On Feb. 16 ASNMU held its weekly meeting where they hosted a presentation about newly added accessibility options on EduCat, appointed a new member to the food advisory board committee and heard two resolutions focused on internal bylaws as well as the blocking of Jason Morgan’s appointment to the Board of Trustees. 

The meeting began with a presentation from Matthew Smock, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, and Harger Boal, director of disabilities services. The two showcased a new tool added to EduCat called Ally that they hope will help make assignments more accessible to students.

During the previous semester, a team was comprised to pilot the Ally program and according to Smock, it was received well so they decided to expand these options to all students during the winter semester. The added functions allow students to request audio, PDF, electronic braille and HTML versions of assignments on EduCat.  

“Alternative formats have the ability to enhance your understanding. By engaging different senses studies have shown you might have better recall of the material later on,” Boal said.

Following the presentation, ASNMU President Emma Drever gave an executive report on some of the initiatives she’s been working on this semester. One of these initiatives has been working with the nursing students on organizing an in-person pinning ceremony proposal. Drever also touched on commencement and how it will once again be hosted in a hybrid format. Parts of the commencement will take place on the stage while others will happen virtually. 

“We met with Mike Bath and the dean of the nursing program to give them a sense of the proposal we sent. They’re pretty stoked about it and proud of the nursing students for putting in the hard work of getting it together,” Drever said. 

After Drever’s executive report, ASNMU Vice President Bethany Beavers gave her report which touched on her efforts of collaboration with the graduate student association. She said GSA was currently in the process of re-writing its bylaws and restructuring the organization. 

Through this process, the structure GSA decided on is an executive board as well as adding a number of committees to help focus on issues facing graduate students. The new committees discussed were diversity, equity and inclusion, graduate mental health and advocacy, graduate budgeting and finance and outreach and events. 

The next executive report was from Treasurer Samantha Metcalf, who touched on the slight delay with the 10-day university enrollment numbers.

“When they do the 10-day numbers they have a line for doubtful accounts which is for students who don’t end up paying. That account is off by 2 cents and the person from the dean of students office who is working on getting the 10-day numbers sorted out is waiting to hear back from someone else on campus if she is supposed to round up that 2 cents or round down. She’s waiting to hear back, but once she does that information will be ready to update on all of the DAG’s,” Metcalf said. 

Once all of the executive reports were given, the group moved to new business which included a new appointment to the Food Advisory Board Committee and two resolutions. The Food Advisory Board Committee is comprised of representatives from each residence hall, as well as off-campus students. The group meets several times during the semester to discuss thoughts on the dining facilities and retail operations. 

“[John] O’Bryan has worked extensively in promoting sustainability at local and national levels. As ASNMU has tried to bring sustainability to the dining programs, especially during COVID-19, John’s efforts will be an asset to ASNMU and the student body on the Food Advisory Board,” Beavers said in the appointment letter. “Because of this, it is my opinion that he would represent ASNMU and the current student body well in this position.”

O’Bryan’s appointment was unanimously approved by the group. The first resolution heard was to create a way for ASNMU members to bring any disputes to the student conduct board in the absence of a judiciary branch. Previously, those with internal concerns would bring them to the judiciary branch, however, because they were unable to fill vacancies in the branch the group created a resolution to bring them to the student conduct board instead. The resolution was approved unanimously to change where these concerns are brought. 

“This serves to make sure that we’re being held accountable and not just going rogue,” Beavers said. 

The next resolution brought forward by Drever was focused on Jason Morgan’s appointment to the Board of Trustees. Previously, Senate Republicans blocked the appointment of Morgan and others in a response to frustration with COVID-19 restrictions in the state. 

“Jason Morgan is an NMU alumn and was ASNMU president in 2009 and 2010. He would be a great asset to the board bringing youth, commitment to climate activism, representation and bring a lot of freshness to the board’s perspective,” Drever said. 

Drever said the resolution would act as the initial start on efforts to ask the Senate to reconsider the blocking of the appointment. She said that once the resolution is passed they would seek support from President Fritz Erickson as well as a possible petition or letter-writing campaign for NMU students. 

While discussing the resolution, concerns about the language used were raised. Members of the group wanted to ensure that the language used would be the most effective and not play into partisan arguments. 

“I am just as upset as the next person about the way things have played out in this whole situation, but the issue I have with this resolution isn’t about what the resolution says; it’s more of we speak for the entire student body and by having this resolution we’re speaking for everyone … I think the best way to get anything done is to really make it sound diplomatic,” Zora Binert, director of external affairs, said. 

The group approved the proposal at a special session which was be held on Feb. 18. The next ASNMU meeting will take place on Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. over Zoom. Those interested in attending should reach out to Kylie Lanser at [email protected] for the invitation.