Since February, the Undergraduate Senate (UGS) passed 16 resolutions, covering topics from earthquake relief to support for graduate student workers. Here’s a breakdown of each of the resolutions the governing body has passed in the past two months.
Resolution to Address Student Textbook Costs
In its Feb. 16 meeting, UGS unanimously passed a resolution introduced by Diego Kagurabadza ’25 and Gurmenjit Bahia ’24 to pledge up to $3,500 to purchase new books for the FLI Library in order to “support students most impacted by prohibitive textbook costs.”
Resolution Addressing Police Violence
Following a January incident where a Stanford University Department of Public Safety (SUDPS) officer drew a gun on a Black man, the UGS passed a resolution 7-2-1 to address police violence on campus, authored by Ritwik Tati ’25, Josie Amoo ’25 and Bahia. The resolution called for action in alignment with recommendations by the June 2020 Community Board on Public Safety, as well as reallocation of SUDPS funding to mental health resources, community development, transportation and violence-prevention programs.
Bill to Confirm Jane Hernandez as Senator Kyle Becerra’s Proxy
Jane Hernandez ’24 was unanimously confirmed on Feb 16 to serve as the Proxy for Senator Kyle Becerra ’24 for the remainder of winter quarter.
Resolution to Address Earthquake in Turkey & Syria
Following deadly magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in February, the UGS unanimously passed a resolution Feb 16 in support of Turkish and Syrian students. The resolution, co-sponsored by the Stanford Turkish Student Association, called for publicization of student organizations’ relief efforts and for the University to increase the availability of identity-specific mental health resources.
UGS Senate Bill Winter 2023
The UGS approved the positions of the following members of the Association as representatives of the Association on University committees for the 2022-2023 term:
| Name | Committee Nomination(s) |
| Sydney Kaminski | Committee for the Review of Undergraduate Majors |
| Allex Desronvil | Judicial Panel Pool |
| John Humphries | Judicial Panel Pool |
| Dante Danelian | Judicial Panel Pool |
| Claire Rosenfield | Judicial Panel Pool |
| Catherine Xiang | Undergraduate Housing Advisory Committee (UHAC) |
| Mary Lee | Committee for the Review of Undergraduate Majors |
| Emma Cuddy | Judicial Panel Pool |
Bill To Approve ASSU Librarian Appointment
The UGS unanimously approved Jackline Wambua ’25 as the ASSU Librarian on Feb. 28.
Resolution On Annual Grant Status For The Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band
The UGS passed a resolution on March 2 to address claims that the Band improperly used ASSU funding. The resolution, co-written by Marc Huerta ’24, Amira Dehmani ’24 and Diego Kagurabadza ’25, called for an audit of the Band to be completed no later than June 30 and required the Band to work with the Office of Student Engagement (OSE) to return to voluntary student organization (VSO) status before receiving funding in future fiscal years. The resolution stated that if the Band does not return to its VSO status, it must instead receive funding from the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation (DAPER) or other University resources.
The UGS also called for the Band to hold a democratic election open to its entire membership for the roles of managing the organization and its finances.
Bill To Amend The Declaration Of Intent Timeline For Spring General Elections
The UGS voted to move the deadline to declare candidacy for the spring ASSU General Elections to Friday, March 17 at 5 p.m. from March 10.
Resolution To Reduce Fees For Student Groups Renting Campus Spaces
In a resolution co-authored by Huerta, Ishaan Singh ’24 and Kevin Malaekeh ’25, the UGS unanimously called for the abolition of fees for student groups to rent outdoor venues including Old Union Courtyard or White Plaza.
Bill to Establish Umbrella Recognition Process
The UGS unanimously passed a bill written by Kagurabadza on April 4 that addressed a lack of recognition for groups of multiple VSOs that received funding as a single “Umbrella Group.” The bill established that the application for Annual Grant funding by one organization within the Umbrella Group would suffice for the Group’s recognition in the next year.
Resolution to Adopt the Long Range Planning Committee Report (SURPAS)
On April 4, the UGS unanimously passed a resolution written by Dehmani to establish a formal way for the University to incorporate more feedback from postdocs. The resolution stated that unlike undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs have no way of raising a topic to the Faculty Senate. Thus, the UGS called for the Faculty Senate to support postdocs as outlined in the Long Range Planning Report.
Resolution to Condemn the Violence Against Sikhs and Violation of Rights in Punjab
In a resolution co-sponsored by the Sikh Student Association at Stanford (SSA) and written by Bahia, the UGS addressed on April 11 a recent rise in anti-Sikh hate crimes in the US. The UGS stated that they stand in support of Sikh students on campus and called for the University to support the SSA and other student organizations with members impacted and their advocacy efforts.
Resolution To Support Service Worker And Graduate Student Housing And Transportation Needs
The UGS passed a resolution on April 11 to address long commutes by service workers at Stanford, written by Mikayla Tillery ’25 and co-sponsored by Gabriel Frank-McPheter ’26 on behalf of the Just Transitions Policy Lab. The resolution called for the University to expand night and weekend Marguerite coverage, create a Marguerite line to East Palo Alto, support expansion of the vanpool program and create more affordable or subsidized housing for service workers.
Bill To Change The Structure Of The ASSU Nominations Commission
On April 18, the UGS unanimously approved a bill written by members of the ASSU Nominations Commission to establish more efficient and transparent representation of students on University committees.
Bill to Certify the Results of the 2023 ASSU Spring General Election
On April 25, the UGS unanimously certified the results of the 2023 ASSU elections, except for this year’s UGS races because of the status of the case Election Commissioner v. Chen (2023), where Ivy Chen ‘26 faced charges of violating ASSU campaign finance rules.
C12 Resolution: Judicial Charter
By a vote of 6-2-4, the UGS also voted in favor of the Stanford Judicial Charter of 2023 on April 25, which uses a “clear and convincing evidence” standard to charge a student of honor code violations, while seeking to consider both restorative justice and procedural efficiency. The vote came on the heels of declining to approve the updated Honor Code and proctoring proposal.