The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate convened on Sunday, Sept. 22, to discuss the new Suspension (Not Served) disciplinary policy which was announced last week at the first meeting of the semester.
USG President Avi Attar ’25 began the meeting by introducing the co-chairs of Peer Representatives, Fawaz Ahmad ’25 and Jacob Santelli ’25. Attar said, “they’ll be able to talk to us a little bit about some of the underground experiences they’ve had, which will put in context some of the conversations we have later today,” referring to a later discussion on the Suspension (Not Served) policy.
Ahmad and Santelli introduced their roles as mediators for students navigating the disciplinary process.
Peer Reps act as intermediaries during investigations, providing a link between the administration and their peers. They also assist students in understanding the disciplinary procedures, preparing for hearings, and ensuring their voices are heard. Peer Reps handle both academic and behavioral infractions and get access to full case-related evidence so that they are able to best help students build their defense and understand any allegations they may face.
Ahmad and Santelli highlighted the emotional and mental challenges students face during investigations.
“Students should be treated with dignity and respect; [they’re] not mutually exclusive,” Ahmad explained, while Santelli pointed out the limitations of the current punitive measures.
“The kinds of punishment available to the University aren’t as fine-grained … They can either be really harsh or really lenient … [leaving] a middle ground still to be filled,” said Santelli.
Next, Attar began a discussion centered around this year’s new policy of Suspension (Not Served) and a proposed change to the honor constitution.
Suspension (Not Served) permits serious infractions to be documented on a student’s transcript without requiring immediate suspension from the University. It also aims to mitigate negative effects of separation from campus, including academic disruption and community loss, and can be “imposed in situations where conduct violations are otherwise serious enough to merit a one-semester suspension, but where the appropriate disciplinary body determines that the immediate separation of the student from the University may not be warranted,” according to Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities.
Attar discussed the potential impact of suspension on students’ visa statuses and financial situations. He recounted the suspension of an international student, saying “her suspension jeopardized her visa status, and she just ended up losing her visa.”
He described the effect of a Suspension (Not Served) penalty, voicing support for the policy, and saying the student “will not be separated [from the University].”
Attar explained “as it relates to the Honor Committee, there are two ways for this change to be made to the honor constitution.” He described either a USG Senate vote, requiring a three quarters vote to pass, or putting it to a student referendum.
Campus and Community Affairs (CCA) Chair Genevieve Shutt ’26 then presented a budget request of approximately $27,000 for the semester, which includes funding for future CCA programming and programs like Tigers in Town. The budget, which reflects an increase of around $6,000 from that of last year, was met with questions from other committees, who were concerned with the possibility of receiving less funding due to the substantial amount potentially being allocated to the CCA.
Treasurer Uma Fox ’26 stressed the importance of proactive planning, stating, “We need to know early how much you need and how much you’re spending.”
After thorough discussion, the Senate unanimously approved the CCA budget. Additionally, a request for funding for the TigerTies event, which aims to foster collaboration among various campus groups, was tabled. The proposed $20,000 allocation is contingent upon further financial information regarding rollover funds from Lawnparties, with the information of the exact amount still pending from the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students (ODUS).
USG meetings are open for all students to attend and are held on Sundays from 5–6 p.m. in Robertson Hall 016.
Alena Zhang is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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