About Us | Undergraduate Student Government | SIU

Overview

The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) represents the undergraduate student body at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in all matters pertaining to student welfare, student activities and student life.

USG also voices the concerns of students in the planning and administration of the university at large. The government is divided into three separate branches to better administer the student body – Legislative, Judicial, Executive.

The undergraduate student government is a recognized constituent body of the SIU Board of Trustees. USG in its representative capacity will communicate to the student body: the aims, policies and the mission of the university upper administration.

USG partners with RSOs to support student outreach efforts. Our hope is to help students connect with the specific RSO that best represents their interests. When a student gets involved it has a far reaching positive impact, both forwarding the goals of the RSO while enhancing the overall student experience at SIUC.

Student Council to Undergraduate Student Government

The first Student Council was started in the 1930's and was composed of students and faculty. Through the years, the structure of the organization has evolved as the University has grown and changed. The second stage found the council composed entirely of students elected to represent the four classes. In 1958 the representation was changed to include students from housing areas, International, and Graduate students. At the same time the Executive and Judicial branches were created. The first student body President and Vice-President were elected in an all campus election in May of 1958 and the first Judicial Board began in the fall of 1958. The formal committee and commission structure was initiated in the fall 1962. The Student Council was expanded in 1963 to include the academic senators and in the spring of 1963 the All University Student Council was developed and the first members elected. In 1970 the name was formally changed to the Undergraduate Student Government.