On Sunday, the Georgetown University Student Association Senate voted 8-7-1 to instruct its Student Life Committee to consider Josh Mogil’s (SFS ‘11) resolution to reform parts of the Code of Student Conduct. Though most of the debate focused on a provision dealing with hate crimes and bias-related incidents, the resolution also recommends exploring the current standards of “burden of proof,” the legality of trying multiple students together for the same incident, and the alcohol policy.
Currently, bias-related incidents do not have their own separate category in the Code of Conduct. Bias as a motive only constitutes a harsher punishment for the existing category C violations.
“[The current rule] isn’t sending a message to the victim that this person was a victim of a hate crime,” Mogil said. “A hate crime is a separate thing, legally distinct in states across the country and in federal law.”
In response, GUSA Senator Nick Troiano (COL ’11) asked “why someone who suffered the same offense should be treated differently.”
In the Student Life Committee meeting on Wednesday night, the committee discussed some Student Code of Conduct issues, but did not discuss the provision on hate crimes. Mogil said that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss goals for the year. The committee plans to review the Code of Conduct more before writing a set of specific resolutions.
During brainstorming, committee chair Ben Bold (COL ‘13) suggested possibly holding a town hall meeting and meeting with Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olsen to discuss the alcohol policy. The committee plans to finish a report on the alcohol policy by December 1.
Additionally, Mogil said since the Office of Student Conduct has to be an unbiased group that delivers judgment, students cannot go there for advice on how to contest their charges. Therefore, the Senate is interested in starting a student advocacy group to advise students who face disciplinary action from the Office of Student Conduct. At the Sunday meeting, Troiano suggested modeling a Georgetown student advocacy group on the Student Advocacy Center at American University.
