On November 9th, two members of the CSG Government Relations team, Tyler Ziel and Kyla McCallum, as well as a representative from the Assembly, Hayden Jackson, attended the United Student Government Conference at Saginaw Valley State University. Fourteen of Michigan’s fifteen public universities came together at this conference to discuss the issues most affecting our student bodies. This conference has occurred semesterly at various universities so as to establish a unified front among our student governments (SGs).
The U-M Ann Arbor delegates framed this conference as a learning opportunity; CSG will always aim to learn from our fellow public universities, and by attending various break-out sessions, this conference provided a wonderful opportunity to do so. Kyla attended the Free Menstrual Hygiene Product Q&A, during which Central Michigan University and Saginaw Valley State University answered questions related to their SG’s efforts to increase menstrual hygiene product affordability across campus. Moreover, throughout the conference we discussed civic engagement and how SGs can advocate for the interests of students. Many universities spoke on their voter registration outreach and lobbying, including annual trips to Lansing, the state capital of Michigan.
In addition to general discussion, the fourteen attending universities also voted on resolutions. Each of these resolutions, once approved at the United Student Government Conference, would then be returned to our respective SGs. Due to the urgency of each of our student bodies, all SGs placed specific urgency on climate action and matters concerning mental health. If you are interested in reading the complete approved resolutions, we encourage you to reach out to CSG. U-M Ann Arbor stands with our fellow universities in promoting mental health resources such as Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). The United Student Government Conference also passed a resolution to create the Student Coalition for Higher Education Funding, a task force to support collaboration among public Michigan universities to advocate for higher education. According to the resolution, one to two delegates from each participating university will serve on this coalition, with an interim chair elected in January.
In sum, Ann Arbor delegates left the conference excited for future collaboration with our counterparts across Michigan. If you have any more specific questions related to the content of resolutions, as previously stated, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Serving you,
Kyla McCallum
Deputy Government Relations Coordinator
Tyler Ziel
Government Relations Coordinator
Hayden Jackson
Rackham Representative of the Assembly