The University of Minnesota’s Undergraduate Student Government’s (USG) Government and Legislative Affairs team held discussions with students and University community members intended to gauge input on student and campus-related issues.
The series, called EngageU, began during fall semester with a basic needs town hall, where all students could voice their concerns to Minnesota House Representative Mohamud Noor about topics like food insecurity, housing, college affordability and more.
The series’ goal is to connect students with government, whether at a state, local or federal level, said Shae Horning, USG and Government and Legislative Affairs team member.
Compared to forum, USG’s biweekly meetings where members vote on resolutions, EngageU sessions are more focused on bringing legislators to talk with students.
EngageU sessions are focused on making external connections, while forum is focused on making internal connections with staff and faculty at the University.
“What I’m hoping these events can do is make the government very accessible to students and just bring legislators here,” Horning said. “Legislators are there to listen, so I hope that we can just kind of act to just make that more accessible for them.”
The most recent EngageU event was held on Feb. 6 at Coffman Union.
During the roundtable discussion, students conversed with staff from M Food Co., the University’s Police Department’s Community Engagement Public Safety Team, Minneapolis City Council member Robin Wonsley, Director of Health Services at Boynton Health Colleen McDonald, paralegals from the student legal service and representatives from Off-Campus living.
Siya Shelar, USG’s director of local affairs who hosted February’s session, said she wanted the roundtable’s focus to be on what is being done regarding safety, food insecurity and housing for students in Dinkytown, and give students a space to communicate their concerns.
Shelar said it is important to have these conversations with groups and people who help the University so stakeholders understand what is being done to help the campus community.
“I think that was the biggest point, bridging those gaps, getting students in those conversations to ask, ‘What things have you guys been doing?’ Even if there isn’t a tangible result or end goal yet,” Shelar said. “Because it’s these people’s jobs to focus on these issues for us.”
EngageU presents a chance for students to hold those responsible for Dinkytown’s betterment accountable, Shelar said. Meeting with staff from M Food Co. or the Community Engagement Public Safety team can put a face to a name and provide accountability and is something students can gain from attending, she added.
“It’s just, ‘Hey, I face these concerns. What can you do about it?’” Shelar said. “Utilizing the skill set that these people are getting paid to do, I think that’s the point. Advocacy does not have to be this really big, fancy thing.”
