Welcome to the Undergraduate Student Government Website.
Student Government has been a part of the University Community since 1894. USG exists to represent and advocate for undergraduate students, oversee student fee revenue, and enhance the general University of Connecticut Community.
If you have any questions feel free to contact us.
Posted by: John Giardina on 04/28/2013, Last Modified on 04/29/2013
Statement on the Response to the Open Letter to President Herbst
On April 24, 2013, UConn Undergraduate Carolyn Luby published an Open Letter to President Susan Herbst online. Following this publication, Carolyn has been the subject of harsh comments, harassment and threats of rape via online blogs, Facebook, and her university email account. Student Body President Edward Courchaine and Student Development Chair Hailey Manfredi issued the following statements in response to these disturbing attacks:
“No UConn student should ever have to feel threatened for voicing their opinion on any issue. As a University community, we should be fostering discussion around the topics addressed by Carolyn Luby’s letter. Furthermore, I do not think that it is a coincidence that Carolyn attracted such an atrocious response to an essay focused on gender equality and the disturbing prevalence of rape on college campuses. The Undergraduate Student Government will be seeking measured and deliberate action from the UConn Administration to ensure that all UConn students have the freedom to voice their opinions without fearing harassment or threats of assault. Our actions will begin with a commitment to encourage those willing to engage in positive debate and to demonstrate that both implied and explicit threats of violence are never an accepted behavior. I hope to extend this initiative to the campus at large, working to make sure that the culture at UConn reflects the inherent equality and rights of all students.”
- Edward Courchaine
Student Body President
“Rape is not a joke. It is never a joke, or a euphemism, or a figure of speech. It is always a demeaning, disgraceful, and serious act. Respect of the powerful connotation associated with the word is the least we can do for victims. A woman should never be worried about being disregarded simply because of her gender. She should be able to have reasonable discourse without being threatened and to be taken seriously for her viewpoints. Rape and rape culture is gender neutral. This is not merely a feminism or women's rights issue. This is a question about what kind of culture we have here at UConn. In my position as Student Development Chair, I will strive to make positive changes to this culture, so that no student will ever have to be subject to the disgusting and hateful attacks that have been seen over the past few days.”
Posted by: Syed Naqvi on 04/23/2013, Last Modified on 04/23/2013
The case brought before the Judiciary does not warrant consideration of President Petkis’ removal by the Undergraduate Student Goverment Senate. Please see attachment for complete ruling.
Kara and I are happy to announce the appointees for the following positions for the next year.
Chief of Staff- John Giardina
Funding Board- Parth Rana
External Affairs- Mark Sargent
Academic Affairs- Elena Innes
Student Services- Kailee Himes
Student Life and Interests- Hailey Manfredi
As you can see, we will be moving towards some structural changes over the next few weeks that will take affect next year. If anyone has any questions about these or anything else, please contact either Kara or I and we will keep everyone 100% informed about the changes to the committee arrangement as we move forward.
Lets all take some time to congratulate this group and we will be in touch soon.
Posted by: Daria Till on 03/29/2013, Last Modified on 03/29/2013
The University of Connecticut has grown to be not only the top public university in New England, but also among the highly regarded public universities in the nation. However, if it is going to become a truly elite university, capable of revitalizing our state’s economy, significant investments are needed. The Next Generation Connecticut program will take UConn to the next level and will result in significant long-range benefits for the entire state.
UConn needs state-of-the-art facilities for science and mathematics to ensure we create an educated workforce that is prepared for the future and valued by employers. New housing and infrastructure are also needed to support increased enrollment of top-level students. These developments will help to attract nationally renowned faculty and to secure highly competitive federal research grants. Additionally, improving the Stamford Campus and moving the Greater Hartford campus to a downtown location will create new opportunities for students and faculty to collaborate with both public and private sector resources in those regions.
Similar proposals in the past have paid off. The UConn 2000 Program began the process of making the Storrs campus attractive to students and faculty. And North Carolina’s investments in their state universities have brought about the prosperous Research Triangle region. Connecticut has lagged behind in job creation for far too long. This is exactly the kind of investment that is needed to move our state in a better direction.
Watch USG External Affairs Chair Michael Daniels and Governor Dannel P. Malloy talk about how Next Generation Connecticut will benefit our entire state:
Watch UConn mechanical engineering student Monica Smith speak about what Next Generation Connecticut means to her:
Posted by: Daria Till on 03/11/2013, Last Modified on 03/11/2013
Dear Tier II COOs and CFOs,
This email is regarding the Fall 2013 USG Funding Process. The due date for Fall 2013 Budgets is March 25, 2013 at 5:59pm. Groups must apply for all Fall 2013 USG Funding by that date.
To begin the process of applying for funding, you must pass the "Funding Mastery Test." Even if you passed the test last semester, you must pass the test again. To take the test, log into HuskyCT and click on the "Tier II Student Government Funding" group. The group has been added to all Tier II COO's and CFO's "Non-Class Sites," which can be found below their class sites. If you are a COO or CFO and do not have access to this group, please email fundingboard@usg.uconn.edu with your NetID.
Once you have access to the Funding HuskyCT site, you can take the "Funding Mastery Test." To pass, you must get all the questions right. You must pass the test to be eligible to apply for Fall 2013 USG Funding. You can take this test as many times as you need to pass.
After you pass the mastery test, you can fill out the Fall 2013 Budget Request Application. The application can be found on the Funding Board UConntact page, under the forms tab. The application will become available on February 28th, 2013. Fill out one form for each request in Fall 2013. A request is a single trip, event, or equipment order. These forms must be submitted by 5:59pm on March 25, 2013 to be considered in the Fall 2013 Budget Session.
Please visit s.uconn.edu/funding for additional information or email Funding Board Vice-Chair for Public Affairs, Parth Rana, at fundingapplication@usg.uconn.edu with any questions.
Posted by: Dawn Benjamin on 04/18/2013, Last Modified on 04/23/2013
The Undergraduate Student Government is now accepting letters of intent to fill five (5) Justice positions for the 2013-14 School Year.
The Judiciary acts independently of the other branches and attends meetings of the Senate and standing committees. The Judiciary consists of five appointed justices led by a Chief Justice. Justices are appointed by the Senate; the Chief Justice is chosen from within the group by the Justices.
The Judiciary provides interpretation with regards to the Constitution, By Laws, Robert's Rules of Order, Student Code of Conduct and other policies that the Undergraduate Student Government are bound to follow. The Judiciary oversees the fall and spring elections, coordinating with Student Affairs and Student Activities.
In order to apply for a position:
1) Submit a letter of intent by Monday, April 22rd at 4:00pm to the Undergraduate Student Government office (Student Union, Room 219) or email it to mark.sargent@uconn.edu.
a. This letter of intent should include, but is not limited to: reasons why you want to be a Justice, your previous involvement on campus, and why you would be qualified to fill such a position.
b. Applicants may be requested to come before the nomination committee for interviews regarding any areas that the letter of intent does not touch upon or should the committee require additional clarification.
2) With your letter of intent, please sign up for a time between 5 and 7:00pm on Monday April 22nd for a brief interview. If you are unable to attend during the appropriate time slot, accommodations will be made accordingly for both you and the committee. (Please don't be scared off by the idea of an interview. It's an opportunity to ask additional questions that weren't addressed in the letter and will not exceed ten minutes)
3) Once nominated, applicants are required to attend the Senate sessions held on April 24th beginning at 6:30 PM in the Student Union Room 304B. (Business casual dress is encouraged.)
The Undergraduate Student Government is now accepting letters of intent to fill five (5) Justice positions for the 2013-14 School Year.
Posted by: Stephen Petkis on 03/13/2013, Last Modified on 03/14/2013
Posted on behalf of Chief Justice Shawn Pilares.
Attached please find the appeal submitted by the Gandi and Sargent campaign to the decision of March 12, 2013 regarding their disqualification from the USG election. The public appeal hearing is scheduled for Thursday, March 14 at 8:00pm in the SOC Conference Room.
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