Tuesday, April 1, the College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly Senate met and voted on the annual budget, along with two additional bills. The chamber also introduced a bill to affirm the preservation of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives at the College.
Special Business
Chair of the Independent Elections Commission Sophie Hoffman ’26 addressed the SA Senate, providing a report on the recent elections. Students voted Thursday, March 27 for Student Assembly President, Vice President and class senators.
This year, 28% of the entire student population voted, which, according to Hoffman, was very high.
“I was just obviously really surprised that that many people voted,” Hoffman said.
The Independent Elections Commission had no reports of campaign violations during the campaign period, and Senate information sessions, mandatory for all students running for a position, were well attended.
The chamber also voted on the annual budget for the fiscal year 2026. The annual budget is funded by the student activities fee, which every full-time undergraduate and graduate student pays as a part of the College’s tuition.
For 2026, the total revenue from the student activities fee is $783,432. $135,000 will be allocated to student government and $150,000 will be allocated to Alma Mater Productions. $176,055 will be allocated for the Organization Budget Allocation Process, which funds all other Recognized Student Organizations on campus.
New Business
The You Belong Resolution
Chair of the Senate Sen. Hazel Vineet ’25, Class of 2028 President Devaughn Henry ’28 and Sen. Tyson Liverman ’27 introduced the You Belong Resolution. The bill, if passed, calls for the Board of Visitors to continue to affirm the programs that foster Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the College. This includes the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Lemon Project, both of which the Board of Visitors have supported in the past. This comes after mounting pressure from the federal and state government on dismantling Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in academia.
“Cooperation with the guidance set forth by the Commonwealth of Virginia undermines the programs, statements, and advocacy efforts, and the success of these efforts, previously established by the Board of Visitors, reversing progress made by both the Board and the broader William & Mary community,” the bill states.
Furthermore, the bill calls for the Board of Visitors to provide a rationale if they ever elect to dissolve DEI programs, similar to the recent moves by administrators at the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University, among other Virginia state schools.
Vice President Oscar Lazo ’25 spoke on behalf of the resolution.
“It is a resolution that is calling for collective bargaining. It is not a resolution that is condemning the Board of Visitors,” Lazo said.
The JAM Act
Sen. Matt Swenson ’26 and Sen. Debbie Ho ’26 introduced The JAM Act. The bill aims to allocate $7,410 for a Music and Art Bash, which will be held at the Muscarelle Museum of Art. The event will feature student bands and art vendors, along with activities for attendees.
“It is the responsibility of the Student Assembly to uplift and promote all recognized student organizations, including the Visual and Performing Arts, which form an integral part of our campus community,” the bill states.
Old Business
Let my Senators Go (Abroad) Act
After standing on the floor for three weeks, the chamber passed The Let my Senators Go (Abroad) Act, sponsored by Sen. Ryan Silien ’28. Senators currently abroad may now run and hold office in SA. However, they may not hold office for more than 30 days abroad. The change in the Code and Constitution of the Student Assembly would allow for students away during the spring semester to run and be elected and serve the first month of their term in April from abroad, and return in the fall semester and serve in person.
This bill was contentious among members of the Senate. The original bill allowed for senators to serve for an entire semester remotely but was later revised after heavy pushback. During the final debate April 1, many senators seemed optimistic about the bill.
“Originally, I was anti-this bill, but with the amendment, I actually really like how it is,” Sen. Yasmin Kudrati-Plummer ’28 said.
The bill passed with two abstentions and two nays.
The LDOC Beer Garden Act III
Sponsored by Vineet, Class President Matthew Hwang ’25, Sen. Jeffrey Gu ’25 and Sen. Kyle Lewis-Johnson ’25, the LDOC Beer Garden Act III aims to fund the celebratory event for the third semester in a row. The LDOC Beer Garden, spearheaded by previous class president Mia Tilman ’24 and Sen. Daniel Bess ’24, is an event sponsored by SA that provides an on-campus alternative to Last Day of Classes celebrations.
The event was originally conceived in response to fears of increased police presence and arrests of students.
“Students want to enjoy and celebrate LDOC with friends and classmates without fear of arrest and attending an event that is shut down,” the bill states.
Students over the age of 21 will be able to purchase alcohol at the event on Sunken Garden May 2. The estimated cost of the event is $8,565.
