Student Senate discusses support for ending Kalyango’s tenure

Student Senate. Photo by Tim Zelina.

Student Senate discussed Faculty Senate’s recent decision to withdraw a special committee report regarding Yusuf Kalyango’s tenure at their Wednesday meeting. 

The report, initially approved in December by a Faculty Senate committee, recommended to the Board of Trustees that Kalyango should keep his tenure. In a meeting held virtually Monday night, the Faculty Senate withdrew that report. 

The official resolution passed by the Senate stated, “Be it resolved that the Faculty Senate calls for the report of the Faculty Senate’s specially convened committee be withdrawn and not considered by the Board of Trustees by the President,” according to a report by The New Political.

Kalyango was suspended from teaching in 2018 for allegations of sexual harassment. After The Athens NEWS published a story Thursday that detailed the committee’s recommendation, the full Faculty Senate voted to withdraw the committee report. 

The Ohio U Board of Trustees will make the final decision on Kalyango’s tenure, and according to a report by The Athens NEWS, it will include the committee report in its consideration. 

Student Senate expressed its support for sexual assault survivors during the meeting and detailed the steps it is taking to ensure that Ohio U remains a safe space for all. 

“I think that it’s time to realize that there is a lot of change that needs to be done in order to protect survivors and give students a place for their voice to be heard, listened to and taken seriously,” said Senate Vice President Elizabeth Lilly. 

Lilly added that the Senate has been working with the Graduate Student Senate to develop joint legislation to better protect students from sexual assault and harrasment. Commissioner Maxeen Ramlo, along with the Women’s Affairs Commission, have been working to create researched and well-developed bills and legislation regarding student protection for the Senate to vote on. 

The Student Senate also created a letter campaign to advocate for the removal of Kalyango’s tenure to the Board of Trustees. Chief of Staff Elaina Tartal described it as a great way for students to reach out to the Board and express their opinion if they’re unsure of where to start. The Senate’s pre-made letter can be found online and emailed directly to the Board of Trustees at trustees@ohio.edu. 

Collectively, the Senate made its stance against the reinstatement of Kalyango as a professor in a statement saying, “Student Senate believes, supports and stands with survivors.”

Advisers Jenny Hall-Jones, Patricia McSteen and Kat Nelson each expressed their pride in the Senate’s goals to seek and uplift student voices and concerns. 

“This is truly what the Bobcat family is about,” said McSteen. 

In other business, the Senate made four new appointments during the meeting. Esther Aulis-Cabrera was appointed as a senator to the committee on the budget, Mira Parsons was appointed to vice commissioner, Andrew Cornelison was appointed as a senator to College of Arts and Sciences and Carissa Nickell was appointed as a senator for Women’s Affairs.