During their first meeting of the semester on Monday night, the Student Government Association (SGA) passed a resolution 9-3 denouncing the way University President Gregory Fenves “unilaterally enacted” a new addendum to the Respect for Open Expression Policy on Aug. 27, according to a copy of the resolution obtained by The Emory Wheel.
“The 58th Student Government Association is writing to express its concerns in University Senate’s failure to propose changes to the Respect for Open Expression Policy and the unilateral codification of the Addendum to the Respect for Open Expression Policy,” the bill’s authors wrote in a letter to Fenves and University Senate President and Professor of Law George Shepherd. “We find both events unacceptable.”
SGA Vice President Pranay Mamileti (26C), Ranking Member Sohan Bellam (26C) and Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Belonging Guyberson Pierre (25C) authored the resolution.
“This is about whether students are going to have a voice in University policy, not just now, but going forward,” Bellam said during the meeting.
The resolution comes about two weeks after Emory University codified restrictions to student demonstrations — including banning encampments — without consulting the University Senate, as has been common practice.
Mamileti said during the meeting that he initially wanted the resolution to call for a complete withdrawal of the addendum, but that he did not think Fenves would listen, referencing last semester’s no confidence vote on the president as evidence.
“Over two thousand students said that they wanted Fenves to not be in the job, and nothing happened,” Mamileti said.
Mamileti added that he and SGA President Abigail Dubinski (25B) had asked university officials at several meetings over the summer about what changes they would make to the open expression policy, but never got an answer.
“We didn't learn anything about what was going on,” Mamileti said.
In a previous interview with the Wheel, Fenves said that Emory implemented the measures with an addendum because he felt it was a “priority” to codify the clarifications before the fall semester began.
Committee for Open Expression Chair Ilya Nemenman and Shepherd both previously expressed concern with how the administration codified the addendum.
“The way that these changes, this addendum, were implemented further erodes trust between the administration and the rest of the University community,” Nemenman said. “I believe that any kind of policy is a community compact where it only works if most of the people on campus adhere to these policies.”
Now, members of SGA are denouncing the University administration’s actions, arguing that not working with SGA or the Senate when changing University policy is “unprecedented” and creates the “perception of illegitimacy.”
The legislators argued in the resolution that SGA should have been “central” toward policy changes to open expression and called for Fenves and Shepherd to attend a town hall hosted by SGA to answer questions from students and SGA members.
“Shared governance is important, not just as a formality, but through the creation of policy which not only guides the Emory University community but collaboratively reflects its consideration, values and participation," the legislators wrote.
At the Monday meeting, Mamileti emphasized how he felt that the administration owed students a conversation about open expression after last semester’s protests ended violently and that lack of conversation was “unacceptable.”
“Speaking personally, as someone who was there [on April 25], who was shot at with red pepper bullets multiple times, and who watched students get arrested that day, and faculty members of our community get arrested that day, I think it's fair to say the changes to that policy are necessary,” Mamileti said during the meeting.
This comes after the Oxford College Student Government Association (OxSGA) passed a resolution on Sept. 5 calling on Fenves to withdraw the new open expression addendum.
“It directly diminishes students’ ability to peaceful free assembly,” the resolution states. “Not cooperating with the University Senate when introducing impactful policy is bad precedent and is unrepresentative to the constituencies the University Senate serves, including the Oxford College student body.”
OxSGA President Kenan Bajraktarevic (25Ox), who introduced the resolution, said that an email from Shepherd to Fenves, on which Bajraktarevic was copied, drew his attention to the issue.
“What I would like to see, and what the rest of the Oxford Government Association would like to see, is for the addendum to be withdrawn and for it to go through the correct process that has been occurring for years,” Bajraktarevic said.
OxSGA Vice President Kieran Rafferty (25Ox) said OxSGA presented the resolution to hold the University accountable regarding the process of introducing the addendum. Rafferty said he did not believe Emory should have introduced the addendum in the manner it did.
“Precedent is really important, especially during these times,” Rafferty said. “When you do not go through precedent, it sparks change and distrust among the students and the administration.”
The resolution calls for Fenves to immediately rescind the changes to the policy and only modify the policy when new changes are approved by the University Senate.
“We affirm students’ rights to assemble freely and peacefully, as well as students’ rights to safety and security,” the resolution states. “Appropriately introducing changes to University policies and practices is critical to protecting these.”
