A guest speaker talked about DACA at a Student Senate meeting, and afterward Student Senate discussed more information on the new presidential hiring process.
On Wednesday evening, guest speaker and history professor Robert Weis expressed his concerns about how DACA will affect UNC students, and how the school can help support these students. Weis and other professors created a group to work on planning to support our fellow students.
“We were concerned about how new federal immigration policies will affect UNC students,” Weis said.
Students who lose their DACA status can remain as UNC students, but they cannot work or receive financial aid, Weis said.
According to Weis, there is a $500 fee for students to renew their DACA status. On Sept. 28 and 29, lawyers from Boulder will be at UNC to help students renew their status.
“We talked to President Kay Norton last week, and DACA students can borrow money from financial aid, interest free, in order to help with the renewal fees,” Weis said.
The professors are also working on ways to create fundraisers and possibly open a public donation with a link on a forthcoming website by the end of this week.
Other possible fundraising options include tabling and a penny campaign.
Any money not used from the fundraising will go to support the DREAMers scholarship. This scholarship allows students without documentation to receive financial aid for their college education.
“This is an opportunity for students who feel vulnerable to feel supported,” Weis said.
Student Senate also discussed more information on the presidential search.
Senate member Michael Kelly attended last week’s all-day retreat to work on planning with the Board of Trustees. According to Kelly, they have created 10 key characteristics they would like to see in the new president. Some of the characteristics include appreciating UNC’s unique strengths; energizing and inspiring people; eagerly engaging students and identifying and obtaining external funding.
There will be three rounds of interviews, but it is unknown if the interviews will be open.
The Board of Trustees worked on a timeline at the retreat on Friday. By Oct. 20, the Search Committee will be meeting to discuss the job description. They will begin advertising the position by early November and will publicly announce the new UNC President by mid-April 2018.
In other business, the senate approved the $2600 funding request from the comedy sketch group, “Hello, my name is…” This funding will be used for new uniform expenses, their own camera and a new projector.
“Hello, my name is…” writes their own comedy sketches and performs them every two weeks on Sunday nights. The first show will be Sunday, Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in Frasier 63.
The new Office of Clubs and Organizations is still hiring two new students, as well. These positions are available on handshake. Anna Gay filled The Graduate Assistant position.
Student Senate’s next meeting will be 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 4.
