Student Government Association senators unanimously passed a resolution Monday urging officials to bolster free speech protections in the Code of Student Conduct, coming weeks after the body’s advocacy office rebuked several of the University’s proposed revisions.
The resolution asks administrators to “explicitly” protect student speech on campus and add the Statement on Student Rights and Responsibilities back into the Code of Student Conduct after officials proposed removing it from the code in revisions that are set to go into effect next academic year. SGA Vice President Liz Stoddard, reading the statement of the bill’s sponsor SGA Sen. Kassy Bonanno (MISPH-G), said the resolution works to “enhance” student voices in the conduct process at a time where free speech rights feel like they are “slipping away.”
“This aims to make sure that students’ rights and free speeches are explicitly protected in the revised code of conduct,” Stoddard said.
The resolution is the latest SGA action to advocate against administrators’ proposed changes to the code unveiled in November. The draft code removes the Statement on Student Rights and Responsibilities, which outlines rights like free inquiry and expression, to a separate document, a move which senators criticized at a meeting early last month, saying it would cause confusion over which student rights GW protects.
Deputy Dean of Students Rachel Stark, while fielding questions from SGA senators at a Feb. 2 meeting, said proposed changes to the code would boost efficiency and clarify proper student conduct. Stark said the statement on student rights will “absolutely” remain a publicly accessible document for students, but officials chose to remove it from the code itself because they felt it was “so important” they wanted it to stand alone.
The resolution also follows a letter the SGA’s advocacy office sent Stark in late January, outlining objections to the revisions, like removing student-involved conduct panels and narrowing appeal pathways, claiming they would hurt students’ rights and grant officials too much authority over outcomes in the conduct process.
Stoddard also said she wanted to remind students that law and immigration enforcement agents require a warrant signed by a judge to enter private buildings owned by GW. She said as an SGA leader she wanted to notify students of their rights in the wake of federal agents allegedly lying about their identity to enter a residential building at Columbia University and arrest a student.
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Colette Coleman and Vice President for Safety and Operations Baxter Goodly sent a joint email to students on Feb. 26, the day of the Columbia incident, reminding them that law enforcement agents require a judge’s approval to enter GW’s property. Coleman and Goodly said in the email students should call GW Police Department officers if they encounter agents seeking to enter a building.
Officials also posted signage on campus buildings in November clarifying that certain spaces are restricted to GWorld cardholders with tap access and their escorted guests only.
“Our university needs some courage,” Stoddard said. “And while they’re quick to say their hands are tied, we need to be asking the question of who is tying them. I’m here to say that in this room, every student’s voice is heard.”
Senators also approved a resolution establishing a Mount Vernon Campus Assembly to address concerns of students living on the Vern, like cuts to transportation options between Foggy Bottom and the Vern. SGA Sen. Alayna Kadarusman (ESIA-U), a first-year student appointed to the Senate at its last meeting who sponsored the resolution, said the resolution aims to ensure Vern residents, who are predominantly first-years, have a more dedicated voice advocating for them within the SGA.
The resolution requires the assembly to meet twice per month on the Vern, collect student input regarding grievances about living on the Vern and present an annual report of recommendations for how to improve the Vern experience. One of the co-chairs of the assembly must also be a Vern resident, according to the resolution.
“Ultimately, this bill expands opportunity, strengthens representation, and ensures that physical distance does not translate into silence,” Kadarusman said.
SGA President Ethan Lynne and Stoddard also announced on-campus graduate housing will return for the 2026-2027 academic year. The University sold the Aston in 2022, which formerly housed graduate students, citing how the off-campus location was not ideal for students and recurring maintenance issues in the building.
Stoddard said graduates can now register for housing online through the GW Home portal and have the option to live in one of eight upperclass residence halls.
“This is a huge step forward in supporting graduate students and their community,” Stoddard said. “It would not have been possible without SGA advocacy across the board.”
Senators also passed the Joint Resolution Bylaws Amendment, which creates a defined procedure in the SGA’s bylaws to pass joint resolutions with other student governments at GW. The resolution follows discussions between SGA and Student Bar Association leaders about passing a joint resolution between the two bodies asking the University to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement from participating in GW career fairs.
The SBA passed a similar measure amending their bylaws to create a joint resolution procedure during a February meeting.
ICE’s legal arm participated in a joint GW and Georgetown University Law Center virtual career fair in January even after pushback from law students who asked GW Law Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew to disinvite the agency, though she ultimately declined to do so.
The SGA will hold its next meeting on March 16 at 7 p.m. in the University Student Center Grand Ballroom.
