On Thursday, Feb. 27, the Student Government Association held a public listening forum for all students to share concerns regarding the university. The meeting was held in UC 2219-2220 in place of SGA’s general assembly meeting.
At the beginning of the session, the floor was offered to any student who had something to share regarding the campus. To start the conversation, SGA President Tamia Smith began with general questions, such as questions regarding housing, representation and dining.
The conversation that first fueled the discussion was about housing. Topics such as maintenance, air conditioning, water and pest control were brought up. Many students touched on the fact that during the warmer parts of the year, the AC does not work and maintenance is often hard to reach. Currently, all maintenance inquiries must be completed through the USI housing portal.
Dining services were another significant topic of concern during the forum. The lack of availability and quality of food, such as Flavor Fusion and Simply ToGo in the Nursing and Health Professions building, were addressed.
One student, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed the Simply ToGo station in the Nursing and Health Professions building has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic. The student stressed that a manned Simply ToGo station would be convenient for health profession students, but understood staffing-related issues.
Another student had concerns about menu items at Flavor Fusion not having a detailed description on the Grubhub app. Flavor Fusion, USI’s newest dining option, is currently offering a Brazilian menu, but does not offer descriptive details of the menu items.
Following housing and dining, SGA opened the floor for discussion regarding Divercity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives on the USI campus. In recent months, DEI funding for public universities has been in the political news headlines as the presidential and gubernatorial administrations transitioned. It was clear that the university’s plans moving forward with DEI and their impact on student organizations and funding need clarity. Students amongst the audience raised their hands in favor of a statement from the university, following an informal audience poll. SGA plans to urge the university for a statement regarding DEI initiatives.
Discussions surrounding accommodations for illnesses and student athletes were hot topics.
One student-athlete, who is not affiliated with the SGA general assembly and wished to remain anonymous, said that student-athletes require more flexibility with due dates. The student says that they usually only get a one-day extension, compared to other universities which offer the equivalent of days missed to complete an assignment.
On the same note, many students in the forum expressed their dissatisfaction with professors not providing enough accommodations for absences due to an illness. The university does not currently have a university-wide attendance policy, therefore excused absences are up to the discretion of the class instructor.
According to the CDC, in 2025 alone, influenza illnesses have been on a rise and hit an all-season peak in February of 2025.
Lack of resources, or knowledge, regarding university courses, technology and locations was another concern during the forum. Some students praised their freshmen UNIV course, saying their instructor provided them with all the information to successfully guide themselves through DegreeWorks and other software on the MyUSI page. Other students did not feel the same, claiming they did not feel confident that they could independently use all of the functions of the MyUSI homepage.
A large portion of the audience members argued that faculty advisors may have trouble advising due to a lack of knowledge of each different college. Many students claim that they have had to return to their original advisor for help regarding double majoring, specific class information and prerequisite courses.
According to SGA President Tamia Smith, SGA executive board members will “start progressing forward with this initiative.”
The board plans to condense all topics down to each specific USI department this week and move forward with student concerns.
“We will most likely set up multiple meetings with different USI administrators/staff to discuss students’ concerns. What I want students to know is that change is not immediate! We will be working hard around the clock to make sure that students are being heard and the University is making the appropriate changes, but you may not see these changes until the next academic year. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that SGA does that students may not see. This year’s SGA administration is working to leave USI better than we found it!” Smith said.
SGA plans to hold more public listening forums in the future.