This column keeps readers informed about upcoming ASUW events and current legislation, such as a forum with two UW regents and the resolutions being discussed by the Student Senate and the Board of Directors.
UW regents forum
At the Jan. 31 Student Senate meeting, ASUW Senators were joined by UW Regents Bill Gates, Sr. and Sally Jewell. The regents presented on three main talking points and then answered students’ questions. In their presentation, the regents addressed how they would like to see the university change in five years, what sort of creative ideas they have for dealing with the UW budget, and what “local control” currently means for students.
“I would like to see the state step up and say, ‘Higher-education is a very important investment in the future of our state,’” Jewell said.
The regents also answered questions from students about positive things currently happening at the university, their most difficult decisions as regents, the growing “education bubble” of graduates without jobs, the high-tuition, high-aid model, the future of private support for higher education, and about how students can get more involved with advocating for higher education.
“There are stunning things happening [at the UW], things of enormous value to society,” Gates said. “At the same time, there are extraordinary opportunities for students here.”
A resolution expressing opposition to SOPA and PIPA
At the same meeting last week, an amended version of ASUW Senator Kevin Shotwell’s resolution opposing the Stop Online Piracy Act passed in senate by a vote of 95-0-3.
Among the amendments made to the resolution during its second reading was the incorporation of PIPA, the Protect IP Act, which is a U.S. Senate bill very similar to SOPA. The resolution’s title was officially amended from “A Resolution Expressing Opposition to SOPA” to “A Resolution Expressing Opposition to SOPA and PIPA.”
A “that” clause was also added, which states, “That the ASUW also opposes any similar legislation that lacks safe harbor provisions.” Safe harbor provisions protect content providers from being liable for their users’ copyright infringement.
Although the SOPA bill in the House of Representatives was recently withdrawn, “The ideas behind SOPA are still very much alive,” Shotwell said.
A resolution in support of reducing the foreign language graduation requirement
A controversial resolution in favor of reducing the foreign language graduation requirement from 15 credits to 10 credits, which is the requirement of UW Bothell and Tacoma campuses, failed in ASUW Senate last week by a vote of 18-64-17.
Many senators opposed the resolution, as it would allow students to fulfill their language graduation requirement with two years of high-school language classes, which is the current entrance language requirement for the UW. This may dissuade many students from taking foreign language classes, which, many senators argued, would be detrimental for both the UW and for UW students.
OGR legislative update
At the Feb. 2 Board of Directors meeting, the Office of Government Relations (OGR) updated the board on its current legislation.
OGR Director Andrew Lewis said the bills focused on shared governance, which would institutionalize student committees that contribute to university decisions, were “shelved until next year.”
However, shared governance is “by no means completely dead,” said Lewis, who was able to “tack on” shared-governance principles to the differential tuition bill.
This “heavily amended” version of the differential tuition bill recently passed the state’s Senate Higher Education Committee, with many amendments proposed by OGR. Additionally, Lewis reported that the bill concerning a public comment period at UW Board of Regents meetings is going along well in Senate.
Board of Directors update
At its Feb. 2 meeting, the Board of Directors unanimously passed the Senate Resolution Expressing Opposition to SOPA and PIPA and the Resolution Supporting the Resource Center for Student Organizations.
The legislative agenda can be found on the ASUW Student Senate’s website.
Reach reporter Katie Pine at
news@dailyuw.com.
Comments
SirAnonEMuss 3 months, 1 week ago
They should definitely reduce the amount of credits for a foreign language. If it is for the said reason that it would deter many people from taking foreign language classes, think about how many people meet the requirement through high school, and don't even take them anyway. The people with only the admission requirement, who don't begin their first quarter of college with a language, are at an enormous setback because unless they retain absolutely everything from those two years, it's likely that they will place either again at the most basic level, or otherwise at the second quarter. In this case, if you continue the same language you took in high school, the first quarter class doesn't even count for credit on your transcript, and you still have to pay for it. Those ten credits are valuable (and expensive), and could just as easily be replaced with other graduation requirements, or classes that go towards a major. The way UW pushes FIG programs and the like, they should see this as a bigger problem, which in a way is their own doing, but it definitely seems a scheme to keep some students here longer, and in turn rake in more tuition money.
I think the ASUW senate should keep pushing for this, and make their cases against it (and for it for that matter) stronger.
Foreign languages are absolutely enriching and lead to a better understanding of many things, but as far as college goes, many students are trying to get in and out at a fast pace, and this is no help. Considering that one of the UW's goals is to get students out faster, and have less coming back for a 5th year, they should open their eyes a little. While our 4 year graduation rate is a bit more than half (54%), and a good deal above the national average, it isn't at all amazing. UW should be setting trends for public universities, not following them.
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