Student Council approved the creation of the Committee on Safety Programs Tuesday, under which two new programs — Student Watch and Buddies on Call — were also officially approved.
College Representative Klaus Dollhopf, a fifth-year College student, said the committee would fall under the Vice President for Administration — fourth-year College student Sky Miller — and would oversee all programs created underneath it.
“It will be composed of six members, at least one of them being from the Safety and Wellness Committee [to] provide a bridge between the two committees,” he said. “These programs will be able to function autonomously, but they will subject to any changes the committee wants to make.”
Dollhopf said this process is similar of that to ULink, which began as a program under Council's Academic Affairs Committee.
“We haven’t found a better alternative, and there is a desire for this to be created,” he said. “This is the best way.”
Council voted to have the committee be an ad hoc committee which will cease operation if no programs are in operation under its control. Council will also vote at the end of each semester on whether to continue the operation and existence of the committee.
To fall under the new committee, Council passed two bills to formally create both Student Watch and Buddies on Call.
Second-year College student Ben Cosgro, president of Student Watch, said the organization will operate mainly around the Corner and respond to students in need of assistance. Members will walk around in groups of three and help to ensure the safety of students even they do not directly ask for help.
Similarly, Buddies on Call will provide assistance to students by offering the service of ‘buddies’ to walk students home on weekend nights.
Law School Representative W. Andrew Lanius, a third-year student, said Council still needed to have further discussion on the bills given their ambiguities. As of the meeting, Student Watch had not yet written a constitution for their organization.
“Before we just pass something, lets make sure its something that’s been considered and thoughtful,” he said. “The issue is that [the organizations] are not defined in the bills.”
Commerce Representative Sarah Olsen, a fourth-year student, expressed concern the bill might not get anywhere if left to be considered until next semester. Other members argued this was a special circumstance in which Council has heard the information in question even if it is not explicitly laid out in each program’s bill for creation.
Council voted to have a review and endorsement of the by-laws of each organization on their first session next semester in order for these programs to continue.
Council also voted to have both organizations to report back to the Representative Body after their first functional semesters and at the end of each session of the Representative Body. Each organization will share its results, and Council members will then vote on the continuation of each program.
Batten School Representative Alex Gregorio proposed the two amendments.
"We will have the chance to see hard data about its results and operations, something lacking from the previous debate, before deciding if we want to continue supporting it," he said in an email. "If the data says that this program is utilized and well-liked, then the decision is simple: keep it going. If people don't seem to be using Buddies on Call and there is no evidence saying it has changed the culture on Grounds, then StudCo will need to have a conversations about if we will continue our relationship with it."
Council President Jalen Ross, a fourth-year Engineering student, said the programs still need to be negotiated into a special status agreement.
“These will get negotiated into that agreement which will give them full protections under the University’s insurance,” he said.
Council also passed a bill in support of a public comment period at Board of Visitors meeting.
Ibby Han, a second-year College student, said the issue has already been handed to Board of Visitors Special Committee on Governance. Members of U.Va. Students United will be meeting with the Board to discuss the logistics of the comment period.
Council leaders also met with University President Teresa Sullivan in a closed meeting to discuss where the University is headed in dealing with the issues of sexual assault and safety.
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