SGA adopts new communication policy to prevent harassment

By Joseph Ndu, News Reporter

October 27, 2025

Deputy Speaker Eddie Guerrero and Senate Clerk Cameron Sawyer sit in front of the Student Government Association’s senate at their meeting Friday. The SGA passed two bills to streamline communication between SGA and student organizations at their meeting Friday. (Joseph Ndu | Northern Star)

DeKALB – The Student Government Association passed two bills to streamline communication between SGA and student organizations Friday in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center.

SENATE BILL 57009

Senate Bill 57009, proposed last week, classifies constant private communication attempts by student organizations and representatives with its members outside of scheduled meetings as harassment and grounds for suspension or loss of recognition by the SGA Finance Committee, speaker of the senate or treasurer.

Private communications as laid out in the bill refers to social media, private email or in person communications outside of scheduled meetings.

Deputy Speaker Eddie Guerrero, substituting as senate speaker for the absent Nathan Gonzalez, said student organizations and representatives weren’t communicating through the proper means.

“Student organizations keep emailing or showing up consistently without appointment or engaging in practice,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero explained this was a measure to enforce boundaries and maintain professional communication between SGA and student organizations.

“Student involvement staff have other duties outside of SGA and we as SGA members are students at the end of the day. This is not due to a specific event that occurred, but a preventive measure,” Guerrero said.

According to the bill, these changes will not allow SGA members to avoid their duties and responsibilities and any indication they are will be considered dereliction of duty and met with disciplinary action.

The bill passed in a 14-0 vote.

SENATE BILL 570010

Senate Bill 570010, complimentary to SB57009, seeks to revise communications between student organizations and SGA while establishing clear guidelines.

It outlines that a student organization must complete a form for recognition, after which they will attend a meeting with the Organization Oversight Committee, who will recommend their approval or rejection for full SGA senate approval.

The bill clarifies that student organizations who fail to attend the meeting and don’t contact SGA in advance will have three months from that day before they are rejected. Rejected organizations may reapply up to one calendar year later without penalty.

The bill passed in a 13-0 vote.

The next SGA meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the Sky Room of the Holmes Student Center.