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The University of Iowa Student Government Platform 2022-2023:
Academic affairs
- Explore and advocate for increased student input in discussions of general education curriculum requirements
- Encourage professors to include mental health days in their absence policies
- Expand the grief absence system through Student Care and Assistance
- Explore ways to increase tutoring services for all areas of study
- Promote accessibility in online and remote classes
- Create a standardized ICON course layout for all courses and advertise it to professors
- Streamline the process for students to change academic advisors
- Promote the library's e-book repository and newspaper subscriptions
- Identify ways to increase and market scholarship and grant opportunities
- Provide free Grammarly subscriptions for all University of Iowa students
- Review audits of academic disparity data on campus to identify areas of need
- Increase opportunities for students to nominate staff for professorships, grants, or teaching awards
- Identify and advertise a more efficient way for students to share their Student Disability Services Accommodations with professors and raise awareness with faculty on the types of fulfillment of accommodations offered to students
- Encourage the movement to learning-based labs instead of performance-based labs in entry-level courses
- Increase and advocate for textbook affordability and accessibility including the institutionalization of donation programs
- Encourage the use of objective-based grading and removal of competitive curves
- Advocate for a set of accessibility standards that all professors must adhere to within their courses
- Educate students about academic deadlines related to course registration and withdrawal periods as well as Second Grade Only options
Student life
- Better advertise and evaluate current basic needs services
- Reignite Student Life initiatives that foster community on campus
- Encourage the downtown stores, restaurants, and the Old Capitol Mall establishments to accept Hawk Dollars
- Purchase nap pods in specific campus locations such as the library, IMU, and UCC
- Advertise the Winter Clothing Drive
- Institutionalize the graduation cap and gown drive
- Increase overturning of minor alcohol infringement and academic misconduct
- Replace old building equipment such as water fountains across all colleges
- Form university-wide education and advertising on the available student financial assistance programs, including the Student Life Emergency Fund
- Recreate and update the campus activities guide and downtown deals guide
- Reinstate the CAMBUS35B Interdorm-Pride and Cultural Center route
- Decrease the cost of parking for students around campus
- Establish an easier system online to request rides and view the real-time location of the Bionic Busses
- Increase donation of residual meals from meal plans to address widespread food insecurity on campus
- Improve accessibility in residence halls, including but not limited to automatic opening elevators
- Market campus package drop off capabilities
- Reform the HawkTools app to improve functionality and include off-campus resources and safety elements
Governmental relations
- Collaborate with Iowa State University and The University of Northern Iowa to create a unified advocacy approach to the Iowa Board of Regents and Iowa State Legislature
- Continue support for the passage of the Tenants Move-In Checklist in the state of Iowa
- Continue advocacy for the recognition of Indigenous People’s Day as a university holiday
- Advocate to the Iowa State Government and the Iowa Board of Regents in support of gender-affirming healthcare and for transgender youth, transgender collegiate athletes, and the collegiate instruction about transgender people and transgender history
- Petition to the Iowa State Government and the Iowa Board of Regents in support of historically accurate instruction about systemic racism and the history of slavery
- Continue advocacy for the recognition of Juneteenth as a university holiday
- Create a legislative advisory committee designed to connect students with legislators
- Increase student involvement in the state and federal agendas, trips to the Iowa Capitol, and Iowa City City Council meetings
- Coordinate with campus partners to provide voter registration opportunities and increase civic engagement among the student body
- Continue advocacy for Election Day to be a university holiday
- Increase access to on-campus jobs for international students
- Propose a new campus minimum wage for all student employees
- Collaborate with campus partners to create a comprehensive off-campus housing tool that is easily accessible and holds landlords accountable
- Develop a social media and messaging campaign to show the impact of rising tuition
- Advocate for the rights of student workers on campus by ensuring and fighting for fair and equitable treatment
- Locate areas of opportunity for promotion of affordable housing across the Iowa City community
- Champion a lease gap program to reduce financial burdens for renters
- Create information guides about local and state laws in collaboration with Student Legal Services
- Initiate a campus lighting campaign to improve public safety across Iowa City
- Advocate for policies at the state level that protect schools and students from book ban laws
Health and safety
- Encourage accessibility in the CAMBUS system including increased stops and greater variety in routes
- Promote mental health and wellbeing resources such as GuideLink, University Counseling Services, and CommUnity
- Implement medical amnesty content into the Success at Iowa course
- Expand NightRide services including the geographical area served, the number of vehicles, and drivers
- Provide alternate responders to address non-violent emergencies
- Build connections with the Department of Public Safety and the Iowa City Police Department
- Ensure that every staff member undergoes specific training on mental health crisis response, student mental health, and protocols for accommodating mental health barriers to class attendance and participation
- Encourage university colleges to implement mental health days in their absence policies
- Improve campus education on sexual assault and consent
- Maintain University support of the Iowa Food Pantry
- Increase the number and accessibility of gender-neutral restrooms on campus
- Implement student education on Title IX policies and procedures
- Require professors to have a basic needs statement in their syllabi
- Improve education on cross-contamination for housing and dining staff
- Market quiet and prayer spaces available to students
- Institutionalize a student advisory committee on campus safety to report to and work alongside the Department of Public Safety
- Push to embed a licensed counselor or therapist in all residence halls and colleges
- Advocate for excess food from dining halls to be given to food donation sites
Justice and equity
- Advertise the constituency senator program to the campus community
- Expand translations of financial guides to include additional languages
- Urge the Office of Admissions to partner with LGBTQ+ high school organizations during the recruitment process
- Expand the Safe Zone training to faculty and staff across campus
- Streamline the process to report faculty and staff who commit acts of bias
- Advocate for increased cultural and dietary options in dining halls
- Create an academic support and retention guide for first-generation students
- Foster strong relationships between students and staff who utilize the cultural centers through events, programs, and listening sessions
- Extend the USG partnership with the cultural houses and support MISSE educational opportunities surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Partner with Orientation Services and International Programs in enhancing the international student orientation experience
- Update USG documents to have more inclusive language
- Educate domestic students on what it means to live in a global community
- Institute resources in Student Health to remove language barriers
- Conduct a student-led accessibility audit of highly trafficked facilities on campus
- Advocate for the creation of a peer-to-peer international student mentorship program
- Continue the pursuit of a Black Student Support fund on campus
- Work with the Office of Student Life and University Counseling Services to provide healing spaces for BIPOC students, staff, and faculty
- Update maps of gender-neutral restrooms
- Improve accessibility and involvement in USG elections
- Promote equity and diversity in all aspects of USG
- Devote a portion of the USG budget for specifically DEI-based work
- Advocate for equity within new Title IX policy
- Create a system for students to report unmet housing accommodations in the residence halls to Student Disability Services
Sustainability
- Partner with the University, Office of Sustainability and the Environment, the City of Iowa City, and sustainability-based student organizations to promote sustainability awareness
- Work with the USG Finance Committee within the scope of the Green Initiatives Fund to increase funding for sustainable student organizations and their projects
- Advocate for expansion of undergraduate sustainability research opportunities
- Increase education and marketing of campus and local recycling and compost programs
- Partner with key organizations and make continual strides to reach the 2030 sustainability goals including efforts to decarbonize the University
- Improve planting practices to accommodate native plants and continue the University’s commitment to being a bee-friendly campus
- Combat food waste within the dining halls and reduce the use of plastics within university facilities
- Offer expanded sustainable options on campus, such as reusable bags, sustainable menstrual products in restrooms, and compostable materials
- Move towards a platinum campus status as a Bicycle Friendly University
- Create a donation program for used furniture, bedding, and décor during the residence hall move-out period
Finance
- Establish finance workshops for student organization leaders and USG members to learn about the application process
- Produce posters that show steps for applying for USG funding and the corresponding guidelines
- Update the Not Rich @ Iowa Guide to better reflect economic shifts that impact students
- Implement a direct link to a funding request form accessible on the USG website
- Create a direct drop box for questions or concerns on the funding application form
- Continue progressing towards 50/50 in 3 to 5
External relations
- Encourage student-senator engagement by increasing access and information on USG resources through social media and website presence
- Host monthly town hall events in the community that focus on key topics related to the student experience
- Invite student participation in USG events via meetings, roundtables, and anonymous feedback forms
- Revitalize the USG Senator Liaison Program to create collaborative relationships between senators and student organization leaders
Internal affairs
- Codify the use of Modern Rules of Order
- Advocate for fair compensation for all executive members of USG
- Update the USG website consistently with relevant legislation, meeting minutes, and other important information for the student body
- Broaden the onboarding process for new members to encourage ongoing success of new members
- Encourage a diverse range of applicants from all colleges at the university
- Ensure all students have access to public portions of USG meetings by providing live streams and public records of meetings
- Improve advertisement of USG member office hours