For the first time in NYU’s history, the chair of the Student Government Assembly, the chief representative for over 61,000 NYU students around our global campuses, will be elected directly by students. Previously, the chair was elected internally by SGA senators, but from April 4-18, you will be able to decide who is the voice of the student body. This is an empowering experience as now, more than ever, we must take it upon ourselves to advance a vision of a university embedded in student well-being, inclusivity and trust — regardless of the federal government’s possible actions. The chair’s front row seat with senior leadership at the university offers an unparalleled ability to pursue these values.

If one had to summarize the foundational focus of the many projects, roles and professional journeys that Ashlie Oxford has undertaken, it would center on community. Oxford is a part of the Basic Needs Task Force, a group dedicated to addressing food and housing insecurity, as well as transportation needs for students. She created and co-organized commUNITY — a confidential event with the objective to strengthen the relationship between student leaders and university administrators in the aftermath of a highly contentious semester. From serving as a peer mentor to approximately 20 first-year, first-generation students in the SPS Career Pathways Bridge Program to sitting on five SGA committees and task forces, Oxford has always been determined to use university structures to foster an inclusive, accessible environment where everyone feels valued, secure and prioritized, regardless of their background or identity. 

Oxford is committed to continuing to advocate for the creation of a Reparations Committee, gathering students, faculty and staff to research NYU’s involvement in enslavement and its ongoing effects on people of color. She has been evaluating the possibility of creating a Basic Needs Committee, building off of current SGA chair Angela Chou’s Basic Needs Task Force, and bringing the SGA’s committee total to 19. She is also working to create a restorative justice program on campus to address misunderstandings and distrust. 

In uncertain times when tensions are on the rise and our students experience what seems like unyielding amounts of hostility and division, Oxford has consistently demonstrated that she is NYU’s community choice for chair. 

WSN’s Opinion section strives to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented in the Opinion section are solely the views of the writer.

Contact Adrian Pica-Borjas at opinion@nyunews.com.