The Student Government Association Senate passed legislation to formally acknowledge the SGA’s historical lack of diversity and guarantee equal opportunity for previously underrepresented groups in the body at a full senate meeting Monday.

The SGA Senate unanimously passed the Resolution for Inclusive Student Engagement, or the RISE Act, to formally acknowledge the SGA’s historic lack of diversity and guarantee equal opportunity on the body for previously underrepresented groups. The resolution identifies marginalized groups on campus, like students of color, LGBTQ+ students and first-generation students and seeks to increase representation and leadership opportunities in the SGA through heightened outreach, mentorship and policy reforms.

SGA Sen. Joseph Migliorisi (GWSB-U), who sponsored the resolution, said in the past certain voices have been underrepresented in the SGA, and he hopes this resolution will help the body bring attention to those groups.

“True outreach is more than just collecting votes or petition signatures,” Migliorisi said. “It’s about listening, engaging and making sure students feel empowered to participate in the decisions that affect them.”

SGA senators unanimously passed the annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report Act, which mandates that the SGA compile a DEI report that includes student feedback on barriers to participation in the SGA, examines how campus policies affect diversity and inclusion and summarizes SGA efforts to reach underrepresented communities. Migliorisi, who sponsored the bill, said the legislation will expand the report’s scope, track SGA demographic data and provide insight into the work done by the Community, Advocacy and Inclusion Committee.

“This report will serve as a tool for action and will outline concrete steps to improve outreach, strengthen engagement with underrepresented communities and track the impact of the SGA’s DEI-related initiatives,” Migliorisi said. “By summarizing town halls, listening sessions and policy efforts, it will ensure that our outreach is creating meaningful connections with students.”

The SGA Senate unanimously passed a bill to ensure both undergraduate and graduate students are represented on the Student Events Committee — a new committee created by SGA President Ethan Fitzgerald in collaboration with the Office of Student Life — by requiring the undergraduate and graduate student life committee chairs to sit in on the new committee. SGA Sen. Samantha Knister (ESIA-U), the bill’s sponsor, said the bill will strengthen student life initiatives within the SGA.

“This Student Events Committee Representation Act is really just to integrate the senators’ efforts with the Undergraduate Student Life Committee and the Graduate Student Life Committee, with the rest of GW student life efforts,” Knister said.

The SGA Senate unanimously passed a bill to combine the legislative branch Dining Committee and the executive branch team on dining into a single assembly. SGA Senate Pro Tempore Liz Stoddard, who sponsored the bill, said the bill will streamline efforts and allow members from both teams to develop solutions together.

“By making this an assembly, we ask students to join us in this democratic process, not just senators, but students, to actually be meaningful in their changes that they want in dining,” Stoddard said.

SGA senators confirmed data science and regulatory policy and practice graduate student Tambudzai Gundani and data science graduate student Ritu Patel to fill at-large graduate SGA Senate seats. Senators also confirmed Shrey Patel, a graduate student studying cyber security, to the School of Engineering & Applied Science graduate seat.

The SGA Senate approved sophomore political science major Ava Slobin as Deputy Legislator General and sophomore political science and economics major Sneha Burle as Assistant Legislator General, both by unanimous consent.

SGA senators also confirmed Meera Durvasula as 2025-26 Palooza director to serve as the lead organizer of the annual student-organized series of school spirit events. Durvasula, a junior marketing and communication major, currently serves as the assistant director of GW Palooza.

“During my first year here at GW, GW Palooza gave me a sense of community, belonging and hope for what GW can be,” Durvasula said.

The next SGA meeting will be held April 7 at 8 p.m. in the University Student Center Grand Ballroom.