Last night Student Council proposed resolutions that would create an Ad-Hoc Committee on International Student Affairs to research issues and problems that impact international students at the University as well as an ad-hoc committee to organize a University Unity Project.
"If you look around Grounds you will see international students are a unique group, and currently there is not a mechanism to voice their concerns and effect change," former Council Rep. Batkhuu Dashnyam told Council. "Every year there will be more and more international students [at the University]. We have to address this particular group of students at some point in the future; if we don't, this will become problematic," he said.
The issue of creating an ad-hoc committee to benefit international students was brought up earlier in the semester, when Council members debated and ultimately decided not to create the committee because it could appear as though Council were overrepresenting international students.
Dashnyam, however, last night maintained that the creation of the ad-hoc committee would not result in over-representation of international students because he is "more than happy" to work with all who are interested and because non-international students would be welcome to participate.
"This is a committee that will address the needs of a unique group of students that has been ignored," Dashnyam said. "We're not trying to address diversity. We just want to make sure no one is being left behind."
Council member Sam Davies, who was one of the members who proposed the resolution, added that because it is an ad-hoc committee, the committee would not be permanent; in a year Council could reassess need for it.
"It's a temporary committee, but for the time, it seems like a vital entity that is consistent with the goals and values of Student Council." he said.
Council also proposed the creation of another ad-hoc committee for an idea known as the University Unity Project that President Matt Schrimper said would revolutionize the way in which students and their self-governance interact with one another.
"This idea came out of an understanding that Student Council needs to fulfill its role," Schrimper said, "I think that the things we'll be able to accomplish will be incredible if we're able to pull ourselves together."
Schrimper said the committee would interact with as many students as possible to create and propose to Council a project idea that would serve the University community and allow students to work together toward a common and significant goal.
Schrimper said he would like the project to include service, education, programming and fundraising goals.
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