Veterans services were among some of the concerns at the first student forum for input on the University of Iowa strategic plan.

Seven students spoke at the forum on Monday, the first of two student forums and one of seven forums focused on the UI’s strategic plan. The forums are intended to gather input from students, staff, and faculty as a committee creates a document outlining the UI’s strategies and goals for the next five years.

However, one organization was not present because it’s boycotting all but one of the forums. Iowans Defending Our Public Universities plans to protest at the May 4 forum.

In a press release, the group said members will protest because they think the forums are being done rapidly over the course of 11 days at a busy time in the academic year as a way to minimize the amount of non-administrative feedback received.

Monday’s student forum however, did see the turnout of some students with criticism. Most of these students were affiliated with UI veterans’ organizations.

Jacob Stone, a member of the UI Veterans Center, said the UI needs a more holistic approach to services for veterans. Right now, he said, GI Bill services and the Veterans Center are separate, and it could help veterans more if these were in the same place.

“A holistic multipurpose center where everyone could go to get the same treatments and services would be phenomenal and would be a lot more efficient for the University,” Stone said.

Drew Wherry, another member of the Veterans Center, said he agreed that the center is needed and veterans need specific services from staff who are trained to work with them.

“We really feel like these services need to be veteran-specific, and the people who are running these services need to have a vested interest in helping veterans,” Wherry said. “I don’t want us to come off as another group that wants their own place, but we feel that our culture is unique enough that it’s needed.”

Several students expressed their frustrations and concerns with the current decentralized academic advising system as well.

UI sophomore Lyric Harris said she feels advisers don’t know enough about different academic fields at Iowa to help students who might be double majoring or studying in multiple fields.

“When students like me decide to take on several different focuses, we feel discouraged,” Harris said. “It would be very helpful if advisers are trained on how to allow people to take more than one major or program.”

Each of the concerns were acknowledged by the committee members that were present.