Thirty former Associated Students board members signed a letter sent on Thursday, July 6 to university administrators in support of Ana Ramirez. Ramirez is currently being prevented by AS administrators from serving as AS Vice President of Governmental Affairs due to not having work authorization.
The letter was written by 2014-15 VP for Governmental Affairs Sarah Kohout and 2013-14 VP for Academic Affairs Josie Ellison. They contacted former board members from school years as far back as 2009-10 to collaborate with and sign the letter, Ellison said.
“It’s really important that the university looks toward the future in finding a solution for folks who don’t have DACA. Relying on a program that the current [national] administration has quite literally promised to end seems short-sighted.”
Josie Ellison, AS VP for Academic Affairs 2013-14
“It’s really important that the university looks toward the future in finding a solution for folks who don’t have DACA,” Ellison said. “Relying on a program that the current [national] administration has quite literally promised to end seems short-sighted.”
The letter states that Western should be held accountable to their statements supporting undocumented students, and that they create a solution to allow Ramirez and future undocumented students to assume positions on campus.
“This is one of the only times that this many former board members have come together to do something like this,” Kohout said.
The letter was addressed to President Sabah Randhawa, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services Melynda Huskey, Dean of Students Ted Pratt and AS Program Adviser Eric Alexander.
University administrators have responded to the letter, but have not been able to go into depth about their plan publicly due to legal issues, Ellison said.
