ALBANY -- Over 350 student leaders
gathered in the state capital to chart out a new path forward for higher
education in New York State.
This event, the largest Student Assembly
conference on record, was focused on strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion
in the system, along with advocating for a comprehensive legislative agenda
which passed with an overwhelming majority.
“I am feeling an immense amount of hope
and pride following the conclusion of our Fall Conference,” Student Assembly
Vice President Bridget Doyle said. “We passed progressive initiatives,
participated in the SUNY's Got Your Back campaign which allowed us to fill
10,000 bags for interpersonal violence survivors, and engaged in critical
conversations.”
“It is so important that we stand
together in solidarity as one comprehensive system of public higher education,
and I believe this conference helped us unify more than ever before,” she said.
The voting delegation of the Student
Assembly passed the most comprehensive legislative agenda in recent history.
The resolution was first approved by the executive committee over a month ago
at SUNY Old Westbury.
The agenda touches upon issues such as
rational state reinvestment, textbook affordability, support for campus
child-care centers, mental health resources, food security, disability access
and sustainability measures across the SUNY system.
“We walked into this Fall Conference
hoping to inspire students,” said Marc J. Cohen, Student Assembly president and
SUNY trustee. “As tends to happen, however, they inspired us.”
“We passed the largest and most
comprehensive legislative agenda in the history of our organization,” Cohen
said. “And most importantly we came together and vowed to act as a system of
student governments to create lasting and meaningful change in higher
education.”
During the conference, student leaders
passed several resolutions including support for same-day voter registration
and a SUNY-wide day off on Election Day.
Among new platforms, student delegates
called for stronger student input in campus affairs by calling for greater
student representation in presidential search committees and shared governance.
Students called for the legalization of marijuana in the state in the spirit
that 30% of all revenue be reinvested into the State University of New York.
Beyond the business meeting, student
leaders helped advocate for change throughout the two-day event.
Working with SUNY's Got Your Back,
student leaders helped support victims of domestic and sexual violence with
10,000 comfort bags.
Fighting against sexual violence, the
Student Assembly also inched closer to getting every SGA leader across the
system to take the It’s On Us pledge.
Source: SUNY SA
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