Georgetown Student Government Brief 3/23: Senate member changes, queer LLC, and lots and lots of other bills!

GUSA met for its eighth Senate meeting of the semester on March 23 to discuss resignations, swear in a new senator, and pass a whopping 14 pieces of legislation, all of which the Voice sat through. So we’re taking you along with us! Buckle up—you’re in for a ride. 

Executive updates

GUSA Executive President Ethan Henshaw (CAS ’26) and Vice President Darius Wagner (CAS ’27) said that the Office of the Provost sent the executives an email that the waitlist purge—when the registrar removes every student from the waitlist for a course—would occur earlier this registration cycle despite previously agreeing to GUSA’s request to delay the purge.

In brighter news, there will be new furniture in HFSC to accommodate students looking for study spaces or community spaces but can never seem to find a seat. 

The executives also shared that the university will bring in service animals in April during finals season.

This coming Friday, GUSA will host their second club forum, where club leaders can speak to members of GUSA about their experiences and any issues they have encountered, such as budgetary concerns and resource needs.

Other updates: Senate membership changes

GUSA swore in Crystal Liao (CAS ’26) as a new senator for the Class of 2026, filling a vacancy that opened when Henshaw moved to the executive office.

With one vacancy closed, another one opened. Dylan Davis (SFS ’26) resigned from the GUSA Senate on Thursday after tendering a resignation letter. 

Passed Legislation: 

1. An ACT to Create an LGBTQ+ Living Learning Community

• What will happen? This act recommends that Residential Living establish an LGBTQ+ Living Learning Community (LLC) and dedicate staff to provide programming and resources. 
• Why should I care? Georgetown used to have an LGBTQ+ LLC which, among other LLCs, was closed due to COVID-19 disruptions. GUSA hopes to bring it back to foster a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment both for the LGBTQ+ residents and other members of the community. The act will call for collaboration between the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, Residential Living, and student organizations to oversee the formation and maintenance of the LLC. 

2. A RESOLUTION to Establish Transparent and Timely Procedures for Dining Equipment Replacement

• What will happen? This resolution requests that Aramark, the company that manages Georgetown’s food services, implement a notification system to inform the Student Dining Committee when dining equipment breaks down. Aramark would also share a timeline for repair or replacement with the proposed system. 
• Why should I care? Georgetown students rely heavily on on-campus dining facilities, and usually don’t know if equipment at Leo’s or Epi has broken down until they get there. Last week, Aramark installed a new oven at Bodega and two new espresso machines at Whisk. This occurred after nearly 150 students signed onto a petition asking Aramark to replace the espresso machines after Whisk workers told students that they requested one several times to no avail.  

3. An ACT to Implement a Direct Capitol Campus Bus Route

• What will happen? This act asks university transportation services to create an express GUTS bus to the Capitol Campus that only stops at the main campus and the Capitol Campus. 
• Why should I care? Many Georgetown students take classes at the Capitol Campus, and several reside at the nearby 55H residences. Currently, the Capitol Campus GUTS route can have up to four stops during regular evening hours or an extra stop at the Law Center for express routes, taking up to 45 minutes to get from the main campus to 55H. With more moving to the Capitol Campus for the Joint Public Policy Program or the B.S. in Environment and Sustainability, this provides a faster route and eliminates extra stops. 

4. An ACT to Reinstate the First Year Microfridge Program

• What will happen? This act urges the university to reinstate microfridges in first year students’ dorms for free, starting with the Class of 2029. 
• Why should I care? First year students, prior to the Class of 2028, have received in-unit microfridges. First years in the Class of 2028 were required to rent microfridges for $199 per semester. Common room fridges are available to all students, but often don’t have adequate space—not to mention the fridge thieves running rampant in our residence halls.

5. An ACT to Amend the Free Printing Program

• What will happen? This act requests that the Vice Provost of Education, David Edelstein, will respond to and fulfill student requests for free printing if they are eligible. 
• Why should I care? While GUSA announced that the Vice Provost of Education would provide additional printing funds to students who requested them, some students have reported that the Vice Provost was unresponsive to their requests. This act calls on the Vice Provost to fulfill the promise to provide additional printing funds to students.

6. An ACT to Create a Union Station Loop During Holidays

• What will happen? This act requests that the university run an express GUTS bus between the McDonough Bus Turnaround and Union Station two days before and after Thanksgiving, winter, spring, and Easter breaks. 
• Why should I care? Many Georgetown students rely on trains or buses that depart from Union Station to travel to their break destinations. This would provide an accessible and free route for students to get to Union Station.

7. An ACT to Increase Meditation/Prayer Space on Campus

• What will happen? This act asks the university to use underutilized campus spaces to provide meditation and prayer spaces on campus.
• Why should I care? There is a demand for more meditation and prayer spaces, according to Senator Sienna Lipton (CAS ’27). The former chaplain at the School of Health created a meditative space within the School of Health building, which could be used as a model for this act. With finals coming up, these meditative spaces would give students a place to pause and decompress.

8. An ACT to Add Georgetown to the Metrorail System

• What will happen? GUSA will urge the university to lobby on behalf of the students to speed up the process of adding the Georgetown neighborhood to the D.C. Metrorail System. 
• Why should I care? Georgetown does not have a stop on the D.C. Metrorail line, which makes it difficult to travel to and from Georgetown. According to Senator Evan Cornell (CAS ’27), who proposed the legislation, the act would start a conversation about Georgetown’s lack of a Metro stop and hopefully make it a priority among students. According to the Washingtonian, Georgetown’s lack of a metro stop was historically due to community opposition and a lack of workers in Georgetown who would need the metro to commute.

9. A RESOLUTION to ELIMINATE Fees for Student Organization Use of Student Centers

• What will happen? This resolution requests a meeting with Center for Student Engagement (CSE) staff to ask them to eliminate the technology and staffing fees for student organizations hosting events in the HFSC and Leavey Center. 
• Why should I care? Student groups have recently reached out to GUSA about being charged staffing and technology fees for their use of the HFSC Great Room, along with other areas on campus, according to Senator Saahil Rao (SFS ’27). Along with eliminating fees for use of university spaces, this act demands transparency regarding staffing fees’ purpose and where they go, especially since many HFSC event staff are paid through Federal Work Study, according to the resolution.

10. A RESOLUTION to REINSTATE and SUPPORT Hall Councils

• What will happen? This resolution requests that Residential Living reinstate hall councils who will host community-driven events and initiatives, and also requests that they receive a $1,000 annual budget. 
• Why should I care? Hall councils mean more programming, free food, and fun events! Hall council members can also speak to community directors on behalf of residents about their issues or concerns.

11. A RESOLUTION to LOWER Mandatory AV Cost Negotiation Threshold

• What will happen? This act requests the CSE to lower the mandatory negotiation quota for student groups for audiovisual (AV) expenditures from $10,000 to $5,000. 
• Why should I care? If the mandatory negotiation quota threshold is lowered, student groups can seek out competitive alternatives for their AV expenses that may be right below the $10,000 threshold. 

12. A RESOLUTION to BAN Unauthorized Grading Using Artificial Intelligence

• What will happen? This resolution asks that the Faculty Senate will clarify its policy on the use of artificial intelligence in grading, evaluation, and prompt creation. It also asks the Faculty Senate to have instructors clarify their policies on AI use in assignments at the beginning of every semester.
• Why should I care? Some students have reported to GUSA that their professors or teaching assistants have used AI for grading or prompt creation purposes, while students have to comply with varying AI policies across their different courses. Meanwhile, professors don’t have an explicit AI use policy for their own work, according to the Honor Council’s guide.

13. An ACT to Endorse a City-Wide Protest

• What will happen? GUSA will endorse a protest organized by the GUSA external affairs team against executive orders that target the hiring practices and curricula of Georgetown University. More information on the protest is forthcoming. 
• Why should I care? In the upcoming protest, GUSA will organize to advocate against  federal attempts to control diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; hiring; and curriculum at universities. GUSA will also work with other student governments at universities like Trinity Washington University, George Mason University, George Washington University, American University, and the University of Maryland. The bill passed 13-2, with five members abstaining. 

14. An ACT to Extend March GUTS Bus Hours 

• What will happen? This act asks the Office of Transportation Management to maintain its recently-extended GUTS bus hours until the end of the academic year. Late-night buses and Sunday shuttles from the Capitol Campus and Dupont to the Hilltop have been available throughout March as part of a pilot program, but without action, these programs will end March 30. 
• Why should I care? Students still attend class until the end of the year, so maintaining the extended GUTS schedule will accommodate their transportation needs through the end of the semester.