UI Student Government members will discuss endorsing the three UI students running for the Iowa City City Council at its first meeting of the year tonight.

Sens. Kyle Schwarz and Whitney Carson will present a piece of legislation on the potential endorsement at the 7 p.m. meeting in the IMU Main Ballroom.

“The legislation will call for an endorsement from UISG, as well as plans to host a forum for the three candidates,” said UISG Speaker of the Senate Erica Hayes. “The endorsement would hopefully encourage UI students to participate in local government elections and help students to recognize that three UI students are running.”

Officials expect the meeting to be short, with few items on the agenda.

“It’s the very beginning of the year, so we are not expecting to have a large amount of legislation to present or pass,” said UISG President Michael Currie. “It will be our shortest meeting of the year.”

The meeting will begin with new legislation announcing the selection of nominees to represent various legislative committees, the Student Elections Board, and the Student Judicial Court, all of which have been approved by the nominations committee.

After the nominations are approved by the Senate, senators will vote on legislation for supplemental funding for priority-three student organizations, the smallest student groups.

Officials will also present an executive report, intended to update the senate on the UISG executive branch’s summer activities.

Over the summer, UISG members participated in freshman Orientation, where representatives set up a booth to inform incoming freshmen about UISG and give them an opportunity to ask any questions, Currie said.

UISG also met with Dave Ricketts, director of parking and transportation services, to complete new Cambus Saferide routes drafted by UISG officials and complete a route for UI students to the Coral Ridge Mall through the Coralville Transit System.

Student government leaders also hosted a conference for the Association of Big Ten Students.

Student governments from each school in the Big Ten were invited to discuss how other groups function.

“The goal was to learn how to improve each other’s student governments by learning from each other,” Currie said.

UISG officials also worked over the summer session to organize the split of UISG of the Executive Council of Graduate and Professional Students.

UISG has always had one committee for each topic. Many of the committees now have to be split into two, which Currie said is more complicated.

For example, there was previously one Finance Committee and now two have been organized. More than 400 student organizations exist on the UI campus, and now all of these organizations must apply to both groups to receive financial support.

“It’s a lot messier for everyone,” Currie said. “But we are working to transition the change smoothly.”