A New Way.
Vote Uche!
A New Way.
Vote Uche!
Uche 4 President
Uchenna Chukwukere '21, SA Presidential Candidate
About Me!
Hey Y’all!
I’m so excited that you’ve decided to check out my website!
My name is Uche Chukwukere and I am a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences double majoring in Chemistry and Biological Sciences! I was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia and grew up in a Nigerian-American household.
I’ve always been taught that when I enter a room and space I should always find a way to make it better for others if possible! So naturally, entering the Cornell space, I decided that running for President of the Cornell Student Assembly would be the way that I make my final impacts on this campus!
Continue exploring my website and you'll see all that I've done and plan to do!
With Love, Light, and Warmth,
Uche
Uche's Funnest Facts!!!!
Uche's line name is Vanguard meaning a person at the forefront of new initiatives!
crisis response
Rationale
Today, we are seeing the festering wounds that are plaguing our country uncovered by two public health crises. COVID-19 and Racism. With the brutal murders of Black individuals in America, poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the oppression that students from all underrepresented backgrounds and marginalized identities. Our institution must make every effort to counteract these injustices starting right in Ithaca.
How Do I Plan on Doing This?
As President, I will seek to fully support and carry out the demands of grassroots organizations such as DoBetterCornell, Cornell Students for Black Lives.
Creation of a Student Honor Board or Alternative Justice Board
This will be used as an alternate method for Cornell’s dispute resolution process. This board must consist of mostly minoritized and underprivileged students.
Creation of the anti-racism institute.
As it currently stands, Cornell has a very decentralized system to engage with racial bias and discrimination through organizations such as the Intergroup Dialogue Project, Engaged Cornell, Center for the Studies of Inequality, which are all extremely important to have but can work much more effectively, by combining efforts into an Anti-Racism Institute. This space would be an academic and student centered space that will allow for academic, professional, and employment opportunities as well as a space for faculty and professors to centralize their efforts. An Anti-Racism Institute will ensure that there is a fully institutionalized body that can effectively address racism and discrimination.
Disarming, Defunding, and Disbanding the Cornell University Police Department
American policing systems are rooted in racism and started as a way of controlling Black bodies during slavery. It is no different from today with the countless and senseless murders of Black individuals by police. There is no reforming this. Instead, we must take a revolutionary and abolitionist approach to dealing with these issues. Knowing this, the first approach I took was passing S.A. Resolution #50: Requesting The Establishment of the Cornell University Police Oversight Committee. This committee will have access to and be charged with reviewing the Use of Force Policy , which is currently unavailable for public viewing. The committee will also have access to bias reports from students, make recommendations of on further disciplinary actions of officers, review the fiscal year budget, and oversee the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training of officers. This will allow for sufficient evidence that will prove the further need to disarm, then defund, and ultimately disband the CUPD. The funds will then be redistributed to marginalized and underprivileged students in the Cornell community and to the Ithaca community as a whole.
Quicker and Greater Response to Students experiencing discrimination and bias
There have been too many horrifying accounts of students experiencing bias and discrimination from peers, faculty, staff, and administrators alike. This is completely unacceptable. As President, I will push for faster and more appropriate response to allegations of racism, bias, and discrimination. I will work closely with the Office of the Judicial Administrator and the Title IX Office to conduct a full and comprehensive review of the handling of cases regarding bias, discrimination, and racism.
As President, I will also ensure that student health, both mental and physical is a priority.
I will push for the creation of a centralized reporting system for faculty/TA's that may be implementing harsh and/or unfair grading policies while in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important that in these times, we take great measures to protect the most marginalized and affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. I will push for the public release of the annual mental health review and the recommendations based upon them as well as 30-day updates on any actions taken.
Works Completed
DoBetterCornell - Founding Member
As a founding member of the DoBetterCornell Campaign, I had the honor of working with extremely passionate and dedicated individuals who were completely focused on creating more racial justice and equity for marginalized, underrepresented, and BIPOC students on Cornell's campus. Below are the demands and statements that have been put out by the DoBetterCornell campaign.
Projects I'm Working On
Inclusivity and equity
Here is my rationale, past works completed, and current projects I am working on.
Rationale
Acknowledging that Cornell has a problem with providing equitable resources, handling issues equitably, and bringing light to the inequities that are currently present on campus is the first step to bringing Cornell closer to living up to its motto of “Any Person, Any Study”. As President, I will work to push for the creation of more Gender Neutral Restrooms and Housing Policies, Reducing the Student Health Fee for fully funded Financial Aid Students, Holding Cornell Accountable for Fossil Fuel Divestment and creation of sustainable infrastructure, addressing issues of cissexism, and etc.
Works Completed
SA Resolution # 8 to amend the Student Assembly bylaws to ensure that more marginalized communities are fairly and accurately represented
SA Resolution # 33 to amend the Student Assembly bylaws to ensure that more marginalized communities are fairly and accurately represented
Projects I'm working on
SA Resolution: Adoption of Gender Inclusive Housing Policy
SA Resolution: Addressing the Issue of Cissexism at Cornell
SA Resolution: Establishment of a Disability Cultural Resource Center
SA Resolution: Tuition Liability Adjustments For Students Taking Voluntary Leaves of Absences
SA Resolution: Creation of a Grant for Low-Income students needing laundry
SA Resolution: Covering Student Health Plan Completely Under Financial Aid for Fully-Funded Students
accessibility
Here is my rationale, past works completed and current projects I am working on.
Rationale
Accessibility is important because it gives a more equal and fair opportunity for students who come from all walks of life and are navigating their way through the Cornell system. As President, I plan to work to institutionalize a financial plan to provide free menstrual products, reduce classist taxes such as the Student Contribution Fee, Laundry prices, and expanding the Swipe Out Hunger Program, providing a Matching program for the ACCESS Fund, and pushing for a full review of campus infrastructure to ensure that it is completely ADA compliant.
Works Completed
SA Resolution # 37 to amend the S.A. Bylaws and Charter, changing the "Women's Issues Representative At-Large" position to the "Womxn's Issues Representative At-Large"
Free the Tampon: This project funded by the SAIFC will provide free menstrual products in every bathroom on Cornell's campus!
Check out more about this project and see how it has been implemented through this Cornell Sun Article!
Happy Lights: This project funded by the SAIFC will provide Happy Lights to undergraduate students as a part of the mental health initiative
Projects I'm Working On
SA Resolution: Using Faculty to Standardize Mental Health Resources on Syllabi
SA Resolution: Complete Review of Campus Infrastructure to ensure full ADA-compliancy
accountability & transparency
Here is my rationale, past works completed and current projects I am working on.
Rationale
Accountability and Transparency are two major issues that Cornell has much work to do in order to improve the overall campus climate. A few of the major issues that I intend to tackle are the reformation of Greek life through close collaborations with OSFL and the Greek Tri-Councils, urging for the creation of Campus Climate Task Forces to evaluate the livelihood of minority and international students, mandating diversity, cultural, and inclusivity training of shared governance members as well as employees, faculty, and staff.
Works Completed
SA Resolution # 34 requests an equitable representation of the Student Assembly on both the Incident Leadership Team and Incident Management Team when determining recommendations pertaining to weather-related operating status
S.A. Resolution #49: Amendment To S.A. Resolution 7 (Establishing the Office of the Student Advocate 3 Bylaws): Creation of the Director of International Student Affairs
S.A. Resolution #50: Establishment of the CUPD Police Oversight Committee
S.A. Resolution #51: Requesting the Establishment of the Policy 6.4 (Prohibited Bias, Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual and Related Misconduct)/Cornell Title IX Oversight and Advisory Board
Works Completed
to amend the Student Assembly bylaws to ensure that more marginalized communities are fairly and accurately represented
to amend the Student Assembly bylaws to ensure that more marginalized communities are fairly and accurately represented
requests equitable representation of the Student Assembly on both the Incident Leadership Team and Incident Management Team when determining recommendations pertaining to weather-related operating status
to amend the S.A. Bylaws and Charter, changing the "Women's Issues Representative At-Large" position to the "Womxn's Issues Representative At-Large"
Free the Tampon
This project funded by the SAIFC will provide free menstrual products in every bathroom on Cornell's campus!
Happy Lights
This project funded by the SAIFC will provide Happy Lights to undergraduate students as a part of the mental health initiative
S.A. Resolution #49
This resolution calls for an amendment to Resolution 7, which creates an International Students Director in the Office of the Student Advocate
This resolution calls for the creation of the CUPD Police Oversight Committee
This Resolution calls for the creation of a Title IX/Policy 6.4 Student Advisory Board
Office of the Student Advocate Observations and Recommendation on Community Life
Projects I'm Currently Working On
SA Resolution:
Establishment of the Policy 6.4/Title IX Student Advisory Committee
Completed!
SA Resolution: Establishment of the CUPD Police Oversight Committee
Completed!
SA Resolution:
Mandating Student Assembly Members to Receive Diversity/Inclusion/Cultural Sensitivity/and Racial Training
SA Resolution:
Urging Faculty To Standardize Mental Health Resources On Syllabi
SA Resolution:
Establishing the director of international student affairs to the office of the student advocate
Completed!
SA Resolution:
Adoption of Gender Inclusive Housing Policy
SA Resolution:
Tuition Liability Adjustments For Students Taking Voluntary Leaves of Absences
SA Resolution:
Urging For The Expansion of The Swipe Out Hunger Program
SA Resolution:
Creation of a Grant for Low-Income students needing laundry
SA Resolution:
Establishment of a disability cultural resource center
SA Resolution:
Disbanding, Disarming, and Defunding the CUPD
SA Resolution:
Demanding Cornell University Residential Life to stop the Notification Of CUPD for suspicion of Marijuana Usage in Dorms
Current Qualifications and involvements
Multicultural Greek and Fraternal Council
President
2020 - Present
ALANA Intercultural Programming Board
Executive Vice President, Vice President of Programming
2019 - Present
Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated
Brother
2018 - Present
Assembly experience
This is an outline of the work that I have done within shared governance at Cornell!
March 2019 - Present
LGBTQ+ Liaison At-Large and Undesignated Representative At Large
Member of Appropriations Committee, SAFC Transformation Committee, Professional Fraternity Council Transformation Committee, Convocation Review Team, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Infrastructure Fund Commission, Research & Accountability Committee
University Assembly
January 2020 - Present
Undergraduate Representative, Ranking Member
Codes and Judicial Committee
Student Assembly Infrastructure Fund Commission
Co-Chair
2019 - 2020
Past involvements and qualifications
Haven: The LGBTQ+ Student Union
Co-Programming Chair
April 2019 - May 2020
MOSAIC
Co-Facilitator
May 2019 - May 2020
Men of Color Council
Chair
March 2019 - May 2020
Gender Justice Advocacy Coalition
Executive Board Member
April 2019- March 2020
Endorsements
Endorsements loading!!!
MUSIC
Check out this song while you browse my platform and what I'm currently listening to in my Spotify playlist!
fsdfsdf