State of WSA Address

Below is a copy of Student Body President Taylor West "State of WSA" speech delivered on November 7, 2020.

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Happy Western Wednesday everyone! Today is a full meeting with lots of important things to discuss, so I’ll keep this State of the WSA report as short and sweet as I can.

The Western Student Association has undergone some big changes this year, starting from the very beginning. Adapting to our new virtual world during the start of the COVID 19 pandemic, kept us on our toes. Everything was changing right before our eyes, but we knew for a fact that our organizations leadership would do everything in our power to still be a resource for our fellow Broncos. We constructed our cabinet from a teamwork and passion-driven standpoint. We were looking for people that would work best together to advocate and provide effective results for students...and we found them! I cannot say how proud I am of this team because, despite the many obstacles and differences that surfaced, our resilience showed up to be even stronger. We have the highest expectations for our cabinet, which are heightened due to the transition between our old and new constitution. This new bicameral legislature allows for more opportunities and structure to our organization as we continue to grow and expand every year. We are moved and empowered watching your passion for getting involved as you all tell time and time again, that you’re ready to make a difference. Given the state of our nation and the pressing demand for change, student leaders were prepared to hop on the train to justice and reform.  

It is rare to see a WSA administration put in so much work to the summer, but this team (let me tell you) was ready to get to work as soon as possible. During the summer, WSA released a statement to faculty and staff advocating for grace for students who were taking summer classes in the times of despair and fear. We released a Black Out statement identifying our support for the BLM movement and action steps to ensure that we aren’t just talking the talk but walking the walk. Part of those action steps we continued included: presenting WMU administration with a list of demands for expanding student participation in the creation of COVID-related policies, as well as applying pressure for this university to make efforts in dismantling institutionalized racism. We began partnering with the Board of Trustees to adopt SNHU’s Social Justice Fund to help eliminate educational disparities for black and brown students, had conversations about the creation of an Anti-Bias Hotline with the Dean of Students, stood in solidarity with different student leaders/advocates for their own requests, open letters, demands, and recommendations for senior administration. This summer WSA executed a 3-part community in collaboration event series with KVCC in encouraging different departments, including DPS, to be active members advocating for social justice within their own backyard. We had and continue to have conversations surrounding the future of the Student Assessment Fee in relation to COVID effects. We held our first-ever campus-wide Student Town Hall for all current/incoming students to get some answers about Fall Semester operations. Members of cabinet met also with the University’s COVID taskforce to advocate for better policies and guidance for students, Sindecuse leadership to discuss affordable health services, and housing leadership to discuss unaffordable housing barriers for our community.  

A little over a month ago, cabinet had a retreat to kickstart the year. During our retreat, led by OSE, we identified the general-purpose, values, and goals that this WSA administration will uphold. WSA is a group of empowered students empowering students to make an impact together. We exist to unify students, amplify their voices, and provide new opportunities to leave a legacy.  

As a cabinet, we have identified five major priorities that we wish to accomplish for the school year. Our goals are the following:  

• Relationship: Push for monthly joint cabinet meetings, both president’s cabinet, and WSA cabinet, in order to improve transparency, collaboration, and teamwork.

• Communication: Secure mass email access/privilege, eliminating avenue of Student Affairs, to better connect with the entirety of the student body of Western Michigan University.

• Climate Change: In light of WMU’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2065 and have met half that goal by 2030, we would like to see how WMU has made specific progress towards that goal. In addition, we would like to see WMU commit to a lower their carbon neutrality to 2040 with a specific, measurable timeline to said neutrality.

• Social Justice: Combine Mountain Top initiatives and Social Justice Fund operations to commit all available resources to lasting systematic change.

• COVID Policy: A student representative from each campus area (i.e. RAs, commuters, athletes etc.) is actively involved in all COVID-19 policy decisions and changes; voting rights privilege held to the same level as the rest of constituents present

I share this all with you to say, you are a part of an organization, a team, a family, that is passionate and optimistic for change. Your student government has fought our way into every committee, task force, event, conversation, and Board meetings, to show upper administration that they cannot continue to make decisions on behalf of students without including us into the conversations. I am aware that students haven’t always felt that their voice has power, but I am here to tell you, that your voice does have power. You are THE most important stakeholder here at the university because without us, there is no Western Michigan University. Although our University may be slow to move the needle, we are blessed with the enlightenment and opportunity to create change within our community. I continue to say: we are stronger together than apart. To my senators, to my representatives, to my judicial council, allocations team, SSG committee members and advocates, we are the future in a sustaining legacy... not only within our organization but the overall betterment of Western Michigan University. As I close out, I’d like to leave you all with a quote by my president Barack Obama: 

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the one’s we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek” 

Thank you,

Taylor West

Study Body President

Western Student Association