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