Student Government Board issued a on Saturday evening regarding the conduct hearing process and the University鈥檚 communication with Students for Justice in Palestine at Pitt.
SJP is set to have a conduct hearing over alleged violations, which the club is challenging, on Feb. 4.
The statement, signed by 20 SGB members, said SJP leaders spoke to the Board about the 鈥渦ndue expectations鈥� the conduct hearing process placed on them, including 鈥渁mbiguous鈥� information surrounding specific policy violations the organizations committed, a short deadline to create a defense, and confusion around asking questions about the conduct hearing process.
The statement noted that SJP鈥檚 members primarily consist of Arab, Palestinian, Muslim, Jewish and LGBTQIA+ students and pointed to the club鈥檚 status as the only registered Palestinian advocacy organization on campus.
鈥淭hese students and their dedication to advocacy play an invaluable role in our Pitt community,鈥� the statement read. 鈥淭he Student Government Board uplifts the voices of minoritized students and expects the University to do the same.鈥�
SGB said it was 鈥渄isappointed鈥� in how the University鈥檚 actions have affected SJP and asked the University to 鈥渞eexamine鈥� how conduct hearings are managed.
鈥淲e believe communication between student organizations and administrative bodies should be handled with timeliness, transparency and procedural cause to equitably provide all students with the tools they need to successfully engage in campus and academic life,鈥� the statement read.
SGB said it is 鈥渃ommitted to advocating for the right to free speech and assembly of any and all student voices鈥� and asked student organizations experiencing difficulties with University communication and conduct hearings to contact [email protected].