Fresno State’s Associated Students, Inc. has approved a referendum for adding two new senate positions for the student body to vote on in the March election. The positions are for senators of veteran and transfer affairs and diversity, equity and inclusion.

The positions were approved at the first ASI meeting in the spring semester with a 7-5 vote. But one week later, the Diversity Committee voted to revisit the proposal for the senator for diversity, equity and inclusion position to discuss whether the position was one that was actually needed.

The agenda item was for approval of the ballot language for the referendum of both new senate positions. Before the vote, the senators discussed their ideas on the proposed referendum.

The committee discussed the pros and cons before a revote that kept the position on the ballot.

The pros of keeping the diversity position include allowing a representative to concentrate on the many diverse student populations.

The cons include the fact that each of the current senate positions already represent the diverse student body.

News of the revote led many on campus to attend the meeting, giving them the opportunity to address ASI in public comments before the decision was made.

Dr. Cristina Herrera, department chair of Chicano and Latin American Studies, urged ASI to keep the referendum intact.

“The words diversity, equity and inclusion are not bad words, and yet they become vilified in our society which is unfair,” Herrera said. “A university with the very word diversity in its motto should value such a senator position.”

Dr. Amber Crowell, assistant professor in the department of sociology, explained the importance of having someone represent the diversity of the campus.

“I believe this position is vital to the mission of our university,” Crowell said. “This is a special campus because of how many groups are represented in our student body.”

Raymond Ray, a senior history major, said the senators’ terms were up at the end of the semester and that leaving the referendum to a student vote could make a difference.

“That will be the impact that you guys leave behind,” Ray said. “That’s something to hang your hat on, that you simply put it up to a vote for us, as well as yourselves.”

Alex Gallo, senator at-large of academic affairs, who originally proposed the position, explained the need for the senator to become a part of ASI.

“Even though ASI is diverse, it does not mean the populations we identify as [diverse] are being represented,” Gallo said. “That is referred to as an illusion of inclusion and that is something a professor recently told me.”

The proposed senator would have a number of jobs in advocating for diversity. They were outlined in Gallo’s proposal including being a liaison to cultural groups and working closely with the Cross Cultural and Gender Center.

Gallo said the senator will also “advocate for initiatives that facilitate progress of diversity, challenge practices and policies that hinder ASI’s and the university’s vision for diversity.”

Mayra Casillas, senator at-large for clubs and organizations, serves on the Diversity Committee and said that the group is not against the position, but noted it already has the potential to address students’ needs regarding diversity.

“We have a priority as a senate to have diversity and to promote it on our campus, and I think that is exactly the purpose of the Diversity Committee,” Casillas said. “With that being said, this committee has only existed for less than a year. I don’t think we’ve given it the opportunity to flourish and become what it needs to be.”

Casillas invited those in the audience who shared their concerns to attend the Diversity Committee’s meetings in order to work together on future projects.

“None of this has ever been addressed to our committee, and we would love to hear everything you have to say, so that you can feel included, so we can bring it to the senate meetings for you guys,” Casillas said.

Having the senator position would not mean that the committee would be cut. Both the senator and committee would serve students’ needs, Gallo said.

The action item was for the approval of the ballot language. It stated that the students would vote for the two new positions under one referendum. A “yes” vote meant the approval of both positions. A “no” would be a disapproval of both. The motion passed with an 8-6 vote.

Diversity Committee meetings are open to the public. They are held every other Wednesday that offset the ASI meetings at 4 p.m. Ally Zavala, senator at-large of student affairs and enrollment management, is the chair, and Senator Casillas serves as co-chair.

The referendum will be voted on from March 28-30 during the spring 2017 elections.

Discussion was not only focused on the proposed senate position but a position that had been discussed in the past, a senator of sustainability.

Many senators explained that given the age of the Fresno State campus and potential projects that could be done, having that position would help another growing issue on campus. Those in favor of that position explained that there has been an established outlet for issues regarding diversity. The issues pertaining to our environment have not yet been expressed at a larger level.

Other proposals included that the issue of sustainably would run best as a task force. A group of individuals could come together and work on continuous projects regarding the well-being of the campus climate. Senators also have opportunities to apply for grants that can fund sustainability projects within their colleges.