Resolutions

See 2022-2023 Sucessfully Passed Resolutions here:

Bill S23-033: Call for a University-Wide Ombuds Office

Sponsors: John T. Gonzalez (GSA, Steering Committee, Experimental Pathology Representative); Carl Rice (GSA, History Representative 2021-2022); Sara Siwiecki (GPSS, Advocacy Committee Co-Chair, Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry Representative); Grace Lan (GSA, Steering Committee, Political Science Representative); Isabelle M. Aboaf (GSA, Political Science Representative); Thomas Munro (GSA, Classics Representative); Chrishan Fernando (GPSS, Vice President; GSA, Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry Representative); Brandon Greenblatt (GPSS, Jackson School Representative)

Recipients: 

Peter Salovey, President of Yale University 

Scott Strobel, Provost of Yale University 

Kimberly Goff-Crews, Secretary & Vice President for University Life at Yale University

Lynn Cooley, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Yale University

Tamar Szabó Gendler, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Yale University

Yale Corporation Board of Trustees

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Whereas multiple administrations of Yale University representative body leadership – Graduate Student Assembly (GSA), Graduate & Professional Student Senate (GPSS) and Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), and School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) Senate (FAS-SEAS-S) – have, as advocates for the needs within their respective university communities, been calling for a university-wide Ombuds Office.,,,,

Whereas Students, faculty, and alumni individually and in community are calling for the establishment of a university-wide Ombuds Office., ,

Whereas recommendations and proposals from Yale University’s Advisory Committee on Campus Climate (2011), the FAS-SEAS-S (2019), and the GSA (2018) reflect unwavering support in response to a decade of sustained need.1-

Whereas calls for an Ombuds Office have continued after the establishment, restructure, and expansion of The Sexual Harassment and Assault Response & Education (SHARE) Center; the establishment of which was intended to address the perceived, albeit reductive, services an Ombudsperson provides.2, 3, 9

Whereas the independent, impartial, and informal nature of an Ombuds Office separates it from formal grievance procedures and, as such, this office falls outside the purview of a union contract.

Whereas Yale University has, through its commitments, recognized that aspects not addressed in the 2011 Report on Campus Climate burden the scholarship, community, and inclusivity of our campus.9, , , , , , , Moreover, Yale’s current confidential support offices do not explicitly address non-sexual harassment workplace mediation; and none of the resources available can be independent and impartial due to their responsibilities to the institution. 

Whereas Yale University administrators have communicated reservations around compliance and mandatory reporting regarding establishing an Ombuds Office, a common concern across universities., However, peer universities have successfully developed alternate, informal avenues for grievance resolution while respecting legal reporting requirements, as has Yale University (i.e., SHARE Center’s support of the Title IX Office)9. 

Whereas all Ivy Plus Schools, except Yale, have at least one university-wide ombudsperson, and many have additional school, discipline, and/or student-postdoctoral specific positions which add value to their campus climate health3, 10, , ,

Whereas Yale has committed to promoting a welcoming and equitable climate on campus through the “Belonging at Yale” initiative and has repeatedly acknowledged the value of an ombuds office by citing the former Ombuds Office at the Yale School of Medicine as a resource for promoting diversity and equal opportunity., ,

Whereas the failure to replace Merle Waxman, the ombudsperson for the Yale School of Medicine, the only ombuds-like position at Yale University, signals an institutional culture of apathy towards the spirit of third-party arbitration. 

Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted weaknesses in, and confusion over, worker protection for academics (reflected in growing graduate student dissatisfaction over covert work conditions), emphasizing the need for such an office.

Whereas a plurality of the sponsors of this resolution are privy to unreported incidents within Yale University that would have benefited from access to an independent, impartial, confidential, and informal Ombuds. 

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Be it resolved, the representative bodies passing this resolution jointly urge the President, the Provost, the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and the Yale Corporation Board of Trustees to create, as quickly as possible, a University Ombuds Office for Yale to serve the University’s faculty, students, and staff. 

Be it further resolved, our representative bodies regard the responsibilities and support offered by SHARE and an Ombuds Office to complement, rather than conflict with, each other.

Be it further resolved, our representative bodies maintain an Ombuds Office would play a crucial role in supporting our constituents navigate Yale’s dissociated structure, addressing “confusion created by the variety of resources, processes, and procedures” rather than interfering with efforts to “simplify and streamline.” 20

Be it further resolved, to ensure an effective and empowered Ombuds Office, the relationship between the University and said Ombuds Office should be established through an organizational Charter or Terms of Reference, to be made publicly available, that complies with all International Ombuds Association Standards of Practice.

Be it further resolved, the ombudsperson and associate ombudspersons should be granted complete and unencumbered authority and institutional autonomy to support the Yale community, recommend remedies, and publish their reports on visible and public platforms. The university should encourage a good-faith relationship within its offices and departments. 

Be it further resolved, our representative bodies request that the resulting Ombuds Office publish at least a yearly report to promote transparency with the community at large and run an anonymous mistreatment reporting website akin to that of Johns Hopkins. 

Be it further resolved, our representative bodies request that the appropriate administrators initiate and publicize the search by the end of the current fiscal cycle.

Regarding this resolution, the Yale Postdoctoral Association is hosting an information session on a University-Wide Ombuds Office. 

See 2021-2022 Sucessfully Passed Resolutions and Bills here:

​​Bill S22-001: Regarding establishing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ad hoc committee as a standing committee of the GSA

Sponsors: Cathy Garcia, GSA ad hoc DEI committee chair (2021-2022) and Genetics Department Representative, 

Jo Machesky, Vice-Chair and Chemical and Environmental Engineering Representative (2021-2022) 

 

Whereas the Graduate Student Assembly represents the graduate student body and should voice the concerns of the student body as well as have input and provide feedback on current efforts that affect current and incoming students through the Diversity Office

 

Firstly, be it resolved that the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee is hereby established as a standing committee of the Graduate Student Assembly,

 

Secondly, be it resolved that Section 1.B.3.g of the GSA by-laws shall read: 

1.B.3.g. Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee will work to represent the voice of underrepresented minority students and discuss ways to improve the support and retention of graduate students along with efforts led by the Dean & Director of the Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity, as well as other offices and deans at Yale who are involved in DEI work. The committee will compile an end-of-year report for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate Student Assembly general assembly which summarizes the efforts made that academic year. The DEI committee will have at least one representative(s) from each division, but not more than 45% of the committee can be made up of one of the divisions, and at least two international students who serve on the committee for their divisions. The DEI committee chair will serve as the DEI committee’s chair, and will not count toward the divisional requirement. The committee members can be nominated by any member of the GSA to be part of the committee, after which the DEI committee chair can appoint committee members to achieve divisional parity as needed. The Committee will vote on the report and on any recommendations to be made to the General Assembly. Each division, regardless of the number of committee members from that division, will have two equal votes (which may be split, as the division’s members see fit). In the event of a tie, the DEI committee chair will cast a tie-breaking vote. At the end of the business year, the GA will vote on whether to accept the report or to adopt any recommendations from the DEI Committee. The GA vote will not be binding but will serve to guide the DEI committee chair and committee in choosing the format for the upcoming fiscal year. The DEI committee will be appointed before the end of each fiscal year so that they can help prepare for any changes which were proposed for the coming fiscal year. 

Thirdly, be it resolved that the following text is added to Section 1.B.3 of the GSA by-laws: “1.B.3.e. Other Standing Committees. The other standing committees are: Academics and 

Professional Development Committee; CTF Committee; Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee, Facilities and Healthcare Committee; Transit and Security Committee; and Public Relations Committee. These committees are authorized to act according to their title and any mandates passed as bills by the Assembly.” 

RESOLUTION S22-002: Support for the Graduate Union Organizing Efforts of Local 33 UNITE HERE

Sponsors: Caitlin Davis (GSA Representative, Anthropology)

John T. Gonzalez (GSA Representative, Experimental Pathology) 

Carl R. Rice (GSA Representative, History)

NB: Additional sponsors listed below.

Recipients: Peter Salovey (President, Yale University)

Scott Strobel (Provost, Yale University)

Lynn Cooley (Dean, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Yale University)

The Yale Corporation Board of Trustees

Ridge Liu (Co-President, Local 33 UNITE HERE)

Paul Seltzer (Co-President, Local 33 UNITE HERE)

The Coordinating Committee of Local 33 UNITE HERE

Whereas graduate workers at Yale University provide vital research, teaching, and administrative labor for the University.

Whereas the unionization of graduate workers has improved the working conditions, security, and well-being of graduate employees at a variety of public and private universities, including at Yale’s peer institutions of Harvard, Columbia, and Brown, by producing mutually negotiated, legally binding contracts that enumerate graduate workers’ duties and benefits.

Whereas such benefits include increases in stipends and pay; guarantees of better health, mental health, vision, and dental care; and avenues for the fair adjudication of claims of discrimination and harassment, all of which empower graduate workers to most effectively carry out the demands and requirements of their degree programs and contribute to the University’s mission.

Whereas Local 33 UNITE HERE  is an organization composed of graduate workers which advocates for the unionization and collective bargaining rights of graduate workers at Yale.

Whereas a majority of GSAS graduate workers have indicated their support for the unionization efforts of Local 33 UNITE HERE at Yale.

Be it resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) affirms that graduate workers are workers and thus have a right to and an interest in unionization, and urges the Yale administration to respect and recognize the critical labor graduate workers perform for the university.

Be it further resolved that the GSA acknowledges the potential for advocacy for graduate workers by Local 33 UNITE HERE  to complement the role of the GSA.

Be it further resolved that the GSA acknowledges the unionization campaign of the graduate workers of Local 33 UNITE HERE and recognizes Local 33 UNITE HERE as a potential on-campus partner in its own advocacy efforts.

 

See 2020-2021 Sucessfully Passed Resolutions and Bills here

RESOLUTION S21-001: Call for GSAS Committee on Graduate Student Stipends

Sponsors:

Devan Solanki (Chemical and Environmental Engineering Representative)

Recipient: 

Peter Salovey, President of Yale University 

Scott Strobel, Provost of Yale University 

Kimberly M. Goff-Crews, Secretary and Vice President for University Life at Yale University

Lynn Cooley, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Yale University

Whereas the purpose of the graduate student stipend is to provide a level of support sufficient to allow them to devote themselves to full-time study;

Whereas in an email from Dean Cooley to the GSAS students on November 18th stated “We are now able to increase the stipends for all students sufficiently over the next two years to comfortably exceed the annual estimated cost of living”;

Whereas The Consumer Price Index rose 7.9 percent from February 2021 to February 2022

Whereas the University endowment has grown by a record 40.2% during the 2021 fiscal year;

Whereas a peer institution, namely Princeton, has recently announced stipend increases by as much as 25%;

Whereas the Charter of the Graduate Student Assembly, revised in 2019 and approved by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, explicitly states in Clause 2.B.2 that, “The Assembly may propose that the Dean create ad hoc Graduate School committees composed of faculty, administrators, and graduate students to study issues and to make recommendations to the Dean and to the Assembly”;

Be it resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly requests the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences create an ad hoc committee, consisting of faculty, administrators, and graduate students to study the issue of the increased cost of living in New Haven and make recommendations on graduate student stipends.

RESOLUTION S21-001: Call for GSAS Committee on Graduate Student Stipends

Sponsors:

Devan Solanki (Chemical and Environmental Engineering Representative)

Recipient: 

Peter Salovey, President of Yale University 

Scott Strobel, Provost of Yale University 

Kimberly M. Goff-Crews, Secretary and Vice President for University Life at Yale University

Lynn Cooley, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Yale University

Whereas the purpose of the graduate student stipend is to provide a level of support sufficient to allow them to devote themselves to full-time study;

Whereas in an email from Dean Cooley to the GSAS students on November 18th stated “We are now able to increase the stipends for all students sufficiently over the next two years to comfortably exceed the annual estimated cost of living”;

Whereas The Consumer Price Index rose 7.9 percent from February 2021 to February 2022

Whereas the University endowment has grown by a record 40.2% during the 2021 fiscal year;

Whereas a peer institution, namely Princeton, has recently announced stipend increases by as much as 25%;

Whereas the Charter of the Graduate Student Assembly, revised in 2019 and approved by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, explicitly states in Clause 2.B.2 that, “The Assembly may propose that the Dean create ad hoc Graduate School committees composed of faculty, administrators, and graduate students to study issues and to make recommendations to the Dean and to the Assembly”;

Be it resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly requests the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences create an ad hoc committee, consisting of faculty, administrators, and graduate students to study the issue of the increased cost of living in New Haven and make recommendations on graduate student stipends.

 

Resolution F20-05:  Expansion of the Committee on Fossil Fuel Investment Principles

Sponsors:

Megan Kelley (GSA Representative - Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Service Committee Chair) 
Amber Howell (GSA Representative - Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program)
Kyra Thrush (GSA Representative - Computational Biology & Bioinformatics)
Julianne Rolf (GSA Representative - Chemical and Environmental Engineering)
Laura Logozzo (GSA Representative - School of the Environment)

Recipients:

Peter Salovey (President, Yale University)
Scott Strobel (Provost, Yale University)
Jonathan Macey (Chair, Committee on Fossil Fuel Investment Principles)
David Swensen (Chief Investment Officer, Yale University)
Yale Board of Trustees

Whereas  the Yale University (the University) Committee on Fossil Fuel Investment Principles (CFFIP) was created on October 22, 2020 to, with input from the University community, develop guiding principles for the Corporation Committee on Investor Responsibility with regards to the “social injury” of fossil fuel investment.¹

Whereas “social injury” means “the injurious impact which the activities of a company are found to have on consumers, employees, or other persons.”²

Whereas the “injurious impact” of fossil fuels includes environmental discrimination, in which risks tied to fossil fuels are inequitably shouldered by communities based on socioeconomic, racial, and cultural factors. In practice, this means that the negative impacts of the fossil fuel industry such as pollution and extreme weather due to climate change are disproportionately concentrated in communities which are poor and/or primarily made up of Black, Brown, or other people of color.³

Whereas students have long called for the University to take action to address the existential threat of climate change, including recognizing environmental discrimination and centering environmental and climate justice. 

Whereas the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) is an elected body charged with representing graduate students, including acting as an important voice on many University committees such as the Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility.

Whereas the GSA is recognized by the CFFIP as a partner in ensuring representation of graduate student perspectives on the development of principles on fossil fuel investment.

Whereas the University has many environmental justice experts within the Yale School of the Environment.⁴

Be it resolved that the GSA urges the University to expand the composition of the CFFIP to include experts on climate and environmental justice in order to ensure that the “social injury” of fossil fuels receives adequate attention in the development of the committee’s new investment guidelines. 

Be it further resolved that this expansion should also include representatives from University stakeholders with a history of involvement on these issues, such as the GSA, the Graduate and Professional Student Senate, the Yale College Council, and the Yale Office of Sustainability.

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¹ “Committee on Fossil Fuel Investment Principles.” Office of the President, 7 Nov. 2020, president.yale.edu/committee-fossil-fuel-investment-principles, accessed November 1, 2020
² “Policies and Past Actions: Concept of Social Injury.” Policies and Past Actions | Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility, acir.yale.edu/policies-and-past-actions, accessed November 30, 2020
³  Schlosberg, D., & Collins, L. B. (2014). From environmental to climate justice: climate change and the discourse of environmental justice. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 5(3), 359-374.
⁴  Yale School of the Environment Faculty Expertise: Environmental Justice. environment.yale.edu/profiles/expertise/environmental-justice.

Sponsors: 

Max Clayton (GSA Representative - American Studies) 
Frankie Barrett (GSA Representative - American Studies) 
Sandra Sánchez (GSA Representative - History) 

Recipients: 

Peter Salovey (President, Yale University)
Scott Strobel (Provost, Yale University)
Richard Jacob (Associate Vice President for Federal and State Relations, Yale University) 

Whereas Starting September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, has been attacking Artsakh (also known as Nagorno-Karabakh), a 95% Armenian-majority de facto sovereign entity and an Armenian stronghold where indigenous Armenians have lived since antiquity. 

Whereas under the guise of territorial claims, Azerbaijan’s attacks, which have included the use of cluster munitions and other war crimes in violation of international humanitarian law, have led to the loss of many civilians and the destruction of essential infrastructure.¹

Whereas the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Bob Menendez introduced two resolutions calling on the U.S. State Department to review Azerbaijan’s human rights violations, U.S. leadership has failed to intervene to prevent the use of its weapons and military technology by Azerbaijani forces.²

Whereas our Yale community admits and supports undergraduate and graduate students from Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, as well as those who remain part of diasporic communities in the U.S. 

Whereas this crisis affects the mental well-being of these students and disrupts the academic opportunities of Yale students and faculty who conduct research in the region involved in the conflict. 

Whereas Yale has an opportunity to support the diverse and inclusive community of scholars, researchers, and aspiring leaders. 

Be it resolved that Yale should stand with our affected community members by publicly acknowledging that this conflict negatively impacts our Yale community. 

Be it further resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly urges the recipients to support our affected community members by publicly demanding that the federal government advocate for the immediate cessation of hostilities and restoration of peace, followed by a diplomatic approach to resolving the conflict.

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¹ https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/10/23/azerbaijan-cluster-munitions-used-na…. 
²https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/ranking/release/menendez-colleagues….

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RESOLUTION F20-001: Implementing a Medical Relief Policy for Graduate Students 

Sponsors: 

Stephen Breazeale (GSA Representative - Nursing)
Carson J Bryant (GSA Representative - Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry)
Christina Carolus (GSA Representative - Anthropology)
Ronald Chow (GSA Representative - Public Health)
Breeanna Elliott (GSA Representative - History; Chair, Facilities & Healthcare Committee)
Chrishan Fernando (GSA Representative - Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS))
Gadareth Higgs (GSA Representative - Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology; Chair, Academic and Professional Development Committee)
Megan Kelley (GSA Representative - Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program; Chair, Service Committee)
Madison Rackear (GSA Representative - Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS))
Nicolle Rosa-Mercado (GSA Representative - Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry; Member, GSA Steering Committee)
S. Maxwell Scalf (GSA Representative - Cell Biology Representative; Chair, Transit & Security Committee)

Recipients:

Lynn Cooley (Dean, Yale University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences)
Paul Genecin (Chief Executive Officer, Yale Health)
George Longyear (Director,Graduate and Professional Student Housing) 
Scott Strobel (Provost, Yale University)

Whereas the intended purpose of the GSAS medical leave of absence is to provide the protected ability for a student to interrupt their graduate studies should medical concerns arise and to support students with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses;

Whereas the current GSAS medical leave of absence policy neglects to support low-income students, who may otherwise benefit from and/or require a period of flexibility during their studies, in taking said leave due to prospective loss of healthcare coverage, stipend income, and access to Yale facilities and Yale-affiliated graduate housing;

Whereas other GSAS policies, such as the parental relief policy, demonstrate the administration’s flexibility in supporting students who experience a change in life circumstances, these policy considerations do not yet extend to those graduate students who may require similar flexibility and financial support for documented medical reasons, which disproportionately impacts students with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses;

Be it first resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly urges the GSAS administration to implement a medical relief policy, which offers, as a minimum, similar benefits to those of the parental relief policy. This would provide such benefits as allowing students on medical relief to maintain their full-time student status, receive their standard financial aid stipend and health award, have all academic responsibilities altered to fit their circumstances, and have their academic clocks stopped for the duration of the term;

Be it further resolved that graduate students requesting medical relief be provided the option to enroll in the Academic Travel Rider or a similar program in case relocation is necessary;

Be it further resolved that GSAS and other university leadership will work alongside the GSA Facilities and Healthcare Committee and the GSA Steering Committee to develop this policy.

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RESOLUTION F20-02:  The GSA Opposes DHS Proposal to Shorten Admission Period for F- & J- Student Visa Holders and their Dependents

Sponsors:

Stephen Breazeale (GSA Representative - Nursing)
Christina Carolus (GSA Representative - Anthropology)
Ronald Chow (GSA Representative - Public Health)
Breeanna Elliott (GSA Representative - History; Chair, Facilities and Healthcare Committee)
Ferhat Erata (GSA Representative - Computer Science)
Aida Feng (GSA Representative - Germanic Languages and Literatures)
Chrishan Fernando (GSA Representative - Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS))
Aritra Ghosh (GSA Representative - Astronomy; Member, Steering Committee)
Sophie Hao (GSA Representative - Computer Science)
Karina López (GSA Representative - Spanish and Portuguese)
Federica Parodi (GSA Representative - Italian Studies)
Carl R. Rice (GSA Representative - History; Chair, PR Committee)
Pavla Rosenstein (GSA Representative - Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations)
Joseph Shomar (GSA Representative - Physics)
Spencer Small (GSA Representative - Slavic Languages & Literatures, Member, Steering Committee)

Recipients:

Peter Salovey, Ph.D. (President, Yale University)
Scott Strobel, Ph.D. (Provost, Yale University)
Kimberly Goff-Crews (Secretary & Vice President for University Life, Yale University)
The Yale Corporation Board of Trustees
Lynn Cooley (Dean, Yale University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences)
Ann Kuhlman (Executive Director, Office of International Students & Scholars)
Richard Jacobs (Associate Vice President for Federal and State Relations)

Whereas the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on September 25, 2020 a proposed rule change that will alter the current Duration of Status policy for F & J status visa-holders and would limit the duration of their stay in the US to either two or four years before requiring an application with US Citizenship and Immigration Services for an extension of stay;

Whereas international students comprise approximately half of the doctoral students in the US and more than one-third of the students in Yale’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences;

Whereas this proposed DHS rule change saddles international students with unnecessary emotional and financial distress;

Whereas this undue distress will adversely affect international students’ progress in their academic programs; 

Whereas Yale University maintains a commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, promotes Belonging at Yale, and emphasizes its support for international students and scholars;

Be it first resolved that the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) affirms that international students belong at Yale and are valued and essential members of the Graduate School and Yale communities.

Be it further resolved that the GSA condemns this proposed xenophobic and inhuman threat to academic freedom and commits to opposing the implementation of this rule (or any similarly xenophobic and isolationist rule changes);

Be it further resolved that GSA calls on the resolution’s recipients and other University leaders to join the Assembly in all of these actions by reaffirming their support of international students, by directing the Office of General Counsel to prepare a legal challenge to the proposed rule change, and by publicly opposing this rule change and any future proposals of this nature.

Be it further resolved that the GSA requests the University administration  work alongside GSA and other student organizations as it designs a robust response to the proposed rule change.

Resolutions can also be found in the Assembly Motions Page under How GSA Works