The University Judiciary Committee formally transitioned to its new leadership and recognized graduating members Sunday, with fourth-year College student Harper Jones officially handing her role as chair down to third-year College student Allison McVey.
McVey addressed the Committee, sharing her confidence in the UJC’s ability to meet the challenges associated with student self-governance and successfully adjudicate an increasingly complex and voluminous caseload.
“The sheer number of cases we process, compounded with their complexity … is a testament to what this organization is capable of,” McVey said. “I have a feeling that the Committee will be similarly challenged during the 2025-2026 term, but I have no doubt that the individuals in this room … will meet these challenges in the characteristic style of UJC members — with careful sensitivity, genuine empathy and mission-centric focus.”
McVey also shared a personal anecdote about mistakenly arriving at West Range Cafe instead of a West Lawn room for her UJC interview as a first-year student. She said that this first introduction to UJC demonstrated to her the values that the Committee espouses.
“I do find it rather fitting that my time at the UJC began with and was almost thwarted by a mistake,” McVey said. “The UJC members who rescued me from the Range and conducted my subsequent interview exhibited a level of patience, understanding and goodwill that truly struck me.”
McVey said she is confident that these values of dedication and selflessness are apparent in the individuals that serve the UJC today and will lead the Committee to success throughout her term.
Jones reflected on her time as chair, thanking members of the Committee for their work that enabled her to do her job throughout the term. She recounted joining the UJC fall of her first year as an eager pre-law student interested in becoming involved in student government.
Jones told a personal anecdote of serving as a counselor on an “undeniably grave” case for a student charged with violating multiple Standards of Conduct. The student faced concurrent court proceedings during their trial, but they shared with Jones that their experience with the UJC greatly differed from this legal experience.
“When we returned to our meeting room during deliberations, the student sat down, looked me in the eye, and said, ‘That was so much better than court…’” Jones said. “That singular moment of affirmation is why the UJC exists.”
Jones reminded the Committee of its mission to provide students, through its educational restorative approach, with a place to truly be heard and experience a just and efficient trial process. She referenced the UJC’s foundational principles of freedom, safety and respect as the motivation behind all of the Committee’s work in serving students.
Beyond case processing, Jones recognized other initiatives carried out by the Committee this term. These include a Judiciary Week filled with events ranging from tabs at Corner restaurants to tabling sessions with the Gordie Center. She also spoke about the considerable progress that was made in relation to the UJC’s endowment, which now includes a $60,000 gift from the President’s Office.
Jones thanked the former executive board for its support and the whole Committee for trusting her to lead as chair.
Each executive board member recognized the individual elected to succeed them, with Jones announcing McVey as her successor last.
The meeting transitioned to recognizing outstanding members of the Committee — including the investigator, support counselor and educator of the year — and graduating members.
Second-year Batten student Leah Rockwell won investigator of the year, third-year College students Thomas Davies and second-year College student Aali Siddiqui won support counselors of the year and first-year College student Saira Uttamchandani won educator of the year.
Reflecting on the year, Jones said she could not have expected the events that ultimately characterized her term, including a much larger and more intense caseload. According to Jones, the UJC’s mission remains vital to the University, and the Committee is well-equipped to fulfill this need.
“The truth [is] that this term has had multiple crises, both internal and external, that have caused us to think critically about our mission, our purpose, and the communities that we serve. But this is exactly why the work we do is so important,” Jones said. “Student self governance is an opportunity, if not a mandate, to represent students at this University to the fullest extent possible.”
The new leadership will serve until April 1, 2026.
A previous version of this article had incorrectly stated that Aquid Sayeb was Educator of the Year when Saira Uttamchandani was. The article has been updated to reflect this change.
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