SA R53 (2014-2015): Suspend the Hiring of S.A.D.

Conveyed to the President

• Resolution:
  SA R53 (2014-2015): Suspend the Hiring of S.A.D.
• Day:
  March 29, 2015
• Action:
  Conveyed to the President
• Summary / Notes:
• File Attachments:
• Text Attachment:
  Dear President Skorton,
  
  I wanted to convey Resolution 53: Suspend the hiring of the S.A.D. to you. This resolution was sponsored by student leaders from across the Cornell community, including Jevan Hutson (HAVEN), Olivia Obodagha (ALANA), Jadielle Ray (ALANA), Emily Decicco (Women's Resource Center), Karen Li (CAPSU), Jessica Barragan (LAL), Antoine Saint-Victor (BSU), Juliana Batista (SA) and Joseph Fridman (SA).
  
  This resolution's purpose was very clear in the sponsors' presentation to the Assembly: the addition of a new administrative position would not be beneficial to the communities this administrator is intended to serve. The majority of Student Assembly members believe that the resources that will be allocated to pay this person would be better spent hiring additional staff members for the understaffed and underfunded resource centers that already exist on our campus. Students in these communities, and even the current staff of these resource centers, need additional support from the University in order to improve, and frankly, in order to continue to function at a high capacity. The sponsors of this resolution are calling for additional staff members who will be in the trenches with them, not only to advise on programming and events, but also to be their support systems during crises and instances of blatant hatred that are far too common on our campus.
  
  Some SA members believe that there is a way to hire this S.A.D. and to give more funding and support to these resource centers that are not being currently funded by the University. This idea was indeed proposed by Dean Hubbell. I hope that if the University must fill this position, that at least the administration will try to compromise in such a manner. While it is great that students at Cornell are able to support each other's communities financially, this resolution brings to light that Cornell should consider putting its money where its mouth is. Cornell should commit to supporting all students and helping them succeed throughout their time on campus.
  
  Thank you for your time and consideration.
  
  Best,
  Sarah