Letter to the Board of Trustees

To President Randhawa and the members of the Board of Trustees,

This coalition of sustainability advocates writes to you in support of the resolution entitled “ASWWU’s Support to Update the 2017 Sustainability Action Plan and Maintain its Relevance Long-Term”. WWU frequently states that it strives to innovate and lead in terms of sustainability and environmentalism, but the failure to charge the appropriate people to implement WWU’s 2017 Sustainability Action Plan and the failure to continue support for the Sustainability Advisory Committee over the past four years contradicts this message. We urge President Randhawa and the Board of Trustees to embrace the resolution passed by the ASWWU and to work with students and faculty to revive the Sustainability Action Plan.

This coalition would like to draw the President and Board of Trustees' attention to the Dining Services section of the Sustainability Action Plan. The ASWWU’s resolution for reviving the SAP regards certain sections as outdated; the Dining Services section is one such section, and has been outdated since the plan was passed in 2017. The sustainability advocates of WWU call upon the President, Board of Trustees, and future members of the Sustainability Advisory Committee to incorporate language into the Dining Services section of the report recognizing that a partnership with a corporation such as Aramark contradicts the sustainability pillars of social equity, ecology, economy, and human health. Aramark relies on exploitative practices that harm people and our planet. The most morally degrading aspect of this partnership with Aramark is that they profit from the prison-industrial complex, they provide unsafe food in prisons, and have had unethical management as a corporation, especially seen through their role in the kickback system. We strongly encourage the BoT and President to read the footnoted report written by Real Food Generation entitled “Be-Trayed: How kickbacks in the cafeteria industry harm our communities - And What to Do About It” in full. In addition, they provide unsafe food for students with dietary or allergy restrictions and many students have reported finding mold, bugs, hair, etc in their dining hall food. As a private corporation in a public institution, they do not use ecologically sustainable methods of agriculture and food delivery. Making Dining Services a university-run department would give agency back to the university, to make dining choices that best align with our values. We call upon the University to commit, in the updated SAP, to the immediate development of a strategic plan for transitioning into a self-operated dining system, taking into consideration post-COVID pandemic phasing and recovery.

We recognize the importance of developing a carefully considered strategic plan for transitioning to a self-operated dining system before terminating a partnership with a corporation that WWU’s dining services depend upon. It is uncertain how long such a strategic plan would take to develop, and WWU has only extended the contract with Aramark until 2023. Therefore, if Western decision-makers want our institution to be recognized as a sustainable leader, the development of a strategic plan to transition to self-operated dining must be incorporated into the terms of the Sustainability Action Plan. To prevent further extension or renewal of the Aramark contract after its expiration in 2023, the development process for such a strategic plan must start now.

For years, students have utilized their research and activist efforts to advocate against this unsustainable and morally degrading Aramark partnership, but they have repeatedly been pushed aside, most recently after the extension of the Aramark contract was announced. We call upon the Board of Trustees and President Randhawa to immediately make a self operated dining commitment through the Sustainability Action Plan in order to ensure that we will not continue to be ignored and that the necessary planning stages can begin. In their passionate advocacy for a transition to self-operated dining, students gathered nearly 2,000 signatures of support. We understand that Board and University leadership may be worried about the logistics of executing this transition, but it is clear that students’ investment in this issue is not going away. This is a necessary change that must happen and the sooner we start planning, the more efficiently that change can be made.

This coalition of WWU sustainability advocates also recognizes the significant amount of work that will have to be done in order to develop a strategic plan to transition to self-operated dining. Therefore, many people who have signed this letter are willing to lend their efforts to that process. Furthermore, Shred the Contract has compiled research related to self-operated dining that they are willing to provide to the group responsible for the creation of a strategic plan.

In summary, we support the ASWWU Resolution urging the Sustainability Action Plan to be updated and we demand that WWU commit to the development of a strategic plan to transition to self-operated dining as soon as possible, and as allowed by post-pandemic recovery, in the new language for the Dining Services section.

Signed,

The Real Meals Campaign, realmealscampaign.org, contact at: estefania@realfoodgen.org

Shred the Contract, shredthecontract@gmail.com

The Muslim Student Association, contact at msa.wwu1@gmail.com

Students for Sustainable Food Club WWU

Rachel Rothberg, President,  on behalf of WWU Birdwatching Club, contact at rothber@wwu.edu

ASWWU At-Large Senators, Anna Hedrick, Jasleen Kaur, Sameer Shorab, Daniela Reyes

WWU Students for Zero Waste, contact at wwustudentsforzerowaste@gmail.com

Members of Students for Renewable Energy (SRE)

Members of the Queer Eco Justice Club, queerecojustice@gmail.com

Emma Wiechert, President, on behalf of Student Honors Board

187 Western Washington University students

11 Western Washington University alumni

2 Western Washington University faculty members

2 Western Washington University former students

1 Western Washington University Staff Administrator

Those individuals who would like to actively help with the development of the Strategic Plan to transition to self-operated dining have been indicated in bold below.

Nathalie Wagler, College of the Environment student

Lileigh Thomas, College of the Environment

Grace Williams, History/Social-Studies major

Adah Stewart, English Literature major

Eliza Viden, College of the Environment student

Kelvin Chen, Computer Science major

Holly Gibson, graduate of Fairhaven College

Maddi Tharp, Sociology major

Rahma Iqbal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Public Health major

Isobela Shaw

Adrian Heffelman, Fairhaven College student

Finn Payton, Computer Science student

Nicole Ballard, Political Science and Sociology

Emilie Shannon, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Seb Genge, B&S major and Officer for Net Impact and Students for Renewable Energy clubs

Janelle Nardone, Fairhaven College student

Smit Kataria, Former Aramark worker

Emma Barrett, Political Science major and Philosophy minor

Cambria Keely, College of the Environment Senate candidate

Kaia Lane, College of Humanities and Social Science student

Ilona Brose, Woodring College of Education

Cam Olsen-Roth, Environmental Studies Student

Emma Smith, College of the Environment student

Hannah O’Donnell, Political Science major

WWU Junior

Laura Brethauer, Computer Science major

Meg Burris, Art Studio major

Liz Rosales, Woodring College of Education

Kendrick Jackson, Woodring College of Education

Aaron Kilgore, College of Fine and Performing Arts Student

Sofia Trujillo, Business major

Sylvia Cohen, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Miranda Quintanilla, Fairhaven College alumna 2019

Aidyn Stevens, Theatre major and CFPA Senator

Francis Neff, CotE Senator

Laura Wagner, CotE Senator

Karey Sharp, College of the Environment Student and Employee of the Outdoor Center

Jayden Robles, Sociology and History of Culture Double-major, Honors Program

James Detke, Urban Planning and Sustainable Development Student

Annalise Hill, College of the Environment student, Environmental Science major

Sarah McIntosh, College of the Environment student

Molly McGuire, Urban Planning and Sustainable Development Alum

Xenia Miller, BS Environmental Science

Connor Farrand, CHSS/Polisci major

Anna Jackels, College of Science and Engineering, Marine Biology major

Liliana Hart-Beck, Environmental Science and Mandarin Chinese Double major

Breanna Smith, Huxley College of the Environment Alumna

Conor Chase, History major

Ellie Potts, Environmental Economics

Janie Egan, College of the Environment Student

Eli Santkuyl, Energy Science & Technology major

Kaylie McRea

Kaydee Mittleider

Pilar Deniston, College of the Environment student

Fiona Martinez, Creative Writing major

Hallie Rogers

Drew Steele, Human Services major and Honors Program student

Nicole Ryden, Fairhaven College

Heidi Sellers, Environmental Studies major

Olivia Kaulfus, Energy Science Student

Ebonezé "Ebon" Oluchi, AS ESP Director

Gavin Cole, College of the Environment Student, Environmental Studies Pre-major

Kathleen Brian, Faculty, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Solomon Duke, Energy Science and Technology student

Aimee Long, Chemistry major

Shannon Sandberg, Woodring Elementary Ed

Alex Shih, Psychology Major

Abby Worline, Human Services major

Louis Cai, Computer Science major

Noah Buckley, Huxley Student

Benjamin Martinez, CBE student

Vivian LaValle, Sociology major

Eli Santkuyl, Energy Science & Technology major

Elisha Arafel, Fairhaven College

Sadie De Luca, Anthropology and Environmental Studies student

Alyssa Tsukada, Environmental Science Major/Office of Sustainability Student Ambassador

Chiyo Aoki-Kramer

Sienna Taylor, College of the Environment student

Samantha Goetze, College of the Environment student

Sierra Alden, Huxley College of the Environment student

Sebastian Hagman, Psychology Major

Sage Cook, CS Major

Andrew Wiggin, Computer Science and UX Design

Amanda Bertrand, Political Science major

Glory Busic

Ella Brinkman

Kirstyn McElroy

Tegan Meador

Sierra Ohlsen

Lucy Greeley

Roman Vieira

Courtney Holleman

Blair Murphy

Katherine M Lincoln

Charlotte Larson Freeman

Ankur Handa

Olivia Berner

Mustafa Ali

Ryan Hopkins

Spencer Johnson

Maia Fosso

Kaye

Thomas Parrish

Anh Nguyen

Emma Jerome

Caroline Burns

Iris Seiwerath

Stacey Root

Mary

Caitlin Paddock

Daniela Reyes

Emma Smith

Sofia Edgar

Hannah O’Donnell

Madeline Hazenberg

Lauren Sanner

Vivien Davis

Savannah Hernandez

Abigail Pedersen

Alexis Hunt

Sarah Baker

Cole Burk

Aaliyah Synn

Natalie Sacker

Colton Romannose

Karlena Tran

Natalie Furness

Nico C

Mikayla Hare

Katya McMullen

Riley Wilmart

Lileigh Thomas

Annika Taylor

Elonna jones

Nick Harvey

Natalie Furness

Anna Horejsi

Adelle Tower

Hannah Spencer

Savannah Culp

Delaney Cook

Natalie Keys

M Luck

Maeve Monahan

Ellery Temple

Alyssa White

Audrey Wheelock

Allie VanDeWege

Kate Lincoln

Natasha Denton

Ula Jones

Nicholas Wandling

Adelle Koenig

Emily Busack

Sarah Quenemoen

Sally Vaux

Hazel Wallin

Riley Wilmart

Riley Weeks

Lydia Tibbott

Brielle Miller

Maxine McCuller

Katie Lane

Sarah Fitzgerald

Cori Foster

Moshope Durojaiye

Eden Ojala

Anya Davis

Julia B

Simone Player

Jessica Espy

Naomi Puente

Lillian Buck

Amanda Jo Lona

Lily Gray

Linda Sterling

Nick Harang

Gilton Quick

Michael Ginster

Racine Helpling

Jasmine Long

Charlie Pomeroy

Audrey Sutton

Laura Beaty

Parker Lambert

Marcus McKee

Juliana Estrada

Conner Maneval

Samuel Jeffries

Eleanor Lund

Amanda Bertrand, Political Science major

Joanna Lynch

Al Short, Fairhaven College

Julia Murray, Psychology major

Isa Jolie, Queer Ecology major within Fairhaven College

Ildiko Kremper, Biology major