The GUSA Assembly unanimously passed two resolutions Wednesday night advocating the policies of two different organizations, AFIRMS (Advocates for Improved Response Methods to Sexual Assault) and EcoAction.

AFIRMS aims to reform a variety of issues including the university’s definitions of sexual assault and misconduct, the adjudication process, sanctioning and disclosure of sexual offenses. The Student Association resolution seeks to move non-consensual sexual penetration from a Class B violation to a Class C violation, which would carry a more strict punishment, eliminate mandatory confidentiality in the university disclosure policy and begin sensitivity training for university staff and personnel.

“The university looked at the policy a few years ago and decided to keep it the same. They now appear willing to be looking at it again,” Student Association President Brian Morgenstern (COL ’05) said after a meeting with Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson.

“The university position is that it’s not a criminal justice system and that sanctions must have an educational value, not just a punitive value,” he said. “The idea about sensitivity training for faculty and staff seems likely it is widely accepted, but disclosure and confidentiality appears as if it is going to be more of an uphill battle.”

The GUSA assembly debated the issue and raised certain points with the resolution, clarifying the wording, before passing the resolution by an 11-0 vote. This comes after the issue was debated at last week’s meeting and tabled because the discussion went on for so long.

“AFIRMS applauds GUSA for its decision in passing the resolution. As elected leaders of the student body, they add a crucial voice of support to improving sexual assault policies and services on campus,” AFIRMS spokesperson Olive Goh (SFS ’03) said. “We hope that GUSA will continue working with AFIRMS to clarify issues surrounding sexual assault in Georgetown and communicate our ideas for positive change to the administration, faculty and students. Specifically, GUSA leaders have the capacity to improve sensitivity training for students in leadership roles, such as RAs, NSO and ESCAPE leaders.”

GUSA Assemblyman Luis Torres (COL ’05) submitted the resolution on behalf of AFIRMS.

“We’re representing a series of resolutions in these two weeks for groups on campus, including AFIRMS, EcoAction, Campaign Civil Rights and others,” Torres said. “We’re trying to build momentum for these causes and the idea is to get GUSA behind these causes. This way when they go to the administration for support, they can use the GUSA resolution as leverage and say that the student body backs them.”

Torres explained that the GUSA Resolution closely reflects AFIRMS’ own petition.

“What we wanted to do is suggest changes to the current sexual assault policy. The language is similar to AFIRMS’ own petition, with only minor changes in the wording of the resolution,” he said. “Our suggestions are that non-consensual sexual penetration should be moved to Class C and that the university eliminates mandatory confidentiality. Victims should have the option to know the results of their case without mandatory confidentiality.”

After the AFIRMS resolution, the assembly had finished all its old business and the new assembly, elected Monday, was sworn in. The incoming assembly’s first business included the EcoAction resolution, which passed 12-0. EcoAction has lobbied the university to force Dell to recycle computers. Georgetown currently purchases all of its computers from Dell.

“Used computers either go to prisons to be dismantled or they are sent to Asia,” Andy Asensio (COL ’05) said to the assembly. “These computers are toxic and should be disposed of in a way that will do the least amount of damage to the environment.”

Asensio is also a HOYA staff writer.