Frequently Asked Questions

USG stands for Undergraduate Student Government. We are a non-partisan student group and registered nonprofit as specified under Section 501(c)(3). We represent all 30,000+ undergraduate students on campus by advocating on behalf of students. We help shape University policies, work with University Administration and the Board of Regents, and most importantly- listen to what students at the U of MN have to say.

See the 2023-2024 Presidential Team Goals here! Of the many advocacy plans we have, tackling food insecurity is our focus for this year.

There are several ways to get involved with USG! We have multiple opportunities to accommodate for different schedules, commitment levels, interests, and more:

Forum: All students are welcome to attend our USG Forum sessions. Hosted every other Tuesday from 4:30pm-6:30pm at Moos Tower, this is where all members (staff, interns, Committee members, Task Force members, At-Large Representatives (ALRs), Student Group Representatives (SGRs), general members, and more) convene to present, discuss, and pass resolutions to advocate for change. Forum may sometimes have votes on resolutions, guest speakers, interactive activities, and more depending on each session’s agenda. This is a great way to learn more about how the “legislative” side of USG functions and to connect with a variety of USG members in all sorts of roles!

Committees: Currently, there are 5 committees that specialize in certain advocacy topics: Academic Affairs; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI); Environmental Accountability; Infrastructure, and Student Life & Wellbeing. All students are welcome to join a committee. They meet every other Tuesday from 4:30pm-6:30pm at Moos Tower (alternating with Forum). In Committees, members work on projects pertaining to their committee’s focus. Learn to lead projects, collaborate with others, conduct research, gather data, consult stakeholders, and make an impact!

Task Forces: Similarly, Task Forces specialize in 3 advocacy topics: Basic Needs; Campus Safety; and Sexual Assault Prevention. They also meet every other Tuesdays from 4:30pm-6:30pm at Moos Tower (alternating with Forum). Task Force members will perform and learn the same tasks as those in Committees.

Internship & Fellowship Programs (APPLICATIONS CLOSED): As a USG intern, students will learn more about the ins and outs of USG: All of our teams, roles, and how all our moving parts are connected, and then select a team of their choosing to directly intern for to get direct experience working alongside and within the various staff roles in USG. This program is directed by our Chief of Staff team who will coordinate weekly intern cohort meetings that may involve professional development workshops, bonding activities, and more! This is a great way to get involved for those interested in occupying a staff position next year, as they will have an immersive, hands-on experience and have internal organizational knowledge.

The Government & Legislative Affairs (GLA) Fellowship program is designed for those specifically interested in learning about the governmental, legislative, and policymaking side of government. Led by our GLA team, this program is a great way to get hands-on experience in government relations and policy work, develop or strengthen skills in research and political advocacy, forge connections with legislators and lobbyists, and become a voice for students at every level of government.

Staff: USG members on staff are involved in not only student advocacy but also the internal management of the organization. There are several teams: the Presidential Team, Chief of Staff Team, Communications Team, Government & Legislative Affairs (GLA) Team, Forum Board, Finance, Representatives to the Board of Regents (R2R), Committee Directors, and Task Force Chairs. People in these roles will have extensive leadership opportunities, collaborations, and professional growth. Some positions are hired positions, with applications opening in the Spring for positions for the next academic year, and some positions are elected positions, with campus-wide elections being hosted in the Spring as well.

It depends on who and what teams you’re working with! Our entire USG body meetings at Forum every other Tuesday from 4:30-6:30pm at Moos 2-690. Committees meet every other Tuesday (alternating with Forum) at the same time with multiple locations (see our Committees page).

If there’s something specific that pertains to one of our Committee or Task Force topics, contact the respective Committee Directors and Task Force Chairs to see if they can tackle new projects!

For other initiatives, shoot us an email! We’re likely working on it or something similar within our other staff teams, and if we’re not, we’ll be sure to present new advocacy ideas to our teams!

USG has an office space, room 202, on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. Our office is open Mon-Fri from 10:00AM-6:00PM. Stop in and say hello to our staff!

As student leaders without administrative powers, we do our best to do things like lower tuition and campaign for other student needs in ways that are permissible. We work directly with University administrators to negotiate new ideas that push them to improve students’ lives, but they will have final say. Thus, USG strives for sound, data-driven advocacy and solutions that can get around the many roadblocks administrative operations present to us.

For example, knowing that students struggle to afford accessible transportation around the cities, USG created a Universal Transit Pass that enables all students paying tuition to have free access to all Metro transportation (buses, light rail systems, etc) around the Twin Cities area. We come up with and advocate for solutions to lower student costs from all sorts of directions.

This is also one reason why we’re so focused on data-driven advocacy. All of our resolutions are researched and discussed with all sorts of University stakeholders—students, student groups, staff, faculty, admin, and more—to maximize the potential for our ideas to be accepted and acted upon by University leaders. USG is a great place to develop professional, research, and presentational skills because we consult with high-level University leaders and other stakeholders all across the board.