Student org recognition

The deadline for student organizations at UWO to gain re-recognition from the Oshkosh Student Association (OSA) is today. Organizations must complete the necessary re-recognition training on Canvas, focused on five separate modules.

Organizations must complete training focused on creating inclusive virtual environments, organization budgets and risk management.

In addition to these modules, which are traditionally focused on in Recognized Student Organization Training (RSOT), student organizations must complete training related to new event procedures taking COVID into consideration, and leadership and recruitment.

Inclusion-related trainings are focused on on the difference between ‘fitting in’ and truly belonging. The training modules reference author and researcher Brené Brown, who said, “Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.”

These trainings encourage organizations to cultivate environments in which students are encouraged to be themselves and thrive.

Budgeting modules are focused on helping student organizations prepare and submit budget proposals to the Student Allocations Committee (SAC). SAC is responsible for handling and distributing over $1 million in segregated fees each year.

Trainings related to event planning are especially pertinent to this year, as the pandemic has significantly changed the way events can be hosted on campus.

Some of the most notable changes include capping attendance at 50 people, a prohibition on most food, unless provided by Catering Services and some restrictions on activities that include physical contact or “hard/forced exhalation,” such as yelling, cheering or singing.

The Cabinet

UWO’s on-campus food pantry, which first opened last February to combat food insecurity on campus, has extended its hours for the remainder of the semester.

The Cabinet was created in response to research done by UWO alumna Joy Evans with the goal of mitigating the effects of food insecurity on the UWO campus.

In some cases, students who suffer from food insecurity may experience side effects that are massively detrimental to students’ academic performance and physical well-being, such as anxiety, depression, low amounts of physical activity and unhealthy weight.

Campus meal plans, which are required for students living on campus, can be very costly. The most expensive meal plan is billed at $1,850, and includes 200 meals and 300 Titan Dollars. The most affordable meal plan sits priced just over $1,000, including 100 meals and 100 Titan Dollars, scarcely enough to eat one meal a day in a dining facility.

“Food insecurity is, in my opinion, such an underestimated issue, and it’s really a big deal,” Evans said last February. “It’s a big deal for this campus in particular.”

Due to the pandemic, The Cabinet was forced to modify and restrict in-person access, allowing only one student in at a time.

Students can also request a pantry order online through The Cabinet’s page on the OSA website.