Aiming to solidify Associated Students of Madison’s commitment to inclusivity, Student Council unanimously approved the language of an amendment Thursday to counter the possibility of discrimination in their own body.
In an emergency meeting, Thursday’s vote finalized the amendment to nondiscrimination language in ASM’s constitution. Student Council will hold a final vote on the amendment next Wednesday.
Representative Brooke Evans, nominated to Student Council last December, introduced the amendment to make ASM’s policy on discrimination clearer and more inclusive.
The amendment adds many new protected statuses which ASM cannot discriminate against, including “tribal affiliation,” “government dependency,” “disability or diverse ability and accommodations” and “first-generation status.” Evans noted the ASM Constitution’s nondiscrimination language hasn’t been updated since ASM was founded in 1994.
Thursday’s approval of the amendment’s finalized language passed 15-0. Passing the amendment next Wednesday will require a two-thirds vote from Student Council.
According to Evans, the amendment’s widely inclusive language has caught the eye of other UW System schools. Evans said she hopes other schools will adopt similar language after ASM’s version is approved.
