Student Government Association President Arielle Geismar on Monday announced the launch of a student group that plans to advocate to reverse the arming of select members of the GW Police Department.

The GWPD Accountability Working Group will work to reverse the Board of Trustees’ decision to arm roughly 20 GWPD officers by January or spring 2026, and to begin negotiating the introduction of affordable, unarmed GWPD and “non-police-affiliated” campus safety resources by Feb. 2, 2024, according to the group’s application. The group’s work will fall into four pillars, including advocacy against the decision and for de-escalatory alternatives, evaluation of the decision’s impact, research on alternatives to armed police and harm mitigation, and communication with the student body, per the application.

Geismar has previously advocated against the arming of GWPD in discussions with Dean Colette Coleman and the Board. Former interim University President Mark Wrighton said last May that trustees chose to arm officers in response to heightened gun violence in the United States, like school shootings at colleges like Michigan State University and the University of Virginia. The decision was immediately met with pushback from students who said armed officers pose risks to campus safety, especially for students of color.

During the SGA meeting, Geismar encouraged anyone who is interested in holding officers accountable to register to join the group.

Geismar said she also passed an executive order Monday to create an annual LGBTQ+ Day on April 10 to allow students to celebrate pride during the school year since the nationally recognized LGBTQ Pride Month falls in June. Geismar said the event will feature free food and “banned books.”

SGA Vice President Demetrius Apostolis said the event is meaningful to the SGA and the University as a whole since many students and members of the governing body are part of the LGBTQ+ community.

“I want to make sure that, while there are a lot of cultural celebrations at GW, most of which occur during the school year, we wanted to show that pride,” Apostolis said. “Especially with a lot of members of our community identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, including the president and myself, we really wanted to make it a highlight this year.”

Geismar also announced GW Mentor Connect, an initiative that will connect first and second year students with upperclassmen and graduate students for guidance during their time at the University, as well as pair students with peers who share similar interests, according to the form to register. Geismar said each student involved will have $15 added to their GWorld from the SGA Executive Fund to cover the cost of coffee during their meeting.

Geismar also said she is in the process of creating a Student Council to the Board, which will include 10 students who will meet with trustees when they are in D.C. to “supplement” having a voting student on the Board, an initiative that was rejected by the Board in November. She said she sent her proposal to the “relevant administrators.”

This year’s SGA election ballot will also feature a question polling students on if they want trustees to include the SGA president and vice president as voting members.

Senators also unanimously passed an act to highlight this week’s expansion of Columbian College of Arts & Sciences advising drop-in hours from two to four hours a day to help students with course registration. The bill urges the CCAS Academic Advising Office to continue the expansion in future semesters, including into the week before course registration.

Senator Jonesy Strell (CCAS-U), who sponsored the bill, said he wants the Advising Office to have extended hours the week before registration as well, which the office was open to, contingent on if students attend the extended hours this semester.

“As great as this win is, I feel like having this just be registration week is too much of a close call for students, they need more time,” Strell said. 

Javier Orellana, the president of UndocuGW, an organization that advocates for undocumented students, spoke at the meeting about the struggles undocumented students face to financially support themselves with the jobs available to them on campus. He asked senators to support an upcoming initiative that will advocate for increased on-campus opportunities for undocumented students.

“I urge you all to support this important initiative and show solidarity with all undocumented students, and future undocumented students at GW,” Orellana said. “Together I believe that we can create a more inclusive and equitable campus environment where all students have the opportunity to thrive. ”

Senators also unanimously passed the GW Palooza Future Longevity Act, which bill sponsor SGA Sen. Emma Hodgson (ESIA-U) said was “imperative” to ensure future funding and stability for GW Palooza, an annual weekendlong series of spirit events in February. GW Palooza Executive Director Rami Hanash Jr. said the bill will allocate a minimum of $3,000 out of the SGA’s operational budget for GW Palooza next year.

“It’s a really great variety of a series of weekend of events for all students, both grad and undergrad, all years, to come out and enjoy being a GW student and what it means to be part of GW and this community,” Hanash said.

Senators unanimously confirmed Hanash to serve as next year’s executive director of GW Palooza due to his experience leading the event this year. Hanash said he wants to host events for the programming next year that are tailored to graduate students and Mount Vernon students.

The SGA also filled two vacant seats on the Joint Elections Commission. Senators confirmed Gabriel Gonzales and Fatema Helmy were unanimously confirmed as judicial commissioners, filling the last two vacancies in the commission after delayed reforms to the JEC caused the SGA election to be postponed from March to April.

Senators will hold their next meeting April 14 at 8 p.m. in the University Student Center Grand Ballroom.