Forming a standing student-faculty committee in which students may propose projects and voice their opinions regarding campus spaces and reconciling the institutional history of Williams (currently moving forward with senior staff on this topic)
The first project on the docket being our “Written in Stone” proposal advocating that the marble benches around campus be engraved with writing, quotes, artwork to acknowledge underrepresented histories on campus
Advocating that the college commit to changes regarding the Haystack Monument
Within the short term, change the Mission Park plaques
Within the short term, collect student/stakeholder opinions
Committee Feedback
Holding monthly meetings and regular communications with the Office of Admission and Financial Aid
Discussing ways to increase the ease and equity within college admissions project
Having a student representative attending the Health Committee meetings
Advocating the improvement of quarantine condition, specifically through improved communication of CSS and the Health Center
Participating in the Student Leadership Roundtable
Alongside other important student organizations, we send a representative to the Roundtable organized by Dean Sandstrom to discuss current issues that effect all of campus
Meeting with the CSS Director Finalist Candidates
Alongside others, we are participating in the final selection of the new CSS director by attending their interviews and giving our thoughts on each candidate
WSU-Specific Communication
Increasing our presence and self-organization on publicly accessible platforms (Instagram, Website, Archives, Bylaws)
Past Projects (within the last year):
Free University
Revived Free University, a program in which students can lead classes to encourage extracurricular learning and recreation for other students during the winter study period
Launched 48 classes with over 600 participants enrolled
Mental Health
Partnered with Converging Worlds and IWS to hold a Mental Health Forum for students to air their current opinions on how the mental health support provided on campus can be improved
Created a guide to mental health resources on campus that was distributed to student leaders to pass on to RSO’s membership
Contacted deans advising regarding increased support and communication to first-years regarding educational/career advising as well as mental health resource distribution
Health Days
Created and circulated a petition, which garnered over 600 signatures, advocating that professors protect the quality of the Health Days within their syllabus through maintaining a series of recommendations
This petition was then distributed to professors and faculty across all departments
Alumni Series
Partnered with the Career Center for the Debunking the Myth of the Perfect Williams series
Held four alumni panels featuring twelve special guests in four industries (medicine, education, public health research, and theatre production)
Focused the panels on addressing how alumni were still able to succeed despite significant struggles or setbacks during their time at Williams
WSU is currently discussing continuing this series in the future
Reclamation
Held Claiming Williams Event, with 66 attendees, focusing on college monuments
Started off with a lecture about the Haystack and ways to discuss historical monuments
This followed with breakout rooms in which participants conducted research about a specific topic
Ended with an open discussion synthesizing what was learned in different groups and what ideas and lessons should be kept in mind when approaching campus reclamation
Black Lives Matter Archive
Partnered with Special Collections to create an archive for students to submit their thoughts, art, writings regarding Black Lives Matter, and the racial violence committed against Black bodies internationally
Recognizing students of marginalized backgrounds often have to help their entry mates contextualize the texts during the Williams Reads programming, which ultimately assigns them undue amounts of emotional labor and recognizing the events of this past summer, WSU partnered with the CDC in providing freshmen a supplemental guide to their reading, Subject to Change: Trans Poetry & Conversation
