The Student Union released a draft of a student Bill of Rights last Monday, the purpose of which is to inform students of their rights and the ways in which they can defend them. The bill has been in the works since the start of the 2007 to 2008 academic year, and members of various sectors of the Brandeis community helped compose it. The Union will hold a forum to discuss the draft today at 6:30 p.m. At the end of the academic year, a revised bill will be put up for a referendum, at which point the student body will vote on whether or not to enact it.

"The purpose of the bill is to substantiate the rights that students deserve," said Director of Union Affairs Jason Gray '10, who spearheaded the project.

The bulk of the document affirms students' First Amendment rights, including the freedoms of speech, press and association. It states that students "should be free to advocate for any viewpoint in which they believe and that is protected by law," that the administration cannot censor or regulate student speech and that students cannot be disciplined for expressing controversial viewpoints.

The bill guarantees due process to students facing disciplinary action, including the right to a fair hearing and the right to present witnesses. It also establishes students' right to privacy and the system by which the administration can legally invade it.

In addition to establishing due process, the bill states that "Students have a right to request emergency treatment without fear of punishment" in order to encourage underage students to report excessive intoxication.

The bill also asserts that the students have the right to congregate and engage in any legal activity, and that the administration does not have a right to impose advisors on student organizations. However, the bill does impose some restrictions on students' right to protest, stating that although students may hold rallies, they cannot disrupt campus life, and they must notify the Office of the Dean of Student Life before the event.

The Student Union also incorporated a section upholding its own right to exist, stating that the students are entitled to an elected, representative body with the right to express its views on matters of importance to the student body and that only the students have the right to modify their government.

The Bill of Rights ends by affirming the student body's right to academic freedom.

The Union is working with Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer and Director of Student Development and Conduct Erica Lamarre to incorporate the bill into the Rights and Responsibilities handbook, Gray said. Currently, he said, the handbook is "heavy on responsibilities and light on rights."

Gray also said that the Union will distribute cards containing information on students' rights.

This bill represents an agreement between the student body and the administration, said Director of the Office of Student Conduct Advisors Laura Cohen '10, a member of the committee.

Despite the bill's affirmation of the student body's rights and independence, Gray said, "At the end of the day, we are trying to work with the administration, not against it." He said that his committee will continue to work closely with the Department of Student Life until they have created a Bill of Rights that is acceptable to both the student body and the administration.



-Matthew Brock