Graduate Student Senate passed a resolution to form a task force to support international, immigrant and undocumented students’ rights.
The task force will be for GSS members and will include six members who sponsored a resolution to passed in February to help those students. Members think the task force is important to show the general body is staying on top of what the university is doing to support international students throughout President Donald Trump's administration.
The previous resolution asked the university to add citizenship status as a protected category in the university's harassment policy and that the university would not allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal immigration agencies into restricted access spaces on campus, such as residence halls.
“We wanted to see the requests of the resolution through,” Elliot Long, department representative for interdisciplinary arts, said. “There were eight separate requests (for the university), and it felt important.”
Ohio University interim President David Descutner addressed GSS members’ questions about how the Office of the President will continue to support international students, in addition about the university budget and sustainability.
Fatma Jabbari, international affairs commissioner, asked Descutner if international students would be able to have a choice in the health insurance they use, instead of being required to pay for the university’s insurance plan.
“As of now, we only have one option, which is what the university recommends is what we have to get,” Jabbari said. “We are OK with the university assisting us in looking at our health care providers, but at the same time we would like to see a
Vice Provost for Global Affairs LJ Edmonds said it is in the best interest of international students to have the insurance the university suggests. She said there had been an incident previously when a student didn’t have the coverage suggested by the university, causing many problems for that student’s family.
Bahman Shahri,
In addition to discussing support for international students, GSS voted to allow electronic voting on time-sensitive resolutions. Chris Glick, political science department representative and a sponsor
“I think it’s a necessary step for Graduate Student Senate in addressing needs as they arise,” Seth Baker, department representative for international development studies, said.
Additionally, the body voted to amend the Rules and Procedures document to include language about new member training and a resolution to appoint a new member, Sheetal Dakshina Murthy, to be the department representative for civil engineering.
