SIUC sophomore Sherard Jones says he knows USG means Undergraduate Student Government, but does not really know how it affects him as a student.

Like Jones, an electrical engineering major from Glenwood, many undergraduates are unfamiliar with the system of student representation at the University.

USG? I have no clue, said Christy Sabo, a freshman in mass communication from Mundelein.

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Marcus Rainey, a senior in mathematics from Chicago, said USG means University Student Government. We’re represented through the university by USG, he said.

Concerned about a lack of awareness among SIUC students, Undergraduate Student Government leaders said they are focusing on ways to improve relations with their constituents.

Communication between students and representatives is a high priority on the list of objectives USG has set for the year, said USG administrators.

One of the methods USG will use is Operation Listen Up. USG senators will speak to classes and inform students about the organization early in the semester, said USG President Duane Sherman.

It’s a good way to get the word out about USG, he said. It plays a dual role. It’s an awareness thing and it’s a recruitment tool.

Senator Jemal Powell, representative for the college of mass communication and media arts, said, If students can see what we’re all about, then they’ll get involved.

Aside from the student awareness campaign, Sherman said another of his immediate goals is recruitment. He said in order to fill some senate seats and committee appointments, recruitment efforts need to be made as soon as possible.

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Our goal is to have a student voice in every committee, he said.

One way Sherman said this will happen is through regular meetings between USG and the Unity Coalition, which involves minority organizations.

USG Vice President Kim Clemens said the Unity Coalition will benefit minority groups on campus by allowing USG to hear opinions sometimes overlooked.

To expand communications and give students better access to USG information, plans for computer upgrades are on the agenda, Sherman said.

What we deal with here is strictly information, he said. If people have better access to information, we make better decisions and better policy.

Sherman said he also would like to see more students registered to vote this year. To help with this, he said deputy registers from USG could be posted at tables around campus near election time.

Students need to vote for candidates who will represent their interests, he said.

In addition, Sherman said a student ombudsman senate committee, which would allow students to voice complaints to USG, may be established, as well as a regular USG newsletter for students.

Donald Rehmer, who represents Carbondale’s west side, said until the Senate meets on Wednesday to hear Sherman’s ideas, it is difficult to know what the Senate’s specific goals will be.

Powell said the Senate’s top priority is to advance the concerns of its constituents.

We need to be accountable to the people who put us in office, he said.