Exclusive Interview: RUSA President reflects on leadership in 1st term, goals in upcoming term

The Daily Targum's news desk recently spoke with second-term Rutgers University Student Assembly President Jack Ramirez, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, to reflect on his leadership style, previous term and plans to address student concerns in the upcoming year.

Notably, Ramirez became the first openly LGBTQ+ Assembly president to be re-elected to the position last year. For him, his experiences as an LGBTQ+ Latino man are not the center of his policies or agenda. Rather, they serve as a hallmark of representation for those communities and keep him in touch with the multitude of perspectives at the University.

He said his multifaceted and human connection to the student body likely contributed to his re-election. In his role, leaning into the "student" part of the title "student body president" helped navigate turbulent times.

"If you can ground yourself in the fact that, despite having additional responsibilities, you're still going to 15 hours worth of classes, (and) this is an unpaid position," he said. "It oftentimes really allows for me to understand where the student body's mindset is in a lot of difficult situations."

Conversations on leadership also opened the door to a recurring theme of trust in the Assembly. Ramirez reaffirmed his faith not only in his colleagues, who he described as a "diverse and hardworking group of people that are dedicated to the University's needs and desires," but also in himself and the decisions he made during a tumultuous term last year.

"I wouldn't go back and change anything," he said in reference to events such as the divestment-related referendum during the Spring 2024 semester. "I'm certain of the decisions that we made as an assembly. We didn't get them always right, but I think it's firm as a leader to stand by the decisions you made."

Speaking further on the unprecedented term he led last year, Ramirez said the Assembly served as a resource for the student community, not only by holding the referendum, but also by allowing them to reach out to him after the vote concluded, whether it be with compliments, criticisms or concerns.

For him, showing up for every student, regardless of his personal viewpoints, was key to maintaining community across the campus. He said advocacy of diverse viewpoints through democratic processes is part of representation.

"As president, there's the unwritten rule that you should really be present for everybody, and I uphold that throughout my past term, my future term and whenever I'm in public office in the future," Ramirez said.

Other notable achievements from his last term he spoke on included providing more transparency and awareness for campus resources, expanding access to menstrual care products and improvements to the blue lights system on campus.

His upcoming term will prioritize supporting various facets of student wellness, including basic student needs and public safety in off-campus residential areas.

Regarding basic needs, Ramirez said students come to campus to learn, and not being able to fulfill their baseline requirements, such as food, impedes on their ability to succeed as students.

The agenda comes at a time when students are facing increasing tuition costs, something Ramirez has recently spoken out against.

Regarding public safety, he said he intends to work with the Rutgers University Police Department (RUPD) to address growing concerns about various crimes and their proximity to campus.

Off-campus students will also see the implementation of a safety-related package passed last term which will allow for security doorbells to be installed in off-campus housing.

Another facet of public safety he touched on involves free speech on campus. Ramirez said he firmly believes in the right to free speech on campus which respects the law and relevant policies, and has advocated to University administration against the use of public safety officers to quell demonstrations.

"Public safety absolutely cannot be used in that manner," he said. "That is where I draw the line. I think that is a measure for community conversation, and you don't need to have instances where state troopers come in and clear away students from their own school."

Concerns students have regarding free speech and the way it is managed by public safety is something that is shared across other universities, Ramirez said. When speaking to student leaders from other campuses, he has observed the emotional damage its use has inflicted on not only Palestinian and Jewish students, but also for individuals outside of those communities.

"Going into this term, I understand that the water's still hot," he said. "This conflict and what's happening in Gaza is real, and it's growing in concern. I'm prepared as a student leader to ensure that our campus remains active and a safe place, but also a place where students are able to voice their beliefs. I think that's what higher education is all about. That's what Rutgers is about."

The Assembly's initiatives to address implications of events outside of the campus also extend to the 2024 U.S. presidential election. 

Ramirez said student governance leaders across all three Rutgers campuses — Newark, Camden and New Brunswick — will be working together to expand access to voting on campus as the country faces what he finds to be the most critical election in the country's history.

Additionally, he said student government leaders across the campuses will be working to maintain a sense of safety for students as they act on issues relevant to them not only through voting but also through acts of free speech.

"Rutgers as an institution means a catalyst in free speech," Ramirez said. "(It means) that we aren't cracking down despite … Congress subpoenaing our university and investigating us. We can't let fearmongers decide the path for pioneers, and we can't let any of that dictate the way that we're going to be going. So, that's the work that we've been doing jointly."

His agenda for the year also includes supporting student organizations across the board, which may be affected by a projected 42 percent budget cut in funding.

As such, the Assembly is positioning an upcoming referendum to address whether student fees ought to be raised. Ramirez said he trusts that the Assembly's work, alongside that of the student body, will address the issue because he has seen "when the power gets in the students' hands, jobs get done."

He encourages students and organizations to become more involved with the Assembly, be it by sharing concerns at meetings, having individual discussions with him and other Assembly leaders or by running for elected positions when applications open at the end of the month.

Ramirez hopes to usher in a new era for the Assembly with this term: one in which students are aware of the entity and what it can provide to the University community.

As he concludes his term with the Assembly, and his time at the University as a whole, he also hopes to leave a legacy behind in the form of a stronger community that fosters growth and belonging.

"I think that entering college and college as a whole is such a vulnerable time … the person that you entered in is not the person you leave as," Ramirez said. "And I want Rutgers to be a place that you come in and you develop into a better person, that you have opportunities to grow and expand as a student."