Resignation Letter & Follow Up

Dear
Seattle University Community,

It has already been a particularly difficult year for some of us. The current state of
our national government and new administration has adversely challenged us in many
ways. For me, this has taken a substantial toll on my health, academics, and social wellbeing.

I'm writing to let you all know that because of all of this, I will be resigning from my
position as SGSU President. This decision was not easy. I struggled with this since the
beginning of the year and thought I could hold out. But, of course, my status as an
undocumented immigrant has not made my very existence in the United States easy. That is
why I have made the decision to take a break and determine my plans for the future. I have
also decided that, when the time is right for me, to start fighting for my own basic human
rights. I do not think I can make meaningful change in this position or through our
university.

I have quit one of my jobs, plan on quitting my second one, and hope that resigning
from SGSU will help me regain the strength needed to advocate for others. After this, I will
be continuously and actively involved in community activism, advocacy, social movement
building, and writing for some organizations interested in my story.

Since the inauguration, the new administration has made significant changes to the
way our national government functions and has made executive orders that affect my
family and community. I hope that through my resignation, we, as students, can focus more
on what we can do to protect our most vulnerable communities. I trust that our SGSU will
continue doing this. I will officially end my duties as president today, but will work closely
with the SGSU executive team to make this transition as easy as possible.

I ask, that with my resignation, the Student Government of Seattle University review
and act on the following:

Refocus the work SGSU does until internal processes and governing documents are
reevaluated.
o Overhaul of the SGSU Constitution, Bylaws, Elections Code, and any other
governing documents to make it inclusive for all students, specifically
Running Start students that may be limited by the amount of credits and the
position they would like to seek office for.
In regards to the upcoming budget cuts, I encourage that money from the
appropriations account not be removed. This funding benefits many clubs, including
cultural clubs that base their signature events from this funding. Reallocation of
funds should be done to ensure that money is reduced from other accounts.
Protect marginalized communities and work with them to ensure their security on
this campus.
Push for a university committee to oversee the impact university decisions have on
undocumented students, staff, and faculty. This committee should also oversee how
to improve access for students that are undocumented.
Readjust the relationship between SGSU and the administration, the Board of
Trustees, the Board of Regents, and other university committees. This is to ensure
that valuable student input is taken into consideration on university decisions.
These considerations should be taken seriously to ensure that we could best represent
our students. These points are not new and I have been in conversation with Executives on
improving some of these points. We must take another look at how we function and change
some of these elements that help protect the organization we took an oath to. Please join us
in this conversation so that we can work to improve this together. SGSU has been a strong
organization, and will remain stable with the current team as we transition.

It has been a privilege for me to work with you all this year. I am so proud of every
member in our community that is standing up for what they believe. I have felt very
supported throughout this process but hope that we can rethink how we function as
members of this institution. Challenge yourself and challenge this institution to step up and
truly make significant changes to protect our students.

When I took the Oath of Office, I promised to protect, promote, and serve the Seattle
University students to the best of my abilities. Although I will not be in this position any
longer, I will continue to hold that promise to you all and the larger community because Im
#HereToStay.

Your only President,

Carlos Rodriguez

Dear Seattle University Community,

I would like to express deep gratitude for all of Carlos work, and his continued
work, serving our organization, school, and community. His impact on our community has
been profound and in this incredibly disheartening time in our world, we only need one
president to lead us and Carlos has done just that and more. This community will never be
able to repay him for all his hard work and dedication, but we can continue his legacy by
fighting for justice on our campus, in our community, and in the world.

Since the beginning of winter quarter, three representatives have resigned from
SGSU including one of the at-large representatives, multicultural representative, and nontraditional student representative. On behalf of SGSU, I would like to thank McKenzi Bravo,
Vic Vong, and Rasheedah McClain for all their hard work and the dedication of their time,
energy, and voice to SGSU for the student body.

From our statements on unionization and the election to events discussing
protesting the national anthem to building community for our transfer students to our
legislative agenda, SGSU has done a lot of great work this year. However, when powerful
student leaders are resigning and members of SGSU cannot see the impact of their hard
work due to the institutional constraints of their organization, our entire community
misses opportunities to grow and learn from their unique perspective and abilities. SGSU
has been made more aware of the organizational parameters, as well as larger
administrative obstacles, that have hindered us from fully serving the needs of the student
body. In light of recent resignations, SGSU is committing ourselves to finding way to
promote and attain more accessible, effective, and transparent change with our university
and taking seriously the considerations Carlos brought up in his resignation letter. SGSU is
aware that changes need to be made in the way we operate internally through the
restructuring of our governing documents and in the larger context of the university
through holding the administration accountable to listening and actively seeking out
student voices. Although we are not a perfect organization, we will continue to work at
becoming better through open dialogue and more constituent outreach so we can be
accountable to all students on this campus. That being said, SGSU is not going anywhere but
rather committing ourselves, more than ever, to serving the students needs in this time of
transition. We are here for you the students.

With that, as I move into my new role in SGSU, I will be part of ensuring that important
decision-making conversations at the administrative level include meaningful discourse
that proactively takes student voices into serious consideration. I am also aware that my
identities often already have a place at the table where these conversations take place. As
SGSU moves forward in making sure we are serving the student body in the best way, I
would like to also commit myself to bring important, valued, and underrepresented voices
to the table just as Carlos continually did during his presidency. In doing so, we hope that
this university best lives out its mission and values in service to every student on campus.
We are living in troubled times, so now more than ever, we must center the voices of the
marginalized in our community.

Finally, according to the line of succession outlined in the SGSU constitution, I would
typically assume the role of president. The atypical political climate, the new President of
the United States, and recent resignations within SGSU calls for an atypical response in
defining how we move the position forward while keeping Carlos legacy intact. As outlined
in his resignation letter, Carlos had to resign from his position because of the detrimental
current political climate and the effects it has on the undocumented community. Carlos
Rodriguez will always be the only president I need. Therefore, stepping into the role of
leading SGSU in our fight for students, I will fulfill the duties of the job description for the
rest of the year while keeping this at the forefront of my leadership and agenda.

In solidarity,

Kate Hannick

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Dear

Seattle University Community,

Dear Seattle University Community,

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