in the future.

“We want you all to persist to graduation,” she said. “There is nothing else that will change your life more than getting your undergraduate degree.”

The senators then confirmed the chair positions for the Gender & Sexuality Alliance, the International Students Council and the Middle Eastern Student Association. Destiny Walker, Tammy Ha and Robin Javid were all unanimously confirmed for the chair positions, respectively.

ASWSU meets at 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday in CUB 204.