Isn’t it unusual that the Institute has a Student Bill of Rights and the Student Union does not? The RPI College Democrats noticed this omission and intend to fill the void. Since January of this year, we have been drafting a Student Bill of Rights to ensure fair and just treatment of students by those they elect. This document is comprised of ten sections to be added to the Constitution via a singular Student Rights Amendment.
Section 1
Students shall not face sanction for participation in activities, on or off campus, in the exercise of their fundamental rights as citizens.
Section 2
No policy shall be made restraining freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, the press, discussion, inquiry, expression, association, privacy, or the right to petition for a redress of grievances.
Section 3
No policy shall be made or enforced which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of students; nor shall any student be denied of liberty or property on or off campus, without due process; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of rules and regulations on the basis of, but not limited to, race, color, creed, national origin, age, religion, marital status, veteran status, disability, sex, or sexual orientation.
Section 4
The right of a student to appoint one’s peer to serve as counsel in judicial cases shall not be infringed.
Section 5
The right of students to vote and the rights related thereto shall not be denied or abridged.
Section 6
Independent bodies created by the student government shall be insulated from undue influence by that same organization.
Section 7
The governing bodies of the Union shall not limit the transparency of their processes without compelling justification.
Section 8
Any Union member who has sustained redressable injury caused by the Union, or meets the criteria of public-interest standing, shall have judicial standing.
Section 9
The approved policies of the Union shall be codified and made readily available to its members.
Section 10
The enumeration in the Union Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the Union’s members.
We are working with members of the Student Senate to ensure that this document is not only effective, but politically viable. As our newly elected Grand Marshal was quite eager to add our objective to her agenda upon our suggestion, we are confident that students will have the opportunity to approve a version of this document in the near future.
We strongly feel this Student Bill of Rights will extensively protect the rights of individual students. Should this promulgation face undue opposition, the College Democrats will fight unrelentingly to ensure that student rights are secured.
