Platform

Advocate for the State of Utah to cover faculty salary increases in order to alleviate the impact on student tuition:

• Currently our tuition goes up each year, primarily because of faculty and staff pay increases. Since we are a state-supported school, we receive a significant amount of funding from the Utah Legislature. The State covers about 75% of the faculty and staff salary increases. By lobbying and advocating, we can address our need to limit and reduce student tuition increases. Our voices need to be heard.

Create cohesive resources and a more approachable plan for all students to obtain needed services:

•  Increase university efforts to prioritize prevention of sexual assault; work on education, awareness, and systems to stop assaults from happening; work to prevent crimes against students.

Together with University Advancement, Alumni Association, University Administration, academic,  programmatic and statewide leaders, have students lead an impactful scholarship endowment initiative; create and award scholarships to recognize and support individual students:

• The stories of the individuals students at our university are amazing. Each student has accomplishments worth celebrating. By working with  Scholarship and Financial Aid offices throughout the state, as well as creating and leading a President-supported campaign for students, scholarships will be more widely known and available. Work to increase giving, endowments, and overall support for students. Encourage students, as well, to give (see the Sami Ahmed and Noelle Cockett "First To" Scholarship started by students in 2020). 

Unify our statewide student body through (a) events and efforts in every USU community, (b) refined and focused USUSA policies, (c) student-to-student relationships, campus visits, invitations, inclusion, and (d) broader and greater connections via Statewide USUSA: 

• Refine bylaws and USUSA policies so they are helpful to students statewide. Create connections with students at each USU center, campus or community, make efforts to hold events statewide, and unify our student body by extending resources.

• Create meaningful opportunities for students and student leaders to become better allies to the individuals within our university community.
• Partner with USU Inclusion Center and Office of Equity to create an ally training for students, faculty and staff to promote an inclusive community.
• Create DEI awareness events to reach students and student leaders/advisors to reinvigorate their outreach, programs and activities.
• Train student leaders on micro-aggressions. 
• Train student leaders on implicit bias.
• Use resources (both USU and outside of USU) to promote and engage in DEI efforts.
• Connect students and student leaders with individuals and communities that are outside of traditional university groups. 
• Bring to USU Logan and USU Eastern a speaker (broadcast to regional campuses and centers) on diversity, equity, inclusion. 
• Continue to create and promote DEI initiatives within existing USU traditions.