Student Assembly

Sponsored by: Roneal Desai ‘13, David Angeles ‘13, Luz Aceves ‘12, and Jessica Perez ‘13

Whereas, Cornell University’s motto is “Any person, any study”,

Whereas, in a public statement President Skorton noted the need to correct, “an injustice perpetrated upon thousands of American students� [the DREAM Act] is the right thing to do and should be done now”,

Whereas, on average there are approximately 20 undocumented students enrolled in the undergraduate program at Cornell University,

Whereas, in 2008 a change to financial aid policy at Cornell had the ramification of moving a proportion of undocumented students who were previously in the domestic financial aid pool into the scholarship pool for international students,

Whereas, undocumented students are not eligible for and do not receive federal financial aid,

Whereas, President Skorton publicly endorsed the DREAM Act on April 22, 2010,

Whereas, in a statement President Skorton noted, “[undocumented youth] deserve the right to access our institutions of higher education and become productive and engaged members of our society”,

Whereas, the University endorsed a letter sent to other University Presidents and Senators urging them to support the Dream Act on June 14, 2010,

Whereas, the University has not since taken steps to support undocumented youth currently enrolled or attempting to enroll at Cornell,

Whereas, the University does not currently provide legal, emotional, or additional financial support for undocumented students,

Whereas, undocumented students are only eligible for financial aid for scholarships reserved for international students,

Be it therefore resolved, that should a sufficient external annual gift be received for the purposes of supporting the education of undocumented youth, the University and the Dean of Students office will ensure that the money is reserved for the tuition, room, board, and other expenses of undocumented students;

Be it further resolved, that the Assembly recommends the University reconsider the purpose of its work study program and its accessibility for undocumented students;

Be it further resolved, that the Assembly recommends the University designate a current staff member (or members) to provide legally aware advice, emotional support, and career and academic advice in a confidential manner to undocumented students;

Be it further resolved, that the Assembly recommends the creation of “safe spaces” for undocumented students similar to those currently in existence for the LGBTQ community;

Be it further resolved, that the Assembly recommends that with the help of current Cornell undergraduates, Gannett Health Services and other on-campus institutions and/or groups responsible for addressing mental health issues will provide training regarding the realities and difficulties undocumented students face in order to be able to provide the necessary health services;

Be it finally resolved, that upon being approved by the Assembly, this resolution be sent to President David Skorton, Vice President Susan Murphy, Dean of Students Kent Hubbell, Director of Financial Aid Thomas Keane, Director of Mental Health Initiatives at Gannett Health Services Dr. Timmothy Marchell, and the Director of the International Students and Schoalrs Office Brendan O’ Brien.

Respectfully Submitted,

Roneal Desai ‘13
Minority Representative At-Large

David Angeles ‘13

Luz Aceves ‘12

Jessica Perez ‘13

(Reviewed by the Joint Assemblies on Multicultural Issues Committee on November 15th, 2011 and the Joint Assemblies Financial Aid Review Committee on November 15th, 20111. )