Following the Undergraduate Senate’s (UGS) passage of the two resolutions on Wednesday, the Graduate Students Council (GSC) passed two resolutions advancing free speech promotion and protecting students of all legal status at its Thursday meeting.
The meeting also heard a presentation by the Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) Elections Commission on the election results last week.
The two bills, titled Joint Resolution to Advance Free Speech Reform and Joint Resolution to Center the Dignity of All Students, were presented to the GSC by UGS Chair David Sengthay ’26.
The free speech resolution called on the University to simplify its event approval process, protect spontaneous student expression and identify more campus spaces for free speech use beyond the current 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. window at White Plaza.
It also urged the University to eliminate financial barriers to using campus spaces for expressive activity and to publish a centralized student-facing guide on free expression policies.
The dignity resolution requested an emergency fund to be established for vulnerable immigrant students, create a dedicated coordinator position and cover legal fees for immigration-related matters such as DACA renewals and adjustment of status filings.
Further, the dignity resolution also urged that students’ immigration status information not be “collected, retained, or disclosed except where legally required.”
According to Sengthay, the presented bills serve as a “policy position of the ASSU.” He also said that although the resolutions are not technically binding, they are written in coordination with the University administration.
The only clause of the two bills that triggered substantial debate among council members was the third clause, which stated that “Stanford identifies more accessible and visible places for free speech use, where students can practice free speech beyond the 12:00-1:00 PM guidelines.”
Council member Aron Ricardo Perez-Lopez, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate, suggested an amendment to delete the clause.
Sengthay, however, pushed back, saying that the 12:00-1:00 p.m. limitation did not exist years ago. “Protest doesn’t work like that,” he said.
The dignity resolution passed with 12 votes in favor and one vote abstaining; the free speech resolution passed with 11 votes in favor, one vote against, and two votes abstaining.
After voting on the two bills, the GSC also heard a report by the Elections Commission on the ASSU General Election last week.
The report was presented by Charlie Schumer J.D. ’28, the Elections Commission deputy commissioner. According to him, the commission is “very pleased” with the election process this year.
“There were a few minor issues that popped up throughout the course of the campaign, but it was nothing that was out of our control,” he said.
The GSC and UGS will later vote to decide whether they certify the election results.
“We wanted to come in and just give them a report on everything that happened in the election and express… the process, so they know and understand how the election was administered and can have confidence in its fairness,” Schumer said.
Schumer did not directly respond to the Daily’s question on the issue of a complaint filed by candidate Madhav Prakash ’27 of “No Brakes” against Jared Hammerstrom ’27 and Celeste Vargas ’27 of “FARM-RAISED”, and later the Elections Commission.
“I think you can just read the report on the elections conduct statement for the full breakdown of that,” Schumer said to the Daily after the meeting.
Prakash previously claimed that Sengthay’s email endorsement of “FARM-RAISED” violated election rules. The Election Commission ruled that Sengthay’s endorsement in personal capacity did not constitute a violation.
He eventually withdrew his complaint after taking it to the ASSU Constitutional Council and alleging additional violations by the Elections Commission.
The meeting ended with a closed session and a vote on the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget.