PSGA Senate Meeting Addresses Loop Incident and Declining Retention Rates

By: Kassidy Bowering

PSGA Logo via Purchase.edu

As retention rates of students at Purchase continue to decline, the PSGA Senate has put together a Comprehensive Suggestion Resolution and began a formal student run conversation on the recent loop incident.

Immediately upon proper call to order and approval of the agenda, the loop incident was introduced to the Senate for an update. Liv Cocozza, president of the PSGA, gave his update to the council after having talked to Patricia Bice, Dean of Student Affairs.

As of now the Senate agreed that all of the details of the loop incident need to be straightened out, with a clear timeline, to ensure repercussions are fitting. Some senators talked of wanting to cancel the loop contract, as it was mentioned that the bus driver in question might possibly be the contract holder himself, although details are still being determined.

There will be another separate meeting with Bice next Tuesday, to further dive into what the proper procedure from here on out should be.

Senator Erika Francis questioned why Purchase has yet to issue an apology.

“We are scared to use the loop,” said Francis, referring to some students of color.

The Comprehensive Suggestions Resolution was approved during the meeting. This document contained multiple ideas that the Senate strongly support to make Purchase a more enjoyable and safe place. The resolutions aim to help increase the rate of retention for students across all majors.

Some larger resolutions for the students included adding Bronx and Yonkers stops to the loop, increasing on-campus paid jobs and opening some dining facilities earlier on the weekends.

Other resolutions geared towards the staff and faculty were proposed as well, such as; hiring commuter and transfer specific advisors, addressing the wage gap of female and POC staff and faculty to their white male peers and providing more space for the counseling center to grow by including more counselors of different ethnicities to better match the demographics of the campus.

All of the QPOC demands, found on their PantherLink, were also added to the Comprehensive Suggestions Resolution. Whether these resolutions are put into effect is not up to the PSGA Senate, but with new leadership and more senators backing the document, there is hope.