Before a dozen administrators, Georgetown University Student Association and Interhall representatives, Residential Judicial Council members, and students gathered in McShain Lounge on Wednesday, the RJC resturcturing committee announced plans to hold elections for new councilmembers in the coming month.
Founded in the 1999-2000 academic year by Residential Life, RJC was meant to give students input in the disciplinary process for on-campus housing violations.
However, over the past decade the council has been criticized for a lack of student involvement in the committee, along with the small number of cases that hall directors sent to the RJC. Last semester, in reaction, ResLife suspended the council for the 2010-2011 academic year and gathered a restructuring committee to consider overhauls to the composition and function of the council.
Natalie Punchak (COL ‘11), a former RJC chair and a member of the restructuring committee, opened the meeting by acknowledging some of the criticism that led to the review process.
“The RJC has sort of been shrouded in mystery for a long time,” Punchak said.
Punchak explained the reforms, including a single, three-hour Friday meeting meant to ease student involvement. Most significantly, the committee proposed elections to select future RJC members.
If the University approves the committee’s recommendations, elections will take place in March for nine council members divided among the rising classes. Three freshmen representatives would be elected next fall.
“It is imperative that students who get elected this year take charge of next year’s process,” Punchak said.
Despite the proposed reforms, some students at the meeting hoped to see more.
“I’d like to see some more work about which cases go before the RJC,” Interhall President Ryan Gavigan (COL ’11) said.
