The ASUI senate is seeking to fill two recently vacated positions after Sens. Katelin Bartles and Kailey Holt sent in their formal letters of resignation.
Bartles said she resigned because she lacked the time in her academic schedule to provide the required six hours per week of work.
“I feel students at UI deserve a senator who is able to devote more time, the full six hours, to addressing their needs and representing their opinion,” Bartles said. “I was very sad to let go of ASUI, but after much thought and consideration I decided it is what”s best for myself and UI students.”
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Kailey Holt, ASUI Director of Safety and Violence Prevention, speaks about her transition from ASUI senator to her new position in the ASUI office.
Holt said she plans to graduate this May, and she has been under pressure to graduate on time. Since one of her classes overlapped with the senate meetings on Wednesdays, Holt said she felt obligated to formally resign.
“I didn”t feel like I could do what needed to be done as a senator and still be in that class,” Holt said. “Ultimately when you come to UI your first job is to be a student, so it was just a matter of setting priorities.”
After her resignation, Holt said ASUI President Max Cowan offered her the position of Director of Safety and Violence Prevention. Holt said before her time as a senator she had worked with the executive side of ASUI so she was excited to receive the offer.
“This position is a little more flexible because it isn”t so contingent on being at the senate meetings every Wednesday,” Holt said.
On Wednesday, the ASUI senate approved Holt”s transition into the Director of Safety and Violence Prevention position.
Holt said she is excited to take on the position, which is completely different from her previous roles in ASUI. She said she has a short timeframe to work with but hopes to make some improvements to safety on campus this semester, including expanding the Green Dot program.
“I want students to want to participate instead of feeling obligated,” Holt said. “I hope we can find ways to make the program more engaging and fun while still getting to the important information.”
Holt said she is also hoping to provide free self-defense classes to students during Sexual Assault Awareness month in April.
“There is a PEB (Physical Education Building) self-defense class here on campus, but it comes with a fairly hefty fee that some students can”t afford,” Holt said. “I want to make some free classes available that are tailored toward how to be safe on our campus.”
One way Holt said she hopes to tailor the class is by getting in touch with the Moscow Police Department and consulting safety measures with them.
“The police department knows our campus really well and the target points that students have identified as being unsafe,” Holt said.
Holt said she also hopes to improve student safety on campus by providing lighting to dark areas where students may feel vulnerable.
Though Holt said leaving her senate position was hard, she is happy to continue her work with ASUI in this new role.
“I hope nothing but the best for whoever fills my shoes in senate,” Holt said. “I look forward to seeing where the new senators take their position.”
Jessica Gee can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JessicaC_Gee