The TCU Senate passed a resolution during their weekly meeting on April 16 calling on the Tufts Department of Public Safety and Tufts University Health Service to compensate all Tufts Emergency Medical Services student members. The senate also passed a resolution calling on the university to invest in outdoor pedestrian infrastructure, citing safety concerns on multiple streets around campus.
TEMS emergency medical technicians, who provide 24/7 ambulance service to the university’s campus, currently receive no compensation from the university.
According to the resolution calling for compensation,TEMS EMTs are on call for 10–14 hour shifts and respond to calls which may include but are not limited to asthma attacks, automobile accidents and heart attacks.
“The goal of the resolution is to ensure that all EMTs from TEMS get a fair financial compensation for the amazing work they do,” Senator Varun Nagpal, who co-authored the resolution, said. “They’re hoping to achieve that by getting a full semester stipend for all the EMTs on TEMS.”
TEMS EMTs George Natsis, a junior, and Pooja Shah, a first-year, attended the senate meeting to advocate for the resolution’s passage. They noted that TEMS responds to around 400 calls each academic year and that the service guarantees a five minute response time, requiring EMTs to leave class if on shift.
“One of the most egregious parts of this is the students who are most affected by TEMS being voluntary … are individuals who find themselves already impacted by financial constraints,” Natsis said. “Lack of financial compensation serves as a financial barrier for those students, those [applicants] who wish to join TEMS.”
Shah said that many students opt to work for a nearby private ambulance company, Armstrong, that pays EMTs $29 per hour. According to the resolution, other schools like Brown University, Dartmouth University and Arizona State University provide stipends or pay their EMTs by the hour.
“It’s a twofold issue, because not only are the students not allowed to join and get professional experience, it also prevents TEMS from getting the most qualified candidates … to serve the Tufts community,” Natsis said.
According to the resolution, students usually acquire their EMT certification through the university’s EMS training course, which costs students $1400. The resolution also says TEMS members have recently crowd-sourced a scholarship fund that will cover enrollment fees for “students in need of financial support.”
The resolution argues that compensating TEMS workers would make the organization “more accessible and equitable for students of all backgrounds.”
After around 15 minutes of deliberation, the senate passed the resolution. It officially calls for a meeting and written response from Yolanda Smith, executive director of public safety; Marie Caggiano, medical director of health services; Sonya Satinsky, executive director of health and wellness; and Police Captain Mark Roche.
The senate also passed a resolution calling on the university to improve and modify sidewalks around campus to increase pedestrian safety.
“I’ve been very dissatisfied with a lot of different components of our sidewalks, our intersections,” co-author and senator Anand Patil said. “I really do feel like the general quality of it does impact everyday campus life.”
Senators passed the resolution after 25 minutes of debate. It officially calls for a meeting with Theodore R. Tye, the chair of the Board of Trustees committee on buildings and grounds; Jeffrey M. Moslow, chair of the trustee committee on administration and finance; Lori Roth, chair of the trustee committee on university advancement; Minakshi Amundsen, executive director of campus planning and development; and Rocco DiRico, executive director of government and community relations, before May 12.
The senate also heard full texts for a resolution calling on the university to “streamline the name change process” in Tufts computer systems for students and staff in order to avoid cases of deadnaming and for a resolution calling on the university to “support Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration.” The two resolutions will be voted on in a future senate meeting.
The senate passed $4,600 in event funding for the Arab Student Association.
The senate passed $950 in event funding for Jumbo Ventures.
The senate Allocations Board passed $189 in funding for food and plates for the Wuzee dance team.
The Allocations Board passed $167 in miscellaneous funding for JumboCast.
The Allocations Board passed $400 in transportation funding for the Spirit of the Creative dance team.
The Allocations Board passed $440 in funding for merch and a room organizer for Ears for Peers.
The senate passed $650 in funding for a retreat for the Roti and Rum dance team.
The senate passed $645 in funding for the Ballroom Dancing team to register in an MIT competition.
The Allocations Board passed $419 in miscellaneous funding for the Tufts Gaming Hub.
The senate passed $750 in event funding for the Caribbean Student Organization.
The Allocations Board passed $150 in funding for recruiting supplies for the Society of Women Engineers.
The senate passed $1,228 in funding for a bowling trip for the Tufts Vietnamese Students Club.
The senate passed $3,880 in funding for a competition for the Tufts Electric Racing team.
The senate passed $1,300 in funding for the Ladies of Essence spring showcase.
The Allocations Board passed $150 in funding for executive board bonding for Women’s Higher Education Now.
The senate passed $1,350 in funding for the Tufts Rock Climbing team’s trip to nationals.
The senate passed $3,825 in funding for video editing for TedxTufts.
The senate passed $1,470 in funding for 180 Degrees Consulting’s formal and final semester symposium.
The senate passed $5,000 in funding for event speakers and training for Tufts Students for Justice in Palestine.
Finally, Itamar Oelsner was named Senator of the Week and the meeting was adjourned.
