written by | Abeer Syedah
Campus & System
Affirmative Consent Passes the Board of Trustees!
The Students United Board of Directors made affirmative consent a priority for the year. Students had conversations with campus leaders, system leaders, sexual assault advocates, and more. All seven university student senates unanimously passed support for “yes means yes.” This advocacy led to Minnesota State proposing a change to the sexual assault policy (1B.3) to define consent as affirmative. On February 21st 2018, the Minnesota State Board of Trustees unanimously voted to adopt affirmative consent.
System Office Announces Creation of Equity & Inclusion Council!
The System Office recently announced the formation of a systemwide Equity and Inclusion Council. Students United has advocated for the creation of this Council to ensure the prioritization of equity issues systemwide. Students United will have student representation on the council.
Read more in Minnesota State's release here.
An Opportunity for Education: Response to Pioneer Press Article
After the passage of affirmative consent, the Pioneer Press published a story that contains some common misconceptions of affirmative consent. Students United is committed to being a part of the consent education process. As such, student leaders wrote a response to the article to clear up some misunderstandings.
Read Our February Black History Month Blog
In 2018, for each heritage & history month, Students United will feature the diverse voices of students from across our seven universities. The opinions reflected are their own. For Black History Month, we asked students what it means to be Black on campus and what they want the world to know.
St. Cloud Campus Climate Concerns Continue
After multiple incidents on campus that have unsettled some students of marginalized backgrounds, a conversation happened at a student government meeting. A wall of posters that caused uproar came down and student organizers put out demands for equity and inclusion.
State & National
Buzzfeed: DACA Renewal Expiration Likely Delayed
Until a lower court hears the case, the Supreme Court will not review the Justice Department’s appeal of an injunction that requires DACA renewals to continue. This means DACA renewals will likely be able to be filed passed March 5th.
Inside Higher Ed: Anti-Semitic Incidents on Campus Up 89%
The Anti-Defamation League is reporting today that 2017 saw 204 anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses, an 89 percent increase from the previous year.
Read more from Inside Higher Ed here.
Meet Halima Aden: The St. Cloud Student Is Redefining Modest Style on the Runway
Halima Aden, former student at St. Cloud State, caught the eyes of many when she competed in the Miss Minnesota pageant in a hijab. Now, her modeling career soars with powerful deals and groundbreaking “firsts,” including a Nike campaign and the cover of Allure and Vogue Arabia.
Read more from Harper's BAAZAR here.
Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month. Here are some readings on the women’s history of Minnesota.
Influential Women Who Helped Build Minnesota’s Music Scene
In 2015, The Current did a deep-dive of women who shaped and influenced Minnesota’s music scene.
Read the full The Current article here.
Learn About Julia Sears of Mankato State, the “First Woman to Head a Public College in the United States”
In 1872, Julia Sears was appointed Principal of the Minnesota State Normal College of Mankato, which is now Mankato State University. Her appointment effectively made her the first woman to be appointed head of a public college in the country. But, it was not without controversy.
Read more from MSU Mankato here.
The Women’s History of Minnesota Politics
In 1984, Minnesota politician Walter Mondale ran for President of the United States. He chose Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate, making her the first woman to be nominated for Vice President of the United States. Since, Minnesota women have broken many glass ceilings, including being the nation’s first Hmong-American legislator, the nation’s first Somali-American Muslim legislator, the nation’s first openly-transgender Black legislator, the first Native American woman to address a major party convention, and the nation’s fifth state to be represented by two women Senators.
Learn about the first women in the Minnesota legislature here.