Welcome back to our second GUSA News Brief of the week, you lucky duck! The GUSA Senate convened yesterday to pass seven whole pieces of legislation in a barn burner of a meeting that went right up to the hour time limit.
Executive team updates
GUSA President Ethan Henshaw (CAS ’26) and Vice President Darius Wagner (CAS ’27) have been hard at work fulfilling their most important policy proposal—no, not ending legacy admissions—getting swings! Henshaw announced during the meeting that he and Wagner have had discussions with Facilities, and Facilities agreed to put aside part of the budget for the New Residential Complex (NRC)—also known as Henle Hall—to install swings.
The Executive team has also ordered new extension cords to be used for Sellinger Lounge and in Lauinger Library. Henshaw also encouraged Senators to promote the Cultural Climate Survey that’s been sent out to all students, as that will allow GUSA and university administrators to get a better sense of students’ needs.
Updates on previous legislation
- Allowing students to view class syllabi during course registration: Senators are currently working with administrators to find a way to directly transfer syllabi from Canvas to GU360 to avoid making professors do unnecessary work.
- A longer winter break: Next year’s winter break may be up to four days longer, with school administration currently reviewing a proposal that would shorten spring finals season from nine days to eight, remove three days from summer break, and add those to create four new days of winter break.
Passed Legislation
1. An ACT to Amend the Bylaws to Promote the Good Character and Fitness of Senators in the Georgetown University Student Association
- What will happen: This act amends the GUSA bylaws to put into place conduct standards for those running to be a GUSA Senator. Under the new bylaws, in order to be eligible to run for GUSA, all candidates must sign a waiver of their rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) that allows staff from the Center for Student Engagement (CSE) and the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) to view their student conduct records. No student who has been found in violation of the Honor Code and has an active sanction equivalent to a transcript notation or who is currently under a period of Conduct or Housing Probation for more than one semester will be eligible to run for the GUSA Senate or Executive.
- In plain English, the process will look like this:
- Once students declare their candidacy for GUSA, the GUSA Election Commission will submit the list of the potential candidates to the CSE before publishing the names of the official candidates. The CSE will look at the listed students’ conduct records and report back to the Commission with a list of students who are eligible and a list of students who are ineligible based on these new standards. If a student is deemed ineligible by the CSE, their name will not appear on the ballot.
- This process will be kept confidential, and neither OSC or the CSE will communicate to the Commission the reason for a student’s conduct violation. Additionally, the list of students removed from the ballot will be kept confidential by the Election Commission, and any breaches of confidentiality would result in a removal from office.
- In cases where they deem it fit, the Honor Council or OSC may request to provide a conduct exemption for specific students depending on the circumstances of their case. These exemptions will be communicated to and deliberated by the CSE, who will make the final decision regarding a student’s eligibility.
- Why should I care? Though students make a lot of jokes about GUSA, the people who represent our school should be held to high standards. Beyond Honor Code violations, this policy would also apply to Title IX complaints, which can be related to sexual assault and harrassment. Having protections like these in place can prevent GUSA from platforming students with these complaints against them.
2. A RESOLUTION to ENSURE Student Representation in Conduct Standards for Student Leaders
- What will happen: This legislation asks for GUSA to be involved in any new policy that the OSC may implement involving a review of student leaders of clubs similar to the review of GUSA candidates in the above bill. While it is unclear what the OSC’s exact policy may be, this resolution says that GUSA should have a seat at the table in conversations about implementing the new policy.
- Why should I care? Having students at the table when policy changes affect students is generally a good thing. While we don’t know what the OSC changes may look like, this resolution ensures that GUSA Senators will be seeking information on behalf of students throughout the process.
3. A RESOLUTION to PURSUE Pass/Fail Grading Availability for Language Courses
- What will happen? GUSA will write a proposal outlining the benefits of allowing students who have already completed their language requirements to take additional language courses pass/fail. GUSA then will work with the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics and other appropriate groups to create a pilot program and hopefully implement pass/fail grading for languages.
- Why should I care? A GUSA survey found that 76.4% of respondents would take additional language classes if they could take them pass/fail. However, many don’t because they’re worried that taking more language classes could hurt their GPA. Allowing students to explore new languages, or even learn basic skills in multiple languages, can help students become involved with new communities on campus and beyond.
-
4. An ACT to Create a Student Health and Wellness Task Force
- What will happen: This act will do exactly what it says it does: create a Student Health and Wellness Task Force. The task force would ideally include student members as well as representatives from the Student Health Center, Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS), and other groups relevant to student wellness. The task force would meet to discuss and address issues related to student wellbeing. The group will also have sessions open to all students so community members can voice their concerns.
- Why should I care? It’s midterm season. None of us are doing particularly well, I fear. It’s important that students are included in the conversation about ways to best address our own concerns so that our campus community can function in a way that is conducive to student mental, physical, and spiritual health.
5. An ACT to Decrease the Cost of Audiovisual Services in Gaston Hall for Student Groups
- What will happen: This bill will initiate a conversation between GUSA and university administration about purchasing new audiovisual equipment in Gaston Hall so that student groups don’t have to pay for outside vendors every time they host an event requiring equipment.
- Why should I care? It’s expensive enough to operate a student club, and when student groups have to shell out thousands of dollars to contract equipment for one night, it can put a serious financial strain on their budgets. If the university invested in updated equipment in Gaston, student groups would be able to save money, and may be able to spend that money on other club needs or hosting more events!
6. An ACT to Ensure Quality Whiteboard Markers and Chalk in Every Classroom
- What will happen: GUSA will reach out to Classroom Educational Technology Services (CETS) and ask them to make regular classroom checks to ensure that there are working whiteboard markers or chalk in each room. The bill also says that GUSA will ask CETS if they can supply extra markers and chalk to a location in every classroom, so that if whiteboard supplies break, professors and students won’t be left scrambling.
- Why should I care? Have you ever made a big show of going to write something on the board, and then you uncap the marker, go to write, and nothing comes out? And then you’re like, “That’s embarrassing,” so you go to get another, and then nothing? And then you’re standing in front of the room and have to just say what you were going to write and you walk back to your seat sort of ashamed? This bill would make sure you never have to feel that again, and while people in the Voice have never experienced this, we think it might generally be a good thing for other people.
7. Omnibus: A PETITION to CONFER Upon GRAC Leaders a Certificate of Recognition for Service to Georgetown Resident Assistant Coalition
- What will happen: This legislation officially honors leaders of the Georgetown Resident Assistants Coalition (GRAC) for the work they’ve done over the past year to form GRAC and bargain with the university for better working conditions for our RAs. The leaders honored were Izzy Wagener (CAS ’26), Ulises Olea Tapia (SFS ’25), and Miranda Xiong (CAS ’25).
- Why should I care? For starters, GRAC and workers’ rights are pretty cool. Honoring GRAC leaders directly recognizes the work that GRAC has done over the past year to advocate for the rights of RAs as Georgetown employees, and emphasizes the importance of RAs on this campus—who we don’t always give enough love to.
Note: Izzy Wagener is the Photo Editor at the Voice
