Magis Scholarship Referenda Resolution

THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT OF LOYOLA CHICAGO OF LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO

MEASURE OF THE SENATE Magis Scholarship Referenda Resolution To support the creation of a referenda in the Spring 2015 Student Government of Loyola Chicago elections ballot ______ - ______ - ______ to be filed by the Secretary

________________________________________________________________________ Signed by the President of the Student Government of Loyola Chicago

Chiefly Sponsored By: Senator Mariana Chavez, Member of the Justice Committee Co-Sponsored By: ***ALPHABATICAL ORDER LAST NAME*** Senator Melinda Bunnage, Chair of Justice Committee Senator Israa Elhalawany, Senator Rachel Greene, Senator Taylor Hines, Senator Ryan Sorrell,

Senator Jackson Santy, Chair of Safety and Wellness Committee Senator Samira Baraki, Senator Emily Caldwell, Senator Amie Gandhi, Senator Dana D’Onofrio, Senator Madeline Von Kulajta Winn, Chair of Residence Life and Dining Senator Jacob Dumbauld, Senator Mary Makarious, Senator Karol Nowak, Senator Natalie Pine, Senator Nashiha Alam, Senator George Henry, Senator Riddhi Shah Whereas, In the Spring Semester of 2013, the Student Government of Loyola Chicago, then USGA, hereafter referred to as the SGLC, passed the Undocumented Student Act, with an official vote of 23 – 3 – 4, to declare support and the need for assistance for undocumented students at Loyola University Chicago, and Whereas, Loyola University Chicago’s mission statement identifies that the university is “working to expand knowledge in the service of humanity through learning, justice, and faith,”1 and Whereas, The Jesuit tenet, Cura Personalis, calls for the care of the entire human being, and Whereas, Commitment to those who live on the margins of society traces back to the establishment of the Jesuit order, and2 Whereas, Jesuit universities were originally created to facilitate the education of immigrants and their offspring in the United States2, and Whereas, According to the Immigrant Student National Paper, an estimated 5-10% of students, out of a pool of approximately 65,000 undocumented high school graduates per year2 pursue high education, and Whereas, Loyola University Chicago currently accepts undocumented students, and Whereas, Undocumented students cannot receive federal financial aid, and Whereas, 76% of staff members surveyed for the Immigrant Student National Paper, including staff members from Loyola, strongly agreed that admitting, enrolling, and supporting undocumented students fits within the mission of the institution2, and Whereas, Many undocumented students work to cover living costs or take care of family members in situations that the family cannot survive without the assistance of the student, resulting in pressure to perform not only academically, but also for the benefit of the family2, and

1

http://luc.edu/mission/mission_vision.shtml

2 http://www.fairfield.edu/media/fairfielduniversitywebsite/documents/academic/cfpl_immigration_summary.pdf

Whereas, President and CEO of Loyola University Chicago, Michael J. Garanzini, S.J. has already publically endorsed his support for undocumented students seeking an education at Loyola University Chicago, and Whereas, Several members of the faculty, staff, and students of Loyola University Chicago have participated in the Safe-Ally Share the Dream training sponsored by the department of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, and Whereas, SGLC, then USGA, collaborated with the Latin American Student Organization and Loyola’s Donor Relations Office to establish the Magis Scholarship Fund to support undocumented Loyola Undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need but do not qualify for Federal Financial Aid33, and Therefore, Be it resolved that the Student Government of Loyola Chicago supports the creation of a referenda in the spring 2015 Student Government of Loyola Chicago election’s ballot stating the following: “Do you approve of the addition of $2.50 each semester to the Student Development fee to support undocumented Loyola undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need but do not qualify for federal financial aid (FAFSA)?”

3

http://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2014/12/11/loyola-university-chicago-student-government-supports-undocumentedstudents/