Student Council passed a resolution Tuesday calling on the University to strengthen emergency protocols, classroom infrastructure and communication systems following widespread student confusion during the Nov. 3 false report of an armed individual on Grounds. Student Council representatives also reflected on their recent delegation visit to the College at Wise, approved the new chief development officer position and heard extensive reports from the financial accessibility and student engagement agencies.
In the weeks following the Nov. 3 false shooter report incident, Student Council circulated a student survey — that is still open — to gather feedback on how the University handled the false report and discuss student experiences during the lockdown. Student Council members said they wanted to formally gather data after speaking with students who reported unclear instructions, inconsistent messaging and uncertainty about whether classroom spaces were secure.
The resulting safety survey drew from more than 170 student responses, many of which described significant confusion during the emergency. Third-year Architecture representative Philippe Hempel highlighted widespread reports of classroom infrastructure that failed to meet basic safety standards and discussed how emergency text alerts would arrive from inconsistent phone numbers, raising doubts about whether the messages were legitimate.
The proposed resolution urged the University to adopt clearer emergency messaging practices, require universal interior door locks, conduct comprehensive safety assessments of each University building and improve lockdown procedural training for resident advisors and faculty. This resolution passed unanimously after several representatives discussed how the incident exposed structural shortcomings that students had raised concerns about in the survey.
Student Council Representatives stated that the safety resolution will serve as a guide for upcoming conversations with Student Affairs and Emergency Management about improving safety policies and will continue to be monitored to ensure the University’s updates to emergency protocols reflect student concerns.
In addition to passing the safety resolution, Student Council’s visit Friday to the College at Wise was discussed as a part of an expanding effort to strengthen ties. Representatives from Student Council and the College at Wise Student Government Association came together to sign a memorandum of cooperation, which formally commits both institutions to regular collaboration and strengthens student advocacy across both universities.
Ian Travis, Student Council chair of community of concerns and third-year College representative, emphasized that the most valuable part of the trip was seeing how students who attend the College at Wise operate within a smaller but extremely tight-knit campus environment. He discussed how the visit highlighted areas for improvement in the University’s ties with the College at Wise.
“We went down to Wise … everyone there was truly some of the most splendid people I’ve ever met,” Travis said. “I feel that [there are] a lot of really good things we can take away from this visit that allowed us to see the U.Va experience on a more macro level.”
Travis outlined specific proposals Student Council should pursue following the visit, including expanding J-Term exchanges, helping the College at Wise develop its government structure and improving the transition for Year In Wise students — a program in which students can spend a year at the College at Wise and eventually transfer to Grounds. He suggested forming an ad hoc committee to collaborate with executives to implement these ideas.
Later in the meeting, Student Council representatives passed legislation reorganizing the President’s Coalition — the central coordinating body that oversees Student Council’s advisory boards and elected representatives. The legislation clarified the structure and responsibilities of advisory boards and formally enacted its current practices into the bylaws.
Discussions amongst representatives centered on ensuring that elected representatives remain meaningfully engaged with the Coalition’s work. Members ultimately amended the bill to guarantee Student Council representative seats on advisory boards before approving it unanimously.
Student Council representatives also unanimously approved the creation of the chief development officer position — a new director-level position intended to expand Student Council’s long-term funding capacity and alumni engagement efforts. According to Princess Wuraola Olubuse-Omisore, Student Council vice president for administration and graduate public health student, the role will collaborate with the Endowment Committee and the Alumni Relations Director to coordinate fundraising strategies and outreach to alumni donors.
Several cabinet agencies delivered presentations on ongoing initiatives aimed at improving accessibility, affordability and student engagement across Grounds. According to Eva Le, cabinet director for financial accessibility and second-year Commerce student, the financial accessibility agency received a rise in demand for financial support programs, with nearly 90 Cavalier Advantage Grant applications and increased student outreach for financial aid.
According to Grace Blake, cabinet director for the arts agency and third-year College student, the arts agency received more than $32,000 in arts funding requests but could allocate only about $9,000, reflecting the high demand and limited resources. She also noted ongoing shortages in practice and performance spaces and shared updates on advocacy for the potential addition of a music minor.
Approved without opposition, J.D./Ph.D. candidate and representative Benvin Lozada was also unanimously appointed as the new Rules and Ethics Chair — a role that oversees questions for procedure and compliance and is responsible for interpreting the Constitution and bylaws.
Student Council will reconvene Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. for a regularly scheduled general body meeting on Zoom. The Zoom link will be found within the Student Council weekly newsletter.
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