The Graduate Student Assembly of the University of Nebraska met for its second to last meeting for the year in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Nebraska Union on Tuesday, March 7 to discuss four bills.

The four bills presented include the allocation of funds for Graduate Student Appreciation Week, an endorsement for the March for Science in Lincoln, a bill to support the protection of political speech for graduate students and an endorsement for the event #HackUNL.

GSA Bill 28 proposed an allocation of $2,000 from GSAs social budget to go toward Graduate Student Appreciation Week. Graduate Student Appreciation Week is a week that celebrates grad students through different activities throughout the week. The bill passed unanimously.

GSA Bill 29 asked for the assembly to endorse the March for Science on April 22. The March for Science is a march that supports scientists and the scientific community, while allowing the community to publicly take a stand. The bill passed unanimously.

GSA Bill 30 focused on supporting the protection of academic freedom, diversity and political speech for graduate students.

English representative Daniel Clausen proposed the bill to the assembly.

There is no current policy that directly pertains to protecting free speech, he said.

Clausen continued by saying the bill presented to the Graduate Student Assembly supports freedom of speech and asks the university to adopt a policy that explicitly defends graduate students right to free speech.

Lauren Segal, the co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, wanted to know if the bill asking for protection of free speech could be used against students regarding hateful political speech.

I was thinking of that as I wrote the bill, and I dont want to protect someones right to put up a swastika, Clausen said. But thats why I think having a policy that deals with deciding what is and isnt hate speech and then following a protocol is important.

Before the assembly voted on the bill, GSA President Ignacio Correas commented on how the bill would be enforced.

I will make sure that if this bill is passed that I will work with the appropriate university authorities to make sure that the regulations to determine what is and isnt hate speech has grad student input, he said.

After brief debating, the bill passed unanimously.

GSA Bill 31 asked for endorsement toward #HackUNL. #HackUNL is a 24-hour event in which UNL students can use coding and graphic design to come up with ideas to end cyberbullying and harassment. The bill passed unanimously.

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UNL's GSA passes bill to protect grad student free speech - Daily Nebraskan