Georgetown University Student Association - GUSA

Congratulations Nile Blass & Nicole Sanchez on being the next GUSA President & Vice President!

As the election commission begins to prepare for the upcoming executive election, we want YOUR help! Help us select questions for the GUSA P & VP debate by submitting yours here: https://forms.gle/fVKQ5T28MNrqedFg6

GUSA Debate Question Form

The events that transpired this week in our nations Capitol were unacceptable and a reminder of the work that’s left for all of us in rooting out racism and antisemitism everywhere. Read our full statement by Nile Blass and Bryce Badger here.

Georgetown students are frustrated at the University's continued lack of transparency and responsiveness to student feedback--particularly with regards to the recent revealed Spring 2021 plan. Find our full response and list of demands for the administration here: bit.ly/springplanresponse

2020-11-25 Statement: The Administration Hears Us, But Refuses to Listen. The Administration Hears Us, But Refuses to Listen. Senator M. Cruz-Morales, Senator S. Cruz-Morales, Senator Flores, Senator Leonard, Senator Perez, Senator Rassieur, Senator Adeyemi, Senator Gordon, Senator Khan, Senator Santana, Senator Wey - November 25, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE In...

Curious what GUSA has been up to lately? All of our meeting notes are PUBLIC!

To learn more about what were up to please visit bit.ly/gusa-library and sign in with your georgetown account!

Do you have feedback on how GUSA is doing? Have a concern you want addressed?

Fill out the GUSA comment form at bit.ly/nbgusacomments ! Nico and Bryce routinely check and respond to this form, you can submit under your name or anonymously.

What does GUSA do? We tell you almost everything we've been working on at bit.ly/gusamidterm2021 !

We'll get straight to the point - cutting holidays out of the fall semester was a huge mistake. Today, the university has the opportunity to not make that same mistake for the spring semester.

We call on Georgetown University to maintain spring break and all other holidays throughout the spring semester for the sake of avoiding burnout of its students.

This week’s BLM Tuesday: Our focus is centred around Deon Kay. He was a member of the DC community and became a victim of unconscionable police brutality and violence against Black people on September 3rd. A direct action you can take is donating to his family’s GoFundMe: https://gf.me/u/yxmi8y

Justice For Deon Kay, organized by Justice 4Deon On Wednesday, September 2nd, 3 weeks after his 18th birthday, Deon Kay was shot and killed by a mem… Justice 4Deon needs your support for Justice For Deon Kay

Georgetown University Student Association - GUSA updated their info in the about section.

Fill out the new survey below to help GUSA collect more data and testimonials to better understand the impact of the changes to the 2020-2021 aid packages! All students’ perspectives are useful, welcome, and greatly appreciated! The survey is completely anonymous, with the exception of the testimonial section. Any testimonial inputs will be featured in advocacy efforts including presentations in meetings, proposals, and petitions. (NOTE: if you have already submitted your testimony, you need not do so again).
Survey link → https://bit.ly/gufinaidsurvey

Tune in to GUSA’s teach-in TOMORROW EST! It will be hosted by the GUSA team that has been working ferociously on financial aid. You can submit any questions via our RSVP link: bit.ly/2EXa1fL.
Zoom link: bit.ly/2Pn3UTT
See you all then!

A Statement from Senators for Georgetown University regarding the robbery of students' financial aid:

Please fill out this survey to aid advocacy by providing data and testimonials! To take it, go to: https://bit.ly/2020financialaidsurvey.

In response to the financial aid package decisions and their apparently severe shortcomings issued on July 31, GUSA is collecting data on students’ financial aid. The survey also has an optional testimonial submission section, where students can describe their situation and needs so that GUSA can feature them in advocacy efforts including presentations in meetings, proposals and petitions. This survey is intended to better understand the impact 2020-2021 academic year's financial aid packages, and the extent to which they were able to cover each student's financial needs. It is completely anonymous with the exception of the testimonial section, where students can choose to share their personal information if they wish. We are not collecting emails. All students’ perspectives are useful, welcome, and greatly appreciated!

Eid Mubarak!

Happy Eid al-Adha to all our Muslim community members!

Mental health support is a cornerstone of our administration, particularly during the challenges of the last few months. In collaboration with our mental health policy team, we would like to release a brief statement on an issue that is so critical, yet so frequently misrepresented or misunderstood.

The last four months of 2020 have been extremely challenging for us all. We are living through three major crises : a global pandemic, calls for police reform, and an economic recession. These crises have changed the way we see our role in society and how we move through the world. Coronavirus has limited our social interactions and has created a lot of uncertainty.

With the world as chaotic as it is, it is often hard to find time to take care of ourselves. In this moment of chaos, we need to be acknowledging that there are many people who struggle with mental health. Mental health issues are not shameful or a sign of weakness and should never be stigmatized as such. This is especially true when factoring in the uncertainty of safety and financial insecurity. Addressing anxiety is not a sign of weakness. It is important to note that everyone can react differently to stressful situations. Projecting an image of perfection at all times can be damaging. Being honest about your feelings is a sign of strength and the first step towards healing.

In today’s 24 hour news cycle we are constantly shown images of violence towards Black and Brown communities. No matter how often images of racial violence are spread, it never becomes less traumatizing. We should all be cognizant of the intersection between mental health and racial trauma especially as protests continue to erupt all across the country and the world. Please use the student activism guide as a resource to discuss racial trauma and how we can all be a part of the solution.

GUSA has supported and will continue to support better mental health resources for all students on and off campus. Attached to this post is information about the mental health fund. Never be afraid to ask for help! Make sure you are all taking care of yourselves. Remember, you are humans first and Georgetown students second. Your mental health matters now more than ever.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D44N-SyOG3Ssqs8eeZ2ps3QNvzWQKSGHdKMqCcZlz44/edit

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, please take the following survey to help administrators understand your needs in the current crisis. GUSA is working with administrators to address the White House's recent decision to rescind F1 and M1 visas from international students not enrolled in in-person classes. Please share this survey however you can as well. Thank you.

survey---> https://bit.ly/isfall2020survey

If you have a disability that necessitates that you be on campus apply to return using this link: https://georgetown.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9924915d3f96f920dc7f1af97&id=ad384fa381&e=4b7fceca06

Attend Georgetown Disability Alliance's town hall to hear about and discuss accessibility an accommodations for the Fall 2020 Semester! Join us July 9th at 8:30 PM EST / 5:30 PM PST at this link: https://georgetown.zoom.us/j/94615512179

In light of recent updates to fall reopening plans, GUSA would like to reaffirm our commitment to the student body. As of July 6th 2020, Georgetown has confirmed that approximately 2,000 students will be allowed on campus in the fall, with priority given to: the Class of 2024; students whose personal or family situation makes it impossible or unrealistic to pursue their studies at their permanent address; a limited number of seniors and other students whose graduation requirements and academic program necessitate an on-campus presence; ad some student Resident Assistants to support this small residential community.

This announcement has left a number of undergrads uncertain about the upcoming fall semester. We are actively working to clarify some of the most frequently asked questions. This includes figuring out what criteria will be used to determine which students with extenuating circumstances are allowed to come back on campus, and in light of recent federal policy changes, ensuring the university supports international students who are currently on F1 or M1 visas.

A couple of additional notes:

For students returning to campus Georgetown has offered the use of its travel agency--meaning that Georgetown students will get discounts on their flights to DC, and that they will receive a refund in the event of flight cancellations.

For rising Juniors who would still like to live in DC, it is imperative to remember that Georgetown remains committed to enforcing the three year on-campus housing requirement. If you live in Rosslyn, Dupont, or another neighbourhood in DC, you will still be permitted to live off campus your senior year. However, living in the Georgetown area would mean that you are no longer eligible to live off campus senior year.

Despite this move to online GUSA will continue to fight for the needs of the student body. Please fill out our feedback form below so we can determine how best we can assist you in this time.

bit.ly/fallreopeningfeedback

Georgetown’s Fall 2020 reopening plan has been released—here are a list of FAQs about the plan: https://www.georgetown.edu/coronavirus/fall-2020/faqs/ Additionally, please let us know how GUSA can best support you during this time by filling out this feedback form: bit.ly/fallreopeningfeedback.

Emails were sent, plans were dropped, we’re all shook now.

Stay tuned for our TLDR to the fall 2020 reopen plan… but in the meantime, let us know what your thoughts are or what your concerns are at bit.ly/fallreopeningfeedback

Today, President Nico, VP Bryce, Speaker Daniella, and Senator Shirley met with other students and administration to discuss the fall semester plans. No decision has been made yet, but there are some important updates:

-A more comprehensive update should come early next week.
-A rotational model is definitely not being considered.
-It is likely that only 2000 students will be housed by Georgetown
-priority will likely go to seniors, freshmen, unstable homes, those with clinical hours, ROTC students, and students with learning disabilities that need an in-classroom setting.

Full notes from Today's meeting:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wHNKiw1XG9AuZw4nM8ZTnnad5i4LWWrLg8s6cNccWYM/edit?usp=sharing

07/01/2020 - Fall 2020 Meeting 07/01/2020 Meeting Location, Time Attendance Administrators Present: Todd Olson (student affairs), Joe Ferrara (president’s office), David Edelstein (chief budget officer), Geoff Chatas (coo), Rohan Williamson (vice provost), Randy Bass (former vice provost) Students: Nico Ferretti, Bryce Badger,....

Hello there! General student body, GUSA wanted to remind you that you can access your Georgetown accounts using your gocard to satisfy DUO requirements. When DUO shows up after entering your netid and password, simply enter the last NINE digits of the number on your gocard. You only need to enter the LAST 9 digits of the longer number on the back.

Did you know this number can also be used to purchase things that can be bought with debit dollars? For instance some companies, like Vamoose buses, take debit dollars and even have a discount if you use your gocard.

We know that many people may be struggling to afford a new cell phone or with connectivity issues, so this trick is more useful than ever. Thanks all!

We hope this graphic, first circulated last year, is still helpful!

If you have feedback on how GUSA specifically has been handling things please feel free to roast us at https://forms.gle/B8TVXiQfC4eznMiB7 , you can bring up stuff from march through july :)

July 2020 GUSA Advocacy Feedback Thank you for taking the time to fill out this form to give us feedback on our advocacy throughout this process. ALL QUESTIONS are OPTIONAL, if you do not feel comfortable answering a question please feel free to skip it. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to email us at gusa@georgetown...

UPDATE - Fall 2020 Reopen Plan: while we originally expected a decision this week, we now expect a decision early next week. Meeting notes can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wHNKiw1XG9AuZw4nM8ZTnnad5i4LWWrLg8s6cNccWYM/edit =h.2jwhb4orkx8o

Google Docs - create and edit documents online, for free. Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

GUSA never stops! We’re not just working on COVID19 related things. See some of the fantastic proposals members of the executive and senate team have been working on the last few weeks by visiting bit.ly/gusummer0620 !

If you have any questions or feedback let us know at bit.ly/nbgusacomments or email us at [email protected] :)

Last week, Eliza Lafferty and Esci Alemayehu, our student reps met with the Board of Directors to discuss the state of student life on campus!

For a full report please visit bit.ly/gubod0620 !

GUSA is partnering with Active Minds and Project Lighthouse to launch a new website to highlight diverse mental health experiences and share community-specific mental health resources. The site will launch on July 1, but we are now collecting submissions from Georgetown students that detail your experiences with mental health and/or mental health resources. We invite everyone to share their stories to help us promote awareness of mental health struggles and illnesses in various communities, destigmatize mental health, and empower others to share their experiences and seek help.

http://tinyurl.com/me-myself-mind