To the University of Iowa student body:

The University of Iowa Student Government (UISG) exists to represent and serve the undergraduate student body at the University of Iowa and advocate on behalf of our nearly 24,000 peers. Members of UISG are elected to offer input on issues that matter to students, and thus, it is critical that these students have influence across campus and are committed to improving student life for all.

INSPIRE UI is a team of student leaders dedicated to amplifying all student voices, navigating the issues that impact our campus climate, and institutionalizing sustainable change at the University of Iowa. Our Presidential candidate, Alexia Sanchez, Vice-Presidential candidate, Madhuri Belkale, and team of 20 senatorial candidates have all been actively engaged in various facets of campus life. We celebrate the variety of identities and experiences within our student body and are committed to uplifting our campus community.

Our platform is centered around ideas of integrity, service, and empowerment. This begins with transparency and accountability throughout UISG. Externally, we plan to create feedback campaigns, post weekly President and Vice President updates, and attend student organization meetings across campus to advertise the role of UISG. UISG shouldn’t appear in student organization meetings just during campaign weeks then disappear after elected. Those relationships should be maintained throughout the whole year. We will also actively seek feedback from student organizations regarding their desires for change and challenges they want to see fixed. Internally, we will work to improve UISG’s spending transparency and hold all spending projects to equal standards, audit and explore reversions of the student activity fee, and implement specific accountability measures among UISG senators.

We will continue the prior work of UISG in advocacy, fighting to lower the cost of tuition at the University of Iowa. In addition, we will pursue initiatives that improve the holistic affordability of higher education, such as the expansion of free, open-source textbooks, free loans on graduation gowns, subsidies on documents and records fees, expansion of the Food Pantry, Clothing Closet, and Hawkeye Meal Share program, and advocating for affordable and equitable off-campus housing policies. Beyond affordability, INSPIRE UI will strive to improve the inclusion, accessibility, and quality of student life on campus. This includes improving transportation on campus, expanding and diversifying mental health services, and advocating for more accessible study spaces.

We encourage you to consider every candidate and every ticket over the next few days. We hope to prove to you why INSPIRE UI is the best choice for uplifting all students and continuing to empower students to be their own best advocates. We hope you will find us on campus and talk. What change do you want to see happen? How can we work to accomplish that together? Meanwhile, we hope you will check out our social media and read our full platform. Lastly, we hope to earn your vote.

All undergraduate students are able to vote this Wednesday and Thursday, April 3rd and 4th. We encourage undergraduates to engage in the student government elections process and work towards making UISG representative of all students.

Thank you,

INSPIRE UI