Photo courtesy of Xavier University | The full executive platform of ASR.
Editor’s Note: The following text has not been edited and is being shown as provided by ASR. Only the formatting has been changed.
We strive for a campus who thinks not about themselves but of their neighbor. Our Xavier community is like a Rubix Cube. We are made up of a diverse student body, but in order to solve the Rubix Cube (or issue) we must work with all the sides of the Rubix cube in order for it to be solved. By doing this we will create a safer, healthie,r and more inclusive neighborhood for eachother.
Platform
Diversity is attending the dance, but Inclusion is being asked to dance.
Here at Xavier we have always been working to make our school more diverse each and every year which is why we have students from all places, ideas and backgrounds. That is why Collegefactaul.com has us ranked well above the National Average and in above many other Mid-West schools on the buzzword, Diversity. Although, we have all this diversity we forget the second step, Inclusivity. Being inclusive means interacting with others who you normally do not interact with. So how will we make SGA and the student body to become more inclusive and why is it important?
The Presence of SGA
We firmly believe that SGA is an organization that should serve the student body and its 160+ clubs and organization. It should show the example and be at meetings of these clubs. Since many have great ideas on tackling the same issues that SGA wishes to tackle as well.
Each Club and Organization has its struggles through the year and with the presence of the SGA executives at their meetings will allow the budget process in the Spring Semester to be smoother. It will also allow SGA to be more up to date with the students it serves. We do not believe that you and your club and/or organization should work around our schedule as we want to work around your schedule and meet when you wish to meet.
We truly care about the student body and we will take the first step in making sure all corners of campus become inclusive and make sure SGA is present not just through a stamp on flyer.
Greek Life on Campus is something that isn’t talked about much and it should be since it is present on our campus and we want students to be aware of it. We want to break down the stigma of only having “Black frats/sororities” and the “Business Frats”. All of the Greek Life on campus have and continue to make a difference on campus and also have concerns on issues that many students are concerned. However, many of us are unaware of what they do and this should not be the case. A Greek Week, should be implied just like they are at other Universities
Transparency is important to us, which is why we are going to make a commitment as a ticket to submit a bi-weekly video on progress we are making in SGA. This video will be a posted on all of the ticket’s social media accounts for all students to watch, because we believe you should not just have to be on SGA to know what is happening on campus.
Student Organization Committee (SOC)
The Student Organization Committee is a very important and hard working committee within SGA. They are a group of Senators who work in creating a fair budget for student organizations. I am firm believer that in the few minutes the clubs have to present what they want to do in a year is not fair or effective in making sure clubs move forward and afloat. As well as the executives, the members of SOC will be reminded to attend meetings of clubs. This way the can picture and personally see the struggles and ideas these clubs face.
Free Food Friday
During the school year for at least once a month, SGA, would be partnering up with another club and/or organization on campus to provided students a different and free option of food on campus. By doing this, we are able to work with other groups on more relaxed things. Creating a relationship with all the clubs and organization. We also believe that you deserve a different option for food after doing an incredible amount of work during the month because inclusivity isn’t always about race but other things as well. Inclusivity is becoming more involved with others who you normally do not.
It’s on X
“It’s on X” is Xavier’s social movement on ending Sexual Assault on our campus. The United States Department of Justice highlights that “one (1) our every four (4) female undergraduates will be a victim to some form of sexual assault before graduation.” While the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) “estimates that at least 95% of campus rapes in the U.S. go unreported.” RAINN (the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) recently reported ‘that someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted every 98 seconds.” It is clear that we need to become more educated on the subject, take the lead in the conversation as students to create change because the stigma of victim blaming the victim is wrong and morally wrong to say. So what will ASR do to keep the movement alive and strong?
Awareness of the Issue
You may or may not know what Sexual Assault is but you will be provided a clear explanation of what Sexual Assault is and how it affects all of us on campus. This will be through a week of education that will occur in the Fall Semester as we want the following Executives to continue this social movement and the incoming First-Years to become aware of this movement.
Becoming educated and ally
“Victims are not to be blamed” – many students have a stigma that the victim is to be blamed and we want to educate to end that stigma through events on campus and working with other clubs and organization. Since this is a topic that is still talked about and many tend to blame the victim.
“The Bystander Effect” – is when individuals are less likely to offer help when others are around. Reasons could be that they do not know what to say or do. So they remain silent and they shouldn’t. So educating the Xavier population to say something when they see something because odds are someone else is thinking the same thing and this would be through an event during the “It’s on X” campaign.
“Watch Your Drinks” – Just a few miles from Xavier many bars and night clubs are located. It is important to educate our students how to watch out for their drinks because there have been occasions when many drinks have been tempered. So bring students to see the tools they could use to be safe when they go out either on or off-campus through a program collaborating with other clubs.
Nail Polish
Coasters
Advice on what to do when you are out drinking
Campus Health, Safety & Security
In the recent months many of us have heard about the UDF robberies and other safety and security issues that are occurring around campus. We have also been very concern with the way Xavier has been responding with helping students through counseling. Especially, with the recent natural disasters that have affected some of our Xavier family members. What does ASR want to do to make Xavier safer and more secure? What do we want to change with counseling?
Nightly X-Press
A handicap accessible shuttle that will run during the night on the days and times that Xavier students feel they should be operating at. This shuttle will take and pick up students at locations not just on campus but off-campus as well. The reason is we feel as students should not have to leave campus early due to it getting darker earlier or colder than having the worry on how they will get home if they live off-campus. This shuttle will allow you to use the resources on campus during late hours and still have a ride to you home off-campus. We have a planned route but we wish to survey the student body what streets around Xavier should be added to the route.
The current route would be 20-25mins and it is:
- Fenwick Place
- Dana Avenue
- The Village Apartments
- Cleanay Avenue
- Hudson Avenue
- Wayland Avenue
- Regent Avenue
- Then back to Fenwick Place
Active Shooter Training
Citizen Crime Commission, an organization that focuses on criminal justice and public safety policy reform, did a study from 2001 to 2016 on College Campus active shooting and highlighted that there has been an increase of 153% from active shootings on college campuses since 2001. Last year, 101 incidents of active shooters occurred on college campuses. ASR believes students must receiving training on what do just like we have received training on what to do during a fire emergency. Since some building like Alter and Smith are advance in certain areas they lack in being safe in such situation and may be seen as “fish bowls”.
Active Shooter Simulation
Have a program where students can be tested by XUPD and see if they would know what to do during such an event just like much of factually and staff is trained. Then after students to be taken to another room to be educated on what to do if such event.
We are aware some students may panic during such simulation so we will also have First Responders and counselors on site for the health of students
Create a video with Xavier Students on what to do if such event occurs and bring awareness to this and make sure students are trained.
Xavier Students and our community
We strongly believe the relationship between the surrounding communities and Xavier students should become stronger. Whether you live on or off-campus, this Xavier community and the surroundings are your home. We need to become better neighbors, improve the relationship with the police, and know about what our cities are doing because we are residence in of those cities as well.
Police Interactions with Students
We want to see more interaction from XUPD and make sure they can trust in them when help is needed. They are here to serve and protect the students.
We would join events like Fall Fest, an event that ASA, BSA and HOLA co-host already with XUPD during the beginning of the Fall Semester and bring more students to this out on yard day where XUPD cooks and plays games with the students creating a better relationship between students and XUPD
Being a Better Neighbor
Recently the communities around Xavier have not been too pleased with students. We want to make sure students receive advice on how to become a better neighbors. ASR as well wants to attend the City Council meetings due to knowing that certain communities having formed committees to end Xavier Parties and we want to understand why they decided to. Since we are a firm believe that college student will be college student and they should be let to be college students. And students need to be aware that they want students to go through the Criminal Justice system if they have a party then go through Xavier’s conduct board and we don’t want this to happen and want students to be aware what the communities are doing because too are part of those communities.
What CONDOMents do you need?
We believe that condoms, birth control and feminine hygiene should be given on campus even with the beliefs the university has. So we want to start the conversation again and see the possibilities on these three things being offered on campus just like they are on other campuses. How will we start the conversation?
Condoms
Survey students on all three needs on campus and seek a possibility to bring them on campus for students. Since it is an inconvenience for students to have to go out of their way to purchase them when the university could supply them to keep us students safe and healthy from Sexual Transmitted Diseases.
Birth Control
Birth control isn’t used just for preventing the unintended pregnancies, it also regulates the menstrual cycle for the users, minimize painful symptoms of the menstrual cycle and other various health issues. We need Administration to understand that this is a need for students.
Feminine Hygiene
These products are a highly expense even at Xavier. We want to be able to provide these products at a discrete location for students to be able to use them when needed. This can be the main source of the student or just an emergency source for the student but it should be offered.
All of these issues will be surveyed and a forum will be made in order to have student address how they feel about not having them offered inviting Administration to hear us, the students.
Counseling
With the recent natural disasters that have occurred in the beginning of the year, we feel that our mental health services should reach out to students who specifically live in the affected areas, such as sending a personal email, to make sure students are aware of their resources on campus. It also very important that no one is ever turned away from any type of counseling, allowing any student to seek a counselor whenever they need it.
Sustainability
Sustainability is an important issue to address as we need to be taking care of our big home, planet earth. Xavier has a recycling system but more can be done. ASR will look more into Xavier and its flaws in and want to make sure students have more of a reason to be able to use their sustainable bottle than just filling them up with water. What are our ideas to make this change?
Going Green While Saving Your Green
This is our idea on sitting down with the food companies on campus and seeking for them to provide a lower price for students who buy drinks but with their sustainable bottles. This would promote Xavier students to become more sustainability and save their money.Green with Greeks – work with Greek organization and others on education Xavier on how to become more sustainable and work together for a better recycling system.
Conduct Board
ASR believes the conduct board needs to be less about fines and more on educating students on the wrong they did and why it was wrong. As for us a fine never truly educates the students or stops the student from doing such action again. What is our plan?
Hearings
Students need to see the Level one and two hearings on more of a one on one case. Instead, for many students it feels as they go through a checklist when they have a hearing then are giving the consequences.
Service Alternative to Documentation Fines Program (SAP)
We also want to work with SAP to have service sites that are more effective to students in order for them to be able to reflect about their decision.
LGBTQIA & Accessibility on Campus
ASR knows that there is various locations on campus that already have All Gender bathrooms. We want to bring more awareness to this not just for our students but for our visitors as well. We are also aware of various non-handicap friendly locations. We want to make sure these places become more accessible and that the University takes care of the bill. What will ASR do?
Bathrooms
All gender bathrooms are located in various parts of campus. We want to make sure students and our visitors are aware of their location. If the need for more is needed in certain location we wish to work with Physical Plant and campus to make sure more are created.
Handicap Accessibility
In order to make this campus handicap we want to have student who face this challenge each and every day be involved in the conversation. If they are not then we can truly not serve to their needs. We need to go through them and create a plan and will take the first step to reach out to them and have them point out the difficulties they face. As well as review the report of How Handicap Assessable Xavier University is since Xavier hired someone to go around campus and grade our university on this issue.
Video
We want to create a video much like Occupation Therapy (OT) students do and conduct conversations with Faculty, Staff and students seeing what those who are handicapped go through every day and make sure Administration take the next steps to change campus and make it more accessible to everyone.
DREAMers
The DREAMers are student who were born in another country and brought to the U.S. undocumented. However, they now attend school, have jobs, and move the economy due to former President Obama executive action named, DACA. DACA will be removed if congress decided not to act in the upcoming months. Then these students will be in fear and some of these students attend our university. We want to let them know that we are here For and With them. Since according to USA Today College, about 65,000 undocumented students graduate annually and they are looking for new colleges to attend and we want to make sure they know that Xavier will work with them and help them thru Xavier. How are we going to accomplish this?
Scholarship Fund
We understand that college is expensive for all of us but we you cannot take out a loan or receive funds from the FASFA it can become difficult to attend and afford college. ASR wants to create a scholarship fund through donations for these students that will help them in anyway.
DREAMer’s Day
An event that if congress creates a legislation that will help these students we want to have a day on campus were one can call Ohio senators and their government leaders from back home to support it. This event will include a letter station and telephonethon for students to express their support and to encourage their political activism since this issue is not a political party issue; it’s a human rights issue.
To view the platforms for JBC and VMR, click here and here, respectively.
