On otherwise ordinary Monday evenings, leaders gather to discuss their drafted motions. The motion’s sponsors explain their goals and a Q&A follows before the vote. If the motion passes, corresponding actions are taken to turn it into reality, including reaching out to relevant members of different departments.
This legislative process described above might resemble nighttime programming on CSPAN, covering the work done in the U.S. Capitol, but it also takes place in Stuart Hall throughout the academic year as part of the University of Chicago’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG).
Since the 1950s, UChicago’s Student Government has played a critical role in improving the student experience at UChicago, representing student voices in concert with University administration and even leading nationwide student-based movements.
In 2021, the current USG, made up of over 100 students, formed to further represent UChicago College student interests. This new iteration of student government aims to provide collaborative ways for students to get involved and serve the UChicago community. USG also manages an over $2.5 million annual budget to fund student activities, RSOs and policy initiatives.
By working closely with individual students and student groups, as well as the University’s governing body and its administration, USG is able to identify important issues on campus and implement tangible policy solutions. College Council, a primary part of USG along with the elected nine-student Cabinet and the Student Advocate’s Office, consists of 21 members.
Five representatives are elected from each class this year, along with one non-voting Chair. To appear on the ballot, potential candidates had to secure 30 petition signatures, submit their filled-out form by early October and attend a candidates’ meeting.
During the Class of 2026 election earlier last quarter, first-year students Juan Simón Angel, Meera Dasgupta, Elijah Jenkins, Tim Lu and Luz Maria Montiel were elected.
Jenkins, who is studying Public Policy, said he came into his first year at UChicago with a student government platform already in mind after hearing about the experiences of other first-generation low income students at UChicago this summer while participating in the Chicago Academic Achievement Program Summer Academy. Jenkins decided to turn his ideas into action by running for College Council.
“From the moment I walked into that [first College Council] meeting, I listened to all these people,” Jenkins said. “These people actually care about certain issues and they are actually very passionate about improving and changing our campus.”
Jenkins said he has seen evidence of USG’s impact and is excited to be a part of future advocacy wins.
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, College Council successfully lobbied for over 30 departments to implement pass/fail grading without academic penalty. USG has also recently established the Student Advocate’s Office, in which student caseworkers can advise their peers in navigating various University processes.
In addition to being a part of USG, Jenkins has participated in UChicago’s Institute of Politics and Organization of Black Students events in his first few months on campus.
During his one-year tenure, he is particularly interested in working towards furthering UChicago’s African language course offerings. He would also like to advocate for making laundry on campus free with demonstrated financial need, which is a priority for Lu as well.
Lu said that improving the quality of student life, from making sure dining halls are stocked with forks to offering free menstrual products in residence halls, is important to him. But he is open to suggestions and concerns from his peers. Every time he discusses a policy idea with his peers, he said he makes a point to jot it down to remember it for later. Lu hopes that as a representative, he can help broaden USG’s outreach efforts to the student body.
For the past two years, Lu attended an international school in Wales that taught students to become “global citizens.” His international background, he said, has helped him realize the importance of diverse voices when making policy choices.
“I think one of the biggest benefits of having people from all over the world come together is that everyone has a unique perspective,” Lu said. “People are able to point out things which other people might take for granted.”
Both Jenkins and Lu encourage students in the College to reach out with any questions or concerns. The USG website has a contact form available, as well as numerous opportunities to get involved, even for students who aren’t interested in running for office.