fall 2015 nsa newsletter final
TRANSCRIPT
2015-2016 Nevada Student Alliance
This school year, the Nevada System
of Higher Education’s Student Body
Presidents that make up the Nevada
Student Alliance set a goal to have a
groundbreaking year. The
presidents not only hoped to
represent the students of the
Nevada System of Higher Education
appropriately to the Board of
Regents and other governing
bodies, but also sought to work
together as a team on initiatives that
would have a positive impact on the
students in the system. The Alliance
has worked in recent months to do
just this, in addition to addressing
system-wide student issues and
enabling initiatives that supported
the success, education and safety of
the students.
For the remainder of our term, we
hope to continue our work with an
end goal of ensuring that the
students of our system graduate
ready to contribute to the Nevada
economy and make a difference in
the world.
Caden Fabbi Chair, NSA President, Associated Students of the University of Nevada
Inside this Issue: Proposed UNR-TMCC Police Force Consolidation
NSA Resolutions NSA Hosts Statewide Voter Registration Drive
It’s On Us Campaign Summary of Board Actions
NSA Week of Service
Nevada Student Alliance Newsletter
Fall 2015
The Nevada Student Alliance is the overarching student government association for all NSHE student government
organizations. The purpose of the NSA is to promote, foster, advance, represent, and protect the interests and welfare of the students of the Nevada System of Higher
Education.
Lo rem Ipsum
Proposed UNR-TMCC Police Force Consolidation By Spencer Schultz, President,
TMCC SGA During the December Board of Regents meeting, a proposed consolidation of the police forces of UNR and TMCC is up for board consideration and approval. Under the document set forth by the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), the consolidation would provide acceptable, or the same, levels of service at all campuses at both UNR and TMCC, while also saving $2.8 million over the next five years. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was signed by the Presidents of UNR, TMCC, and DRI, along with the Chancellor of the NSHE systems office, states that each campus will keep “a safe and secure environment for students, faculty, staff and invitees; an effective, efficient and professional level of campus safety; and each campus must retain input over the delivery of such services.” Implementation of this consolidation, if approved, will take place on January 1, 2016. According to the implementation plan up for review at the December Board meeting, if the consolidation is approved it will result in greater flexibility to provide targeted prevention and enforcement operations as needed, hold savings in personnel costs, and provide for 24 hour police coverage of all UNR, TMCC and DRI northern Nevada sites. The plan also states that it expects to recruit and retain some of the best law enforcement candidates in the region due to the abundance of promotional and assignment opportunities and size of the department. The Implementation Plan also brings into effect the creation of a single department head located at the UNR campus and run by the UNR Chief of Police. Instead of maintaining its own police force, both TMCC and (by proxy) DRI will pay UNR a fee in order to obtain police services. The fees to be paid to UNR will also be reviewed each fiscal year. In effect, the plan can be adjusted to respond to various problems if any are found.
By Joe Dagher, CSUN The Nevada Student Alliance (NSA) approved two resolutions this semester introduced by the leadership team at Nevada State College pertaining to higher education. First, the NSA approved unanimously a resolution in support of United States House Resolution 2927, authorizing Hispanic-serving institutions receiving grants under Part A of Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to use such grant amounts to assist students in entering medical schools, and for other purposes. This resolution would be a win-win for all colleges in the system, as each institution has a growing Hispanic constituency. The NSA also voted and approved a resolution in support of United States House Resolution 3177, which would simplify the application used for estimation
and determination of financial aid eligibility for postsecondary education, and allow students to use their “prior, prior year” when determining financial aid eligibility. Both resolutions are sponsored by Congressman Joe Heck, and have been introduced in Congress. The Nevada Student Alliance urges the members of the Nevada Congressional delegation, the Board of Regents and Nevada System of Higher Education, as well as other local, state, and national officials to support these initiatives which will benefit the students of the State of Nevada. Copies of the two resolutions can be found at http://system.nevada.edu/Nshe/index.cfm/administration/academics-student-affairs/students/student-government/
NSA RESOLUTIONS
3
NSA Hosts Statewide Voter
Registration Drive By: Kylie Rowe, President, GSA
On September 22, 2015, the Nevada Student Alliance organized campus events all over the state of Nevada for National Voter Registration Day. At the University of Nevada, Reno, undergraduate and graduate students from UNR and DRI participated in “Rock the Vote”. The event welcomed local politicians as guest speakers, free food trucks, and a DJ to promote voter registration. Over 150 students registered to vote using the software TurboVote, which sends students reminders to vote as elections approach. Western Nevada College’s
ASWN held an event that attracted 26 students to register to vote with the theme of “Register to Vote for a Float.” Students received a root beer or orange crush float upon voter registration. At University of Nevada, Las Vegas, CSUN and GPSA held student voter registration tables all week. Truckee Meadows Community College’s SGA encouraged students to register to vote at the Nevada Secretary of State’s website. Nevada State College had student voter registration at free food tables. The Nevada Student Alliance maintains a commitment to encouraging the students of the Nevada System of Higher Education to be a responsible citizen and participate in civic engagement.
It’s On Us Campaign By Andrea Senda, President, ASWN
The issue of sexual assault on college campus has received an increasing amount of attention in today’s society. An estimated one out of five students has experienced a sexual assault during their college years, and only 12 percent are reported. Protests have sprung up on college campuses across the nation due to the lack of efforts made towards fighting it.
On September 19, 2014, President Obama and Vice President Biden launched a new awareness and education campaign called “It’s On Us.” The campaign’s purpose is to bring awareness to and change the way people think about sexual assault, along with encouraging all to take action, big or small, in preventing it.
The Nevada Student Alliance decided to take the pledge and advance the goals of preventing sexual assault on all of the Nevada’s Systems of Higher Education (NSHE) campuses. From Nevada Student Alliance “It’s On Us” button giveaways, to information and safety app campaigns, to self-defense classes and survivor speak outs, to pledge drives and social media support, the NSHE student governments each did their part in beginning to create a culture shift on their campus relating to issues of sexual assault
Are you interested in being a part of the movement? Start today by visiting itsonus.org, taking the pledge, and contact your student government for more information on how you can help on your campus.
Summary of NSHE System & Regent Actions and Initiatives
By Caden Fabbi, President, ASUN x Election of new Board Chair, Regent Trachok, and Vice-Chair,
Regent Wixom x Public medical education expansion (UNLV Medical School) x Implementation of Silver State Opportunity Grant Program x Continuation of Complete College America goals (15 to Finish) x Faculty pay working group x Definition of sexual assault and harassment within Code x Preparation for 2017 Legislative Session x K-12 Education Improvements to Increase College Readiness
Lo rem Ipsum Spri n g 2016, Issue 4
Nevada Student Alliance Holds First NSA Week of Service By: DeMarynee Saili, President, Great Basin College SGA In July of 2015, Nevada Student Alliance (NSA) members approved a Nevada Week of Service for the month of October, where students from every school in the system would have the opportunity to participate in a community service project. Participating in community service not only helps students gain experience, but it also helps with personal growth, strengthening a community, and more importantly, a chance to give back. It is also linked to positive moods to help strengthen your immune system. This was not a task for just one institution, but for the entire NSA team to work together to improve their communities. One of the main justifications for the organizing of the week was to provide students with an opportunity to learn leadership skills, build teamwork, and to make their communities a better place. Hundreds of students participated in service events throughout the week ranging from volunteering at the local Food Bank or homeless shelter to making blankets for the homeless and more. Giving back can give us insight on how service can make our communities a stronger, better place. The students that participated in the Nevada Week of Service gained this insight, and the NSA assisted in creating a culture of service throughout the system.
Caden Fabbi Chair, Nevada Student Alliance President, ASUN (UNR) [email protected] Andrea Senda Vice-Chair, Nevada Student Alliance President, ASWN (WNC) [email protected] Kylie Rowe Secretary, Nevada Student Alliance President, GSA (UNR) [email protected] Jessica Connolly President, GSA (DRI) [email protected] Yesenia Cuevas President, NSSA (NSC) [email protected]
Kanani Espinoza President, CSUN (UNLV) [email protected] Brenda Romero President, ASCSN (CSN) [email protected] DeMarynee Saili President, SGA (GBC) [email protected] Spencer Schultz President, SGA (TMCC) [email protected] Surbhi Sharma President, GPSA (UNLV) [email protected]
2015-2016 Nevada Student Alliance Membership