The Associated Student Government discussed new methods of inclusivity to satisfy a diverse student body and reviewed a comprehensive “Strategic Plan” for City College at their Friday, Oct. 28 meeting.
The formation of a prayer room on East Campus has been in the works since early September and is now reaching its final stages of development. ASG will be touring a similar space on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara to inspire plans for City College’s own room.
Student Advocate Jonny Salmeron voiced his concerns about the lack of menstrual products that are available to students in the campus bathrooms, along with his plans to create a solution. Though there are places on campus that provide menstrual products they can’t be found in every single bathroom and they are not available past 5 p.m.
“It’s kind of ridiculous that you can’t get them past a certain time,” Salmeron said.
California’s Assembly Bill No. 367 requires community colleges to maintain menstrual products stocked in all women’s and all-gender restrooms, as well as in at least one male restroom.
“Hopefully we’re able to get them in every bathroom,” Salmeron said.
Members of the Strategic Planning Committee Z Reisz, Deborah Shepley, and Pam Luster presented a comprehensive plan to ASG of reaching out to different groups across campus in order to gather input and feedback on their plan. The Strategic Plan was created to translate issues relating to equity, campus climate, student resources, and academic excellence, among others, into tangible methods of action.
The inspiration for their plan can be summarized as “a sustainable approach to planning that builds relationships, aligns the organization, and emphasizes preparedness for change,” Shepley read from the Society for College and University Planning.
“Strategic planning is kind of our broadest framework for how we bring the college together and say what it is that we want to do with Santa Barbara City College,” Z Reisz said.
The plan would foster the execution of additional plans including the Student Equity Plan, and outline specific strategies to amend issues of inequity that arise in student programs.
President Chernor Diallo showed his support for the plan through an emphasis on the importance of being able to identify issues and form solutions to close equity gaps.
“Looking at the framework, again, I think it incorporates and embraces every idea about equity and student support,” Diallo said.
ASG discussed two events during their meeting, including Día de Los Muertos, which will be celebrated the week of Oct. 31 on campus through the activities that Commissioner of Events Evie Pazos Ramirez assisted in organizing.
Commissioner of Clubs and Organizations Emma Safahi announced a second club day that will be taking place within the next couple of weeks, though the exact date is still to be determined.
A date will be set for club day, and additional discussions for new projects and events will transpire at ASG’s next meeting Friday, Nov. 4.
