The ASUW Student Senate will convene today in HUB room 310 at 4:30 p.m to discuss the potential expansion of the UW's Student Conduct Code among other issues.

Recent outbreaks of violence have brought to more urgent light the long-standing problems associated with student life north of Northeast 45th Street. As it stands, the Student Conduct Code does not extend to student conduct off-campus.

"[We're] addressing safety issues for students," said ASUW President Cullen White. "[Conduct code expansion] will be addressing serious offenses: physical and sexual assault, stalking, and also quality of life issues: noise complaints, vandalism, public urination."

The potential for legislation in Olympia dealing with these problems has led the student senate to address the problem in hopes of coming up with a solution of its own.

"We either oppose an expansion and end up opposing and lobbying against the bill, or we develop our own solution," said White.

White is part of an advisory committee that consists of students, administrators and legislators who advise Olympia lawmakers on how exactly to deal with conduct code issues. White's task is to synthesize the student senate's input into something that all involved parties can agree upon.

"The conduct code work group will make the final recommendation to the president's office," said White. "If I can go down there and present this plan that we've proposed, that means the legislation won't be submitted and we'll be able to develop our own solution, as opposed to outside enforcement."

The student senate will be discussing the potential Student Conduct Code expansion as well as legislation today.

"We hope to get some sort of consensus on how we want to proceed with the conduct code — do we still want to fight it in Olympia or address it at the university level?" said Hala Dillsi, student senate chair.

The meeting is open to the public.

Reach reporter Jeff Tripoli at newsasst@thedaily.washington.edu.