DePaul’s Student Government Association will prioritize student safety and promote transparency with university administration this academic year, new leadership says.

SGA is holding a welcome event where students can meet new and returning members on Tuesday, Sept. 30, on the Arts & Letters patio in Lincoln Park.

“We want to make sure that we are doing more of those events, where, in open spaces, students can come talk to us or know about us, and we can make sure that we can protect our students and be able to advocate for them, and just reach those corners that don’t get reached through social media,” said SGA president Prince Priyanshu, a senior in the College of Science and Health.

SGA vice president Ahmad Barakat said safety on campus is a priority for the new administration. 

“We have had instances in the past year where students have felt unsafe or (were) attacked physically or verbally, and we want to make sure that that is not the case any longer,” said Barakat, a junior in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Two Jewish students were attacked while showing support for Israel in front of the Student Center in November 2024. One of the suspects is being charged with two counts of a hate crime and two counts of aggravated battery with great bodily harm. The victims, Max Long and Michael Kaminsky, are suing DePaul for alleged safety and security failures.

SGA chair of campus affairs Peyton Deck said a safety town hall with students, university administration and public safety officers is in the works for winter quarter.

“We want to get student feedback, so we’d like to hear what students’ primary concerns are and to kind of organize the event and the information shared at the event around that,” Deck said.

Displaced Students Initiative updates

One student from Gaza is currently enrolled online at DePaul through the Displaced Students Initiative — a project SGA advocated for last year. Two other students plan to join the cohort in winter quarter.

Barakat, the former chair of SGA’s Displaced Students Support Committee, met with the students participating in the program this month.

“They’re very excited, which is nice,” Barakat said. “It was nice to see that all our hard work throughout the entire year was achieved in that way.”

Barakat said SGA is looking to local businesses to fundraise for the students’ tuition, and some of the students would like to be involved in student organizations.

Encouraging student involvement

Priyanshu, the president, said he is focused on creating a new generation of freshmen and sophomore SGA members to pick up the organization next year. Fall elections will take place later this quarter.

In the meantime, Priyanshu said students can reach out to SGA for “anything.”

“We’re here to support our students, and we just want to make sure that we can get through whatever that’s happening around the world together,” Priyanshu said.

SGA is planning a kickball event for Tuesday, Oct. 14. General body meetings are Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in McGowan South, Room 104.

Related Stories:

• Five Palestinian students admitted to DePaul through Displaced Students Initiative
• SGA elects fall quarter representatives
• SGA spring elections and initiatives underway