BREAKING NEWS: GREAT outcome of yesterday's meeting!

We have a very exciting update about yesterday's meeting!

First, Students for a Greater CUNY must publicly acknowledge the investment of the taskforce members in this huge undertaking of creating a CUNY-wide prevention focused sexual assault policy for students! Every person on the taskforce has contributed significant time, brain power and passion to this project.

Particular mention goes to Senior Vice Chancellor Schaffer, who has been instrumental in really guiding this process along. Senior Vice Chancellor Schaffer has been open to learning more about the issue and we have been told that he's spent countless hours editing the policy to what we have now. Moreover, Senior Vice Chancellor Schaffer has continued to respect all inputs and showed great and sincere humility by apologizing for the delay in meeting to the entire taskforce. Although we did not meet within 2 months, it was reported to us that Senior Vice Chancellor Schaffer's office staff, particularly his Executive Assistant Sharon Atkins, was constantly trying to gather people's availabiliy to meet.

Another special mention goes to Ms. Kristen Bowes, the author of the policy. Like Senior Vice Chancellor Schaffer, Ms. Bowes has been open to learning more about the issue and has done a wonderful job with drafting the initial document and incorporating the MANY comments on the first draft.

KUDOS TO ALL!

Now down to business:

Overall, the meeting was fantastic! We were able to map out a clear course that is adjusted based on time lost.

We now have a goal to have the policy ready for the Board of Trustees November meeting. This means that the document must be circulated to the individual committees of the Board around the middle to the end of October. Here's what we plan to do:

• Have 3 town hall meetings for students, one in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.
  
• The first town hall meeting will happen at Hunter in April, which is also Sexual Assault Awareness month. The town hall meeting will be coordinated by Jerin and Dean Ayravainen.
  
• Awareness campaigns will be coordinated by members of the taskforce, largely the students.
• Nick will coordinate student government involvement throughout CUNY through USS and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Development, Garrie Moore.
• After the town hall meeting at Hunter, the taskforce will de-brief, most likely via email, to see how to improve other town hall meetings.
• Before the summer, the taskforce will come up with dates for the other two town hall meetings.
• The second draft of the policy will be circulated to the Council of Presidents, to the Faculty Senate bodies throughout CUNY and Public Safety officials throughout CUNY.
  
• A town hall meeting will be scheduled for September.
• A town hall meeting will be scheduled for early October.
• A finished policy that incorporates all perspectives will be set before the Board of Trustees to go through their internal process before voting on it in the November meeting.
  

To building a Greater CUNY!

Elischia Fludd
Co-Founder
Students for a Grearer CUNY

Become involved! Email us at cunypolicy08@gmail.com. We currently have an immediate need for:

* Organizations and individuals to endorse our cause (willing to help with awareness campaigns)
* Organizations and individuals to join Students for a Greater CUNY as a member
* A tech-savvy person that is good with website building
* Skilled writers to chronicle CUNY's progress for the students on blogs and through campus media
* Student leaders or organizations that will facilitate setting up 3 town hall meetings alongside taskfore members within Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn, so public opinions can be heard on the draft of the policy.