Columbia University School of Social Work
Student Union & Caucuses
STUDENT UNION Executive Board, 2011-2012
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Luis Santiago
President
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Zanetta Harris
Vice President
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Trina Mitchell
Treasurer |
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Paul Ibarra
Academic Senator |
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Cynthia Antonio
Caucus Coordinator |
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Rebecca Jones
2nd Year Representative
Peter Swanson
2nd Year Representative
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Nadine Rose Carole
Chris Eager-Finney
Nadia Gonzalez
Camille Rose Santistevan
Claire Schoen
1st Year Representatives
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Michelle Powell
16-Month Student Representative |
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Allen Liu
Advanced Standing Student Representative |
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Adiba Karimi
International Student Representative |
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Jennifer Choi
Reduced Residency Student Representative |
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Brian Kim
Dual Degree Representative |
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Grace Cortijo
Extended Student Representative |
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Sydney Rose
Special Events Coordinator |
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TBD
Asst. Special Events Coordinator |
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Jennae Phillippe
Communications and Outreach Coordinator |
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| ADVOCATES FOR GERONTOLOGICAL EDUCATION (AGE) |
| Melissa Vollbrecht, President |
| Carolyn Ulrich, Vice President |
| Dahye Kim, Treasurer |
| Meghann Scott, Secretary |
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| The purpose of the Advocates for Gerontological Education Caucus is to promote greater understanding of the aging community through group activities and critical discussion. The Caucus seeks to expand students’ recognition of aging as an important social work concern, encourage students to consider aging as a field of choice, work to reduce stigma towards older adults, recognize global issues of aging populations, encourage multicultural views of aging, and recognize the needs of underserved aging populations. |
| ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER CAUCUS |
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| The Asian Pacific Islander (API) Caucus exists to support the professional development of its members and promote a greater understanding of the API experience, both domestic and global, through social work theory and practice. The API Caucus is dedicated to fostering greater diversity and cross-cultural competence within Columbia University School of Social Work by raising awareness of the API experience. It seeks to accomplish this by hosting panel discussions, guest speakers, and other networking and educational events that will include students, faculty members, alumnae of CUSSW and practicing professionals. |
| BLACK CAUCUS |
| Shakira Jones |
| Patrick Burden |
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| Our mission is to develop a support system for students of color at CUSSW, establish a positive relationship with the Harlem community, and through networking and partnering with other organizations, create a legacy of empowerment, leadership and social justice. |
| CRIMINAL JUSTICE CAUCUS |
| Ronin Davis |
| Gydmer Perez |
| Natasha Orilus |
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| The Criminal Justice Caucus seeks to provide a forum for CUSSW students to access a spectrum of issues related to the social issue of criminal justice in order to build awareness, raise consciousness, and enhance practice competencies. Through the use and facilitation of film, lectures, debate, panels, and trainings, the caucus will provide essential context and information about prison expansion in the United States, in which currently one in one hundred adults is in jail or prison; about 10 million children have a parent in jail or prison; and one in nine African American men between the ages of 20 and 34 are in jail or prison. We believe it is the right and responsibility of all social work students to access critical dialogue, both inside and outside of the classroom, about the needs of people affected by incarceration; this client population crosses lines of generation, race, gender, religion, economic status, political belief, ability, sexual orientation, and otherwise. Student voices are essential in building solutions to serve the magnitude of need of people in prison, jail, on parole, on probation, victims of crime, children of prisoners, and their families. |
| CUPID |
| Ellen Goldwasser |
| Eliza Ramos |
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The Columbia University Partnership for International Development (CUPID) is a student-led effort across all of Columbia University to facilitate multidisciplinary dialogue, awareness, and action on international development. Recognizing the University’s excellence in this field, CUPID serves as a channel for individuals interested in international development to take advantage of the University’s wide-ranging human and institutional resources in their academic, extracurricular, and professional endeavors. Encouraging a collaborative spirit among students, professors, and alumni with diverse specialties, CUPID aims to explore and demonstrate how a multidisciplinary approach to international development can produce innovative, holistic solutions for disadvantaged populations. |
| DISABILITY AWARENESS CAUCUS |
| Erik Shive |
| Meredith Rettner |
| Marva Mariner |
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| The Disability Awareness Caucus was started because a group of students was concerned about the lack of attention being paid to disability issues at CUSSW. Disabilities impact so much of our society, even within the CUSSW community. Because so many people are affected by disabilities, we find it essential to provide a space for students with disabilities and for those who wish to learn more, gather, discuss, advocate, teach and learn. |
| FEMINIST CAUCUS |
| Irina Kaplan |
| Ruthie Arbit |
| Abbey Hoffman |
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The aim of the Feminist Caucus is to promote a greater understanding of women’s issues, gender-based oppression/inequality, and how feminism can positively impact social work practice and social justice. We organize events focusing on feminist issues in society that concern social workers and their clients. Our hope is our activities will encourage students to incorporate feminism into their personal lives and professional practice. |
| HAPA CAUCUS |
| Luke Patterson |
| Kippur Sanchez |
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| The Hapa Caucus is a group for people of multiple racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, folks in interracial/ethnic/cultural relationships, and transracial/ national adoptees, as well as all others who want to engage in discussions about the complexities and intersections of identities. |
| INTERFAITH CAUCUS |
Brittany Thomas
Heather Donahue |
[email protected]
[email protected] |
| The Interfaith Caucus works to establish faith-based cultural competency within the Columbia University School of Social Work and in the larger Columbia University and New York City communities, to create community between students of similar and different faiths, and to foster meaningful collaborations with community organizations and religious bodies through discussion and volunteering efforts. As a result of these activities, we hope to (1) become social workers mindful of and respectful of the impact that faith and religion have on the decision-making and resilience of our clients and communities, (2) analyze the ways in which our faith or religious beliefs (or lack thereof) inform our practice as professionals in a helping field, and (3) connect with faith-based agencies to which we can refer clients who desire such services and from whom we can draw personal sustenance as needed and desired. |
| INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL WELFARE CAUCUS |
| Ellen Goldwasser |
| JC Kollmorgen |
| Michelle Powell |
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| The International Social Welfare Caucus is a student led organization that seeks to provide information, resources, and support to students who are interested in the field of international social work. ISWC's mission is also to provide a means for students and advocates to maintain a formal student voice within the CUSSW Social Welfare Services to Immigrants and Refugees program, Columbia University, and the local international community. |
| LATINA/O CAUCUS |
| Stefanny Andujar, BGC Committee Co-Chair |
| Rayza Jimenez, BGC Committee Assistant Co-Chair |
| Jessica Mora, Co-Leader |
| Franchel Mendoza, Treasurer |
| Karina Oceguera, Secretary |
| Christine Dominguez |
| Priscilla Munoz |
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| The mission of the Latina/o Caucus is to engage, compel, educate and inform members of CUSSW and the surrounding areas about issues affecting the Latina/o community. In addition, we aspire to be active social agents at CUSSW and New York City as we mature into professional and culturally competent social workers. We are always looking for students who are interested in Latina/o issues and cultures and look forward to new members and new ideas. |
| MEN'S CAUCUS |
| Ronin Davis |
| Natasha Orilus |
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| The Men’s Caucus is an open forum that seeks to (1) identify men’s issues that social work can address and (2) normalize, promote and explore the experience of male social workers. The Men’s Caucus actively seeks the participation of all CUSSW students. |
| MENTAL HEALTH CAUCUS |
| Erin Huie |
| Matthew Swartz |
| Rebecca Kinsella |
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NEW MEDIA CAUCUS |
| Carolyn Caton |
| Wedad Bseiso |
| Linda Kim |
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| POLICY CAUCUS |
| Audrey Adade |
| Emma Conniff |
| Erin Huie |
| Kelly Fischietto |
| Sokob Leang |
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The Social Policy Caucus is for students who are interested in policy
and want to be involved in making a difference. We come together to
learn more about policy issues and how each of us is affected by and can affect
policy. We aim to support the needs and interests of all CUSSW
students and encourage students to cross the micro-macro divide. For
the 2011-2012 academic year we have much in store. This year our goals
are to: (1) foster policy discussion in CUSSW; (2) raise awareness
among students on how everyone is affected by and can affect policy;
(3) introduce career options in policy; and (4) promote advocacy on
important issues, both within CUSSW and in the greater community. |
| QUEER CAUCUS |
| Heather Zayde |
| Shilpa Ramesh |
| Shelagh Murphy |
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| The Queer Caucus at Columbia University School of Social Work seeks to create a welcoming space in which to foster camaraderie amongst lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and unlabeled (LGBTQQIU) students and their allies. We are committed to providing a supportive environment in which we can discuss issues relevant to the LGBTQQIU community and to social justice, engage in community action, and enjoy queer life at Columbia University and in New York City. We also aim to collaborate with members of the Columbia community to examine how queer issues intersect and overlap with those of other groups. |
| SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ADMINISTRATION CAUCUS |
| Constanza Fernandez Carter |
| Heather Donahue |
| Lee Cortez |
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| The Social Enterprise Administration Caucus (SEAC) is a student caucus that cultivates the professional development and social work values of CUSSW students with an interest in social enterprise, corporate social responsibility, community organizing and practice, staff development, and the application of management models and evaluation techniques to the delivery of social services. The caucus provides a forum for academic support, career guidance, networking, and open discussion. Students from all methods and fields of practice offer insight from their experiences and disciplines. |
S.S.W.A.P.S.
(Student Social Workers' Alliance for a Progressive Society) |
Russell Chou
Meghan Seitz |
[email protected]
[email protected] |
| The Student Social Workers' Alliance for a Progressive Society is an organization of student social workers committed to reclaiming the social justice oriented tradition of our profession through advocacy and activism. We at SSWAPS believe that the challenge for budding social workers is to raise the political consciousness of our colleagues and clients and to combat the burnout of those who feel disempowered to take action. As social workers, we have no choice but to take action, and indeed, we are ethically obligated to do so. |
| SOCIAL WORK ARTS GROUP (S.W.A.G.) |
Dee Suraweera
Argenys Taveras
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[email protected]
[email protected] |
| Our purpose is to organize and engage in school and community activities that allow us to collaborate across multiple system levels. We aim to further educate our members by disseminating information that builds upon our Advanced Generalist Practice & Programming practice competencies. We hope to sustain these activities while continuing to embody the core principles of the AGPP method. |
| TRANSNATIONAL CAUCUS |
| Asuna Osako |
| Akiko Bessho |
| Xi Zhang |
| Rei Shimizu |
| Tao-Yee Lau |
| Dominic Abordo |
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| The Transnational Caucus acts as a network platform that links current students who have overseas social work related experiences to students who are interested in practicing social work internationally. Our caucus also provides CUSSW international students with opportunities in meeting with CUSSW international alumni who are currently working in the US or in other countries. |
| VETERANS CAUCUS |
| Elizabeth Estabrooks |
| Christy Collins |
| Genevieve Flagello |
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| The purpose of the Veterans Affairs Caucus is to educate and raise awareness around the needs, perspectives, and lives of veterans. It will educate CUSSW students on how to successfully advocate for the rights and benefits of veteran clients and provide a focus on the intersections of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion etc. that veterans experience individually and collectively. The Veterans Affairs Caucus aims to help CUSSW students understand what it is like to be a veteran and that it looks different for each service-member. As part of our work, we will also advocate for veterans of CUSSW by giving them a voice in regards to their surroundings, environment, and curriculum. |
| WELLNESS CAUCUS |
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| The Social Worker's Wellness Caucus was created out of an interest in promoting physical, mental and emotional health and well-being among social work students at CUSSW. Self-care is important not only on the individual level but extends and influences the individuals, communities, and organizations with which we work. The aim of the Wellness Caucus is to increase member's capacity, understanding and awareness of different wellness-related resources in ourselves and in the community. |
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