Deputy Chief Justice Jasper Coughlin swore in Student Government Association President Ethan Lynne and Vice President Liz Stoddard at the body’s inauguration ceremony Thursday.

About 100 people gathered in the Jack Morton Auditorium at the School of Media and Public Affairs at 7 p.m. to hear Lynne and Stoddard deliver their inaugural addresses, where Lynne condemned President Donald Trump’s “attacks” on higher education and Stoddard vowed to “stand up” to for students. The SGA Senate then held its first meeting of the new term, reorganizing the body’s funding structure by splitting the budget equally between the executive and legislative branches.

Lynne said he will work with “stakeholders” and other universities to protect the student body from the Trump administration and increase shared governance in the SGA by working with student groups.

“I firmly believe that every single student, regardless of status or identity, has the right to attend GW, and you better believe I’m going to fight like hell to protect it,” Lynne said.

During his address, Lynne said he will work on shared governance by increasing student representation in University decisions because it’s the “only common sense way forward.”

During his presidential campaign, Lynne ran on the platform of incorporating students into the hiring process for a new GW Police Department chief, forming a student panel to identify concerns with the Student Health Center and creating a student committee to advocate for removal of the fences in University Yard.

“It is my hope that by this time next year, I will have left a lasting mark on GW in terms of increased student representation and decision making,” Lynne said.

Lynne also said he is “committed” to securing the “largest” student organization funding increase in history in the “coming weeks,” which Lynne campaigned on.

Lynne said one of his first executive orders as president will focus on “cleaning” the SGA financial system to increase transparency and financial accountability by conducting a “full scale audit” on the SGA to be made public to the student body. 

Lynne, who ran on a platform of increasing financial transparency within the SGA, worked with Stoddard as Vice President to pass the Fair Act last month, which aimed to improve funding transparency for student organizations by allowing students to attend SGA Senate finance meetings.

“I am making my first presidential order, officially directing acting treasurer, Maya Renteria, to conduct a full scale audit of the SGA finances, because we cannot claim to be a good student government without holding ourselves accountable,” Lynne said.

Lynne said he will be working with the “first-ever” SGA representatives for advocacy, free speech, cultural organizations, international students, club sports and transfer students to increase representation in the SGA with student groups.

“I pledge to be a president that always listens and is always accessible, no matter the individual, the organization, the cause or the mission,” Lynne said. “I represent every single student, and because of that, my door will never be closed.”

During her address, Stoddard reflected on her time joining the SGA, when she said a friend warned her that the body turns “nice people” into “nasty people,” but these beliefs were dispelled once she met people within the body.

“I was maybe a little too idealistic, but when I watched the room and met with warm smiles and constant support, I knew I was in the right place, because I believe in the potential of this organization,” Stoddard said.

Stoddard said she is committed to “fighting” to make every student feel “heard” and “seen” by giving students a seat at the table where decisions are made like the Title IX Office and the Dining Committee.

“We must envision an institution that’s not defined by exclusion, but by advocacy, one that doesn’t ask whether supporting students is politically expedient, but does it because it’s the right thing to do,” Stoddard said.

Outgoing SGA President Ethan Fitzgerald spoke about his tenure working with Lynne and Stoddard, both of whom he said are “extraordinary” leaders.

“What gives me the most confidence in this new administration is not just who Ethan and Liz are individually, but who they are together, the way they collaborate, balanced, prepared people first, that is exactly what this organization needs,” Fitzgerald said.

After the swearing in ceremony, the SGA carried out its first Senate meeting of the term at 8:30 p.m. in the lower level of SMPA. Members of the SGA confirmed executive and Senate staff appointments, all of whom had the opportunity to deliver a two minute speech prior to their confirmation.

The SGA passed two bills stipulating how the Senate and the executive would spend the funds allocated to its budget by the Fiscal Year 2026 Operational Cost Allocation Part I Act, which SGA unanimously approved last week.

The FY26 Executive Operational Budget Act, one of the two bills, allocated $13,000 toward “community engagement” efforts such as Raise High Wednesdays, a Mental Health Resource Fair and GW Pride Day.

The act also budgeted $10,000 for the Student Organization Resource Center, which provides student organizations with printing and lending supplies.

The SGA passed the FY26 Legislative Operational Budget Act, one of the two bills, which allocated $8,241.27 for the Senate to host forums and town halls.

“This models pretty much the format that is used every single year, except this is the first year in a long time the branches will be 50-50, splitting it,” Lynne said.

Lynne said in a message the executive branch typically historically had a larger chunk of SGA funding than the legislative branch, but he and Stoddard agreed to divide the funding equally among the two branches.

“This demonstrates the incredible cooperation myself and Liz Stoddard have pledged for the year ahead,” Lynne said in a message.

The next SGA meeting will be held on Monday, May 5, at 8:00 pm in Room 151 in Duques Hall.