AUSG’s Survivor Bill of Rights

American University Student Government’s Survivor Bill of Rights (Resolution 18-015) is a comprehensive index of rights, resources, and principles that the American University Undergraduate Senate deems the University shall recognize and afford to all survivors of sexual violence in order to create a safer campus. The Survivor Bill of Rights was unanimously passed by the 18th AUSG Senate on March 26th, 2023.

This legislation implores American University administration to implement the Survivor Bill of Rights and all its included recommendations into American University policy.

 

  • The Survivor Bill of Rights was a joint project between the Senate Committee on Student Rights and Services chaired by former senator Riley Jackson and the Senate Special Committee on Combatting Sexual Violence and Harassment chaired by former senator Julia Comino. Across these two committees and the senate, the legislation was sponsored by six senators, senators Smith, Cottone, Burrell, Jackson, Comino, and Amoui, and co-sponsored by four senators, senators Gocial, Dougherty, Pikovsky, and Islam.

    Beyond the senate’s involvement, the legislation was inspired by student survivor advocates efforts on campus. In November, 1409 members of the American University Community signed demands calling for the creation and implementation of a Survivor Bill of Rights. The Senate was able to solicit and receive feedback from several student survivor advocates and student organizations, such as American University It's On Us, Students for a Just Society, and The Roosevelt Network @ American University, to ensure that this legislation was representative of the needs and wants of students.

    Beyond the input of on-campus organizations, the Survivor Bill of Rights solicited the feedback of a number of off-campus professional survivor support organizations such as End Rape on Campus. The Survivor Bill of Rights is also inspired by University of Massachusetts, Amherst’s Survivor Bill of Rights and it’s creators’ who provided meaningful advice during the drafting of the legislation.

Survivor Resources

American University’s chapter of No More, a student led movement against sexual and domestic violence, created a resources guide highlighting specific survivors resources on- and off-campus.