TO THE EDITOR:
We, as Executive Members of Diversity Affairs Council, feel the need to voice our concern with Associated Student Government (ASG), regarding the recent selection of the Secretary for Diversity Affairs.
The Secretary is to become a member of the Executive Board of Diversity Affairs Council. It is required that candidates for the Secretary position interview with the Board to share their ideas and testify to their experiences with the diverse communities they are requesting to represent. The Board then has the opportunity to report to the Speaker of Senate which candidates are approved or disapproved based on these qualifications. However, candidates who are not supported by the Board are still able to present before and be elected by ASG Senate.
The Secretary of the Diversity Affairs Council must be fully committed to supporting and creating opportunities for representation of marginalized communities within ASG. Therefore, the Secretary must demonstrate knowledge of the experiences of various marginalized communities on Miami's campus and must be aware of and able to articulate campus climate issues affecting these communities. In order to successfully execute these expectations listed above, DAC requires that Executive Board members, including the Secretary, be involved with and have strong ties to diverse communities on campus.
ASG had an opportunity to select an approved candidate, but instead disregarded DAC's input. In doing so, ASG went against the best interests of the numerous communities encompassed by DAC.
In this letter, it is important for us to express how our purpose is not to attack the elected student, but to scrutinize the actions and values demonstrated in the decision making of Student Senate.
This letter also serves to communicate the expectations, we, as Diversity Affairs Council, have for the Secretary. We expect the student who fills this position to do all they can to connect with the diverse communities they will effectively be representing and serving during their term. The Secretary will need to be in tune with the very real concerns and perspectives students of diverse backgrounds harbor on Miami University's campus. The elected Secretary will sit on a number of committees during their term, and it is essential the Secretary of Diversity Affairs be critical of University and Student Government policy in order to effectively represent their constituency as requested.
We pen this letter in support of our diverse communities. We want to ensure change is made so all of our students feel as though they have a home, here, at Miami University. We hope this provides a formal script, detailing our disappointment with the recent actions of Associated Student Government. This dissent is not addressed toward any individual. Rather, we hope this letter scores a very clear reminder to all students on Miami's campus of the type of advocacy and leadership needed in the role of Secretary for Diversity Affairs.
Love & Honor,
Ifeolu Arike Christopher Claytor
(Pronounced E-Fay-Oh-Loo)
PGP: {He, Him, His}
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