ASWSU is considering adding a new opt-in fee that would support the United States Student Association.
Bhargav Iyer, ASWSU Director of Legislative Affairs, discussed the possibility of a new fee implementation brought up during an Interim Governance Council meeting. IGC is the governing arm of the USSA.
The fee implementation, which currently has no defined low and a high of $11.98 per full-time enrolled student, would come out of the Services and Activities fee budget and look like an opt-in fee model if executed. The money would support USSA and the IGC, which, according to Iyer, is in distress financially.
“That is something I have a particular concern with, considering that: one, we are struggling to make ends meet as it is” Iyer said. “[It] is an incredible amount that we cannot pay ever, especially right now.”
Being a part of the USSA’s legislative committee, Iyer hopes to reduce the fee structure to something more manageable and is currently considering running for vice chair for the legislative committee.
“The biggest goal right now is to make sure that we are in a spot in which we can actively communicate with them and make our needs their needs,” Iyer said. “We’re going to be working within another budget deficit this year most likely. We need to have as many people on board and as many legislators on our side as we can, and that is something that we’re working on throughout the year.”
ASWSU has been apart of IGC since last year.
Katelyn Moriwaki, Director of University Affairs, said that she is currently working with the Department of Chemistry to help increase attendance and to raise the C-average by arranging new STEM-centered focus tables in the Troy building.
These focus tables will be for the chemistry classes 101, 102, 105, 106, and possibly 397. While the focus tables are starting for chemistry, Moriwaki is hoping to expand them into other UCORE classes.
“Our goal is to help host these focus tables, working with the TAs and being able to understand where the students’ struggles are. Whether it’s they failed an exam and they don’t think they can catch up, or it’s being able to understand what their needs are in this class and help them get above that C- without taking that integrity away from the rest of the students who do show up to class,” said Moriwaki.
Deputy Director of Student and Academic Affairs, Marian Alaniz, is currently working to reinstate WSU’s University Affairs Committee.
“It’s in our bylaws that our department has a committee under us, but it just hasn’t been active,” Alaniz said. “We will meet monthly to share student concerns or issues.”
Both Alaniz and Moriwaki spoke about Run for Campus Safety, which will be held on Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the WSU VetMed School Parking Lot.
Two new clubs are also coming to WSU. The first is debate club, which is currently active with a specific focus on debating about labor laws this semester. The second is mock trial, which is a club WSU had previously that, due to poor usage of funding, was shut down. It is currently in the process of trying to get established once again.
Two freshmen delegate positions are currently open.
