Two new clubs created, textbook equity pondered

The Northern Iowa Student Government (NISG) assembled for their ninth regular senate meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 13. 

With Sam Caughron presiding, the meeting opened with a virtual presentation from Anne Marie Gruber, Liaison and Textbook Equity Librarian at the University of Northern Iowa. The presentation focused on the university’s efforts to amplify textbook equity for UNI students by decreasing textbook costs. Gruber shared resources and current work from the university that has already lightened the financial burden on students, but she is seeking to increase textbook equity even more.

As her presentation drew to a close, Gruber appealed to the student government to advocate to their professors for more textbook equity, pass a senate resolution supporting the efforts, and suggest ideas to the UNI Strategic Plan. 

The meeting then turned to reports from the Student Body President and other executive branch members. With many of the upper cabinet members absent, the reports progressed quickly and with a few notable items. Director of Diversity, Leila Masinovic proposed the notion of inviting Provost José Herrera, chief academic and operating officer of the campus. The gathered senators found this suggestion agreeable with the students still needing to decide the date and time of his arrival. 

The final agenda items for the night included two club registration requests and one contingency fund request from university organizations. The UNI Cooking Club and the UNI Theatre Technicians Club sought official recognition by the student government and both organizations were approved by a unanimous vote of 10-0-0. Following these club registration requests, the Leadership and Management Association requested $104 from the contingency funds for a club table cloth. The brief meeting then adjourned and the sparse group of students concluded for the night. 

NISG meets every week at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays in the University Room of Maucker Union. These meetings are free and open to the public. 

Anyone interested in becoming involved in NISG and the activities of the organization can visit nisg.uni.edu for supplemental information or check back in next week’s issue for more ongoing coverage related to NISG, their initiatives and up-to-date organization news.