ASWSU discussed making cultural competency training mandatory for all incoming students of WSU in response to a student sit-in.

The funds for the program would come from the fees new students pay for Summer Alive! sessions, said Sen. Kacie Kubosomi of the Carson College.

The program would happen during the Week of Welcome, Kubosomi said, during the required Health and Wellness meetings.

Senators talked about their personal experiences with the cultural competency program, which they said would be beneficial as a requirement for all students.

“It would really help out with understanding culture and our campus climate now,” Kubosomi said, who has gone through the training as an orientation counselor.

She said the intention of the program is to teach implicit biases and help incoming students understand and learn how to interact with people from other cultures.

Carson College Sen. Jesus Hernandez also took part of the program through “Wake Up WSU,” which helps to provide cultural literacy.

“A lot of the terms people use can be very derogatory and offensive,“ Hernandez said, “Cultural competency encompasses that and educates students on how that can be dehumanizing.”

ASWSU also approved of two bills to add the director of community affairs to a staple list of ASWSU executive officers, as well as defining the role of the director from the department.

During the discussion, Kubosomi said that the decision would provide clarity to how the executives decided to run.

In regards to the Pullman City Council and ASWSU joint meeting, Rudy Trejo, associate director of Student Involvement recommended productive ways to work with city council members.