I woke up this morning to an email from Jared and Tanner's campaign, a written response to the recent platform critique. In it, they respond to the criticism leveled by Paul and Blake, in what they describe as an "updated platform."
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In response to the article written on the NISG Elections Blog by Paul Andersen and Blake Findley regarding our platform for NISG president and vice president, we have made some additions to our platform to address the questions and concerns voiced. We would like to thank Paul and Blake for voicing their opinions and welcome them to contact us with questions or to discuss our platform further. The original platform that was written for the Jared and Tanner campaign was an overview of what we plan to do next year, but after reading the remarks in this article, we have made additions to add depth and clarity. We hope that with the following additions to our platform the students of UNI will gain a clearer understanding of how we plan on executing our ideas for the student government.
Below, you will find an updated platform. Nothing has been deleted from the original platform we
presented to the students of UNI because we stand by our original vision; we have only elaborated
and clarified to better communicate with students, as well as added direction based on our core
values.
ENGAGE
Our administration will strive to engage students to get involved and be aware of what the student
government has to offer.
One way we will accomplish this goal is by establishing an Inter-Club Council (ICC) to connect the
student organizations and residence halls on campus to NISG. This council will help facilitate ideas
and networking among student leaders. We will successfully implement the ICC by formally inviting up
to three student leader representatives from each student organization to two meetings each
semester. These meetings will provide interactive opportunities to collaborate and share with fellow
student leaders. In addition, NISG will capitalize on these ICC meetings by sharing updates about
resources available to student organizations.
Our administration has noticed that the common student finds it difficult to follow NISG updates and
progress. We would like to make it easier for today’s UNI students to know what is happening in
NISG. In addressing this problem, we would like to make information about NISG activities more
public to the students through concrete means of action. We will do this in a couple ways. First, we
would like to create a bi-weekly update video from the executive and legislative branch to reach
students and inform them about NIGS news. This video will provide a voice for the senate and executive branch so they can share information efficiently with students about upcoming events, legislation, or any other news the students of UNI should be aware of. The production of this video
will be a collaboration between the upper cabinet members. We believe this will help engage
students more actively than minutes to meetings or written updates.
In addition, we will implement a focus group pilot program to connect students with senators and
members of the NISG executive board, ensuring students’ voices are heard. These focus groups
would invite students to participate in specific discussions centered on a common topic. They would
be promoted on social media and mentioned in the bi-weekly update videos. All student would be
invited to attend the group discussion while individual groups may be asked to attend based on the
topic.
PROMOTE
It is crucial to our administration to promote the university positively.
We will continue the Panther Fridays program to increase panther pride among new and returning
students, but we would like to take this program to the next level. We would continue to promote
wearing purple on Friday but promote Pather Friday as a day where we highlight and celebrate
specific function on campus such as colleges, programs, offices, and student organizations. For
example, one Friday might promote the College of Business Administration by posting on social media
facts about the college and feature students of interest. Prizes for wearing purple would then be
handed out in the Curris Business Building by our College of Business senators in order to familiarize
students with the senators.
We will also work closely with students, legislators, and university administrators alike to ensure
appropriate funding for UNI, increase overall enrollment, and promote UNI’s image as a top
university. We feel strongly that students advocating on behalf of the University effectively and
meaningfully demonstrates to legislators the important role UNI plays within the State of Iowa. To
accomplish this goal, we will expand the letter writing campaign to state legislators. We will
collaborate with a range of student organizations to promote the value of students voicing their views
to their state legislators. Furthermore, we will explain what the letters specifically help achieve, as
well as highlight different elements to incorporate in effective statements.
PROGRESS
Our administration will focus on progressing NISG and the university.
We will take pride in the management and training of those elected, which includes implementing a
strong orientation for next year’s NISG members. We will collaborate with the speaker of the senate
to facilitate training for both the executive branch alongside senators. Training will educate senators
in NISG’s structure, as well as their role as individuals and team members. Next, our administration is
excited to reestablish the chief of staff position within the upper cabinet to help guide the lower cabinet directors. Specifically, they will facilitate both a biweekly meeting with each director, along
with a monthly meeting among all lower cabinet directors. We feel strong administration begins and
ends with a strong team. Therefore, working to improve communication and collaboration among lower cabinet directors proves vital to NISG’s growth.
—Jared Heitz & Tanner Bernhard
Candidates for NISG president & vice president
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