This year has been challenging. Facing a global pandemic that exacerbates existing disparities for our students while improvising and redesigning all of our programming hasn't been easy. With the dedication and leadership of our student officers and hard-working board, staff, committee members and volunteers, we were able to have a productive, and successful fall semester. We’ve recapped it for you below.
Programs and Operations
Restructured our elections to elect our officers virtually
Created a new “What is Students United?” video and launched a YouTube channel
Received a grant for GOTV from IFO and executed an extensive voter outreach campaign, which included a virtual event with Secretary of State Steve Simon, multiple videos and infographics that were boosted to our seven communities across Minnesota, as well as on-campus informative materials such as posters and mailers
Executed a census outreach campaign, including the Census Meme Madness bracket, all-student emails, and targeted outreachSuccessfully advocated for more student representation for the Minnesota State taskforce on Law Enforcement Reform and appointed two students to serve on the taskforce
Organized students to attend the Minnesota State Law Enforcement Curriculum Review Webinars
Following our students' advocacy at the campus level and our organization's advocacy at the system office prior to the start of the fall semester, a guidance was sent out to all colleges and universities that stated that the online differential was only to be charged for courses which were planned to be sustained as online programs and not charged to courses that were only online due to the pandemic
Students United advocated for developmental education courses to no longer be counted towards a student's maximum time frame calculation, before the Minnesota State ASA Policy Council met to discuss the policies regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress and made this change
Used our Pandemic Platform to advocate for a variety of issues, some of which include:
Access to internet and technology
Eliminating online course differential fees
Access to childcare
Access to health services/mental health services and general healthcare
Addressing how the pandemic is disproportionately affecting Black students, other students of color, and low-income students
Identified our Program Priorities, which include:
COVID-19 Proactivity & Response
Civic Engagement
Equity & Inclusion
Affordability & Access
Sustainability
Student Consultation & Development
Developed our 2021 state and federal legislative agendas, which include:
State
Supporting the Minnesota State budget request
Tuition
Grants
Scholarships
Federal
Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act
Basic needs support to students and institutions
Affordable course materials
Relief for student loan borrowers
Allocating more funds to state higher education appropriations
Restructured the committees of our board to meet online and created these new committees:
Legislative Priorities Advisory Committee
System Priorities Advisory Committee
Campus Engagement Advisory Committee
Strategic Planning Advisory Committee
Development
Welcomed a new consulting firm, Mission 360, to support grant work as we diversify our revenue
Brought together 10 student and alumni volunteers to create a Fundraising Cohort who will be working on fundraising to support our core mission and programs
The annual Penny Golf Scramble was restructured due to the pandemic to be an online #PuttforPenny fundraiser and raised over $3,700
Raised over $1,500 for Give to the Max Day, where we fundraised for our Friends Scholarship and are now able to award three additional scholarships to students with extenuating financial circumstances
Partnered with Mitchell Hamline School of Law to connect Minnesota State Students with opportunities to explore
Press
State Chair, Jonathan McNicholes:
MPR with Angela Davis to discuss the process of reopening schools
Public News Service interview to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic hurts Black college enrollment
Vice Chair, Emma Zellmer:
Star Tribune interview to discuss the challenges students faced accessing their right to vote during the COVID-19 pandemic
Star Tribune interview to discuss the importance of students being safe during holidays in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic
Treasurer, Victor Ayemobuwa:
Star Tribune interview to talk about the effects of the Trump administration’s proposal of shortening student visas
State and Vice Chair:
MNSU The Reporter interview about being leaders for Minnesota State university students
We are so thankful for our students, staff, and supporters for helping us navigate these unprecendated times. As we shifted our focus to protecting the lives of our students in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the support we recieved did not go unnoticed. We look forward to a new year and continuing our advocacy!