Georgetown University students will soon face an important election. Along with voting in student government elections April 14-16, students will decide whether to support a resolution calling on the university to disclose and divest from its investments in companies with ties to Israel and end partnerships with Israeli institutions.
These referendums are not without precedent at other universities. In December, Yale University students faced a referendum on whether or not Yale should divest from companies with ties to Israel. Just eight days ago, University of Maryland students finished voting on a referendum that similarly called on their university administration to divest.
It’s easy to ignore this referendum — after all, Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) student government rules demand 25% student turnout for any referendum to pass, a difficult hurdle to overcome in any student government election. Moreover, referendums are not binding for university policy, as a university spokesperson confirmed.
“Any student referendum provides a sense of the student body’s views on an issue,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya. “Student referendums do not create university policy and are not binding on the university.”
These concerns over the efficacy of referendums are real and legitimate. Yet despite lacking binding force, referendums hold symbolic importance and potential for tangible impact which should not be underestimated.
As such, no matter which side you support, the Editorial Board strongly urges every student to vote.
A referendum is an opportunity to tell the university what we, the student body, believe. What may feel symbolic at most is often the first step to real change. As past student referendums here at Georgetown prove, there is power in student participation.
In 2019, students voted in favor of a referendum to create a fund for descendants of the GU272+, the 314 enslaved people the Jesuits of Maryland sold in 1838 to pay off university debt. Three years later, the university established the Reconciliation Fund, highlighting the referendum as an inspiration.
In June 2024, the university made gender-inclusive housing an option for students following a referendum that approximately a third of the student body voted on.
While their success is not guaranteed, referendums can have significant consequences for university policies and the student community here at Georgetown.
In asking students whether they support divestment from any institutions or companies with ties to Israel, this referendum tackles a subject at the forefront of campus protests. The conflict in the Middle East has brought on immense despair, sadness and rage among students regardless of viewpoint, as protests supporting divestment, vigils mourning war victims and the vandalism of university landmarks display.
A referendum offers a different avenue for expression — one that, no matter its result, can be constructive in informing university administration of student sentiment.
GUSA President Ethan Henshaw (CAS ’26), who co-sponsored the referendum in the GUSA Senate, underscored its importance.
“I think it’s very important that students vote on this issue, no matter how they feel about it,” Henshaw wrote to The Hoya. “The whole point of a referendum is to get a sense of student opinion and convey it to the administration, and that only works if people turn out, whether in support or against the proposal.”
There are other concerns with this referendum, including the chaotic process behind its introduction in the GUSA Senate. Senators bypassed standard procedures, including introducing the resolution to the senate’s Policy and Advocacy Committee (PAC), a committee dedicated to workshopping legislation, before being sent to the senate.
GUSA Senator John DiPierri (SFS ’25) said that the speed of the resolution’s introduction meant senators were unable to fully digest the referendum’s contents.
“In this case, most of the Senate learned of the referendum for the first time about 10 minutes before our meeting was about to end (as it had NOT gone through PAC) and had no real chance to read it or offer edits to its language,” DiPierri wrote to The Hoya. “While there’s no guarantee the referendum would have been voted down if people had time to process it, it’s a shame we’ll never know, because the rules were strategically and pointedly broken.”
Even if GUSA members bypassed the traditional procedures, voting on the referendum will still occur as scheduled, giving students the opportunity to take a stand.
Students, this is your chance to use your voice. The conflict in Israel and Gaza has defined much of our campus affairs, from informal conversations with our friends and classroom discussions to powerful demonstrations on university grounds and beyond. The Editorial Board urges all students to turn out to accurately reflect the student community’s opinions and encourage the administration to take action.
The Editorial Board also urges the administration to use this referendum as a chance to recognize and understand students’ concerns. Though the administration has made efforts to get a sense of students’ experiences on campus through surveys and listening sessions, the Editorial Board and other students have reiterated that the administration must further engage with students and their concerns. Acknowledging and addressing the results of this referendum presents a meaningful chance to do just that.
The Hoya’s Editorial Board is composed of six students and is chaired by the opinion editors. Editorials reflect only the beliefs of a majority of the board and are not representative of The Hoya or any individual member of the board.