Indiana University Student Association records, 1953/2010

Scope and Content Note

Series: Minutes and Agendas, 1973-2010

The agendas and minutes of the IUSA legislative branch (Student Assembly, Student Senate, Academic Assembly, and Congress) are arranged chronologically and span the period from1973-20005. Not all dates have both agendas and minutes as only one of these items may have been originally produced or maintained.

Agendas and minutes from the 1970s come from the Senate Journals compiled in the 1980s while later agendas and minutes come from their original journals/manuals. Some of the files also contain supplemental meeting materials. There are notable gaps in the agendas and minutes in the 2000s.

Series: Resolutions, 1973-2010

The resolutions within this collection span the period from 1973-2010. Resolutions from 1973 until the end of the 1990-1991 academic year are arranged in accordance with the Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) numbering system which first appeared in the January 1989 List and Index of Resolutions Considered by the Indiana University Student Assembly and Student Body Senate after an attempt to identify every resolution introduced into the Student Body Assembly/Senates. During the indexing process, SEA numbers were assigned to written resolutions as well as voice resolutions documented in the minutes, but only physical resolutions were photocopied and compiled into a series of Resolution Books. The resolutions from these books often include the final dispositions and other notes from the minutes, details not initially recorded on the early documents.

After 1988, resolutions continued to be assigned a SEA number until 1991, when resolutions simply became numbered in accordance with the numbering system that developed in the late 1970s. The SEA numbering system provides the only comprehensive and organized collection of resolutions in the period from 1973-1991, and thus is used in this finding aid for resolutions during these years. Original resolution numbers, consistent with the late 1970s numbering convention, appear in parentheses for items also assigned a SEA number.

Notable resolutions in this collection include SEA 49 "Endorsement Petition to Put a Student on the Board of Trustees," SEA 431 "To Congratulate Bobby Knight on NCAA Victory," SEA 731 "To Recommend the Formation of the Student Resource Committee and Endorse a Student on the Commission for Higher Education (CHE)," SEA 802 "To Call for University Divestment from Corporations Active in South Africa," SEA 1327 "IUSA Health Center Proposal," SEA 1447 "Resolution to Encourage the Formation of a Proposal for a Walking Escort Service Pilot Program," 92-2-16 "To Evaluate the Performance of Thomas Ehrlich, President of Indiana University," 93-3-1 "To Support Lifting the Military Ban on Homosexuals in Service," and 98-11-1 "Resolution to Endorse a New Transportation System for the Indiana University-Bloomington Campus." Gaps in the resolution series include second semester 1988-1989, second semester 2000-2001, and academic years 1996-1997, 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2005-2006, and 2006-2007. A variety of smaller gaps exist for select years.

For these records, the digital scans originate either from the Resolution Books or link to the appropriate set of minutes in which the voice resolution was made.

Series: Administrative files, 1953-2009

The Administrative files are organized into four subseries: Journals, Handbooks, and Manuals; Correspondence; Election Files, and General.

The first sub-series is Journals, Handbooks and Manuals (1973-2009) . Senate Journals in IUSA developed in the 1980s as a means of organizing important Congress documents such as agendas, minutes, resolutions, voting, and attendance records. These journals also contained important correspondence to Congress and executive updates. In the late 1980s, an effort was made to organize the records of the 1970s in similar journal form. These Senate Journals compiled at a later date consisted primarily of photocopies as well as duplicate prints. The journals in this subseries include the original files used in compiling the 1970s journals, the compiled 1970s journals, as well as original journals from the 1980s and into the 2000s. The agendas, minutes, and resolutions of the compiled journals from the 1970s and the original journals of the 1980s-2000s were pulled and transferred to the IUSA Minutes and Agendas and Resolutions series. Manuals and handbooks were created by IUSA in the 1980s. While there was often a separate manual or handbook for the legislative branch and for the executive branch, these documents commonly offered insight on student government history and how the different branches worked together. Executive staff manuals or handbooks often focused more heavily on the organizational design and job descriptions for appointed executive staff. Congress manuals and handbooks often focused more heavily on the duties of senators and/or representatives, how to develop resolutions, and how the committee system worked. Towards the late 1990s, Congress Manuals occasionally included items previously stored separately in journals.

The Correspondence (1974-1997) sub-series includes files which were stored and transferred specifically as correspondence. This consists primarily of Executive correspondence from the late 1980s and mid-1990s. The Election files (1953-2004) include voting records, campaign materials, results, and records documenting disputes. The final sub-series General (1971-1998) includes general administrative documents such as office policies, staff lists, and policy documents.

Series: President's files, 1974-2018

The President's Files are organized into two sub-series: General (1974-2012) and Student Activity Fee Review Board Files (1979-2005).

The General (1974-2012) files include but are not limited to staff meeting minutes, correspondence, committee files, and reports from 1975-1998. Prominently featured topics within the President's files include campus daycare, tuition increases, health and safety, Women's Wheels, Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual (GLB) awareness, Men Against Violence Against Women (MAVAW), and All Big Ten School (ABTS) information.

The Student Activity Fee Review Board (SAFRB) (1979-2013) files contain files relating to allocation of student activity fees through the SAFRB and Mandatory Activity Fee Review Board (MAFRB). Prominent records in this sub-series contain activity fee requests, policy documents, correspondence with the Dean of Students, and final board recommendations. The sub-series also contains files relating to mandatory student fees and the Committee for Fee Review (CFR), which was the board established to consolidate the mandatory fee setting mechanisms at IUB. Prominent records in these files include draft proposals to form the committee, mandatory fee student fee requests, correspondence with the Dean of Students, and final board recommendations.

Series: Vice President Senate / Congress's files, 1967-1999

The Vice President Senate/Congress's files include executive and senate lists dating from 1980-1996, statements of rights and responsibilities, copies and drafts of the bylaws and constitution, working papers from congress, senate, and academic assembly meetings, as well as committee files that fall under the supervision of the Vice President for Senate/Congress.

Series: Vice President for Administration (VPA) files, 1980-2008

The Vice President for Administration's files include senior staff or Board of Director's meeting minutes, lists of departmental goals, budgets, department descriptions, retreat files, executive branch updates, and project proposals such as the proposals to implement a digital music downloading service at IUB and to lobby the state for tax free-textbooks.

Series: Treasurer and Financial files, 1958-2005

The Treasurer and Financial files include budgets, departmental financial guides, and end-of-year reports.

Series: Supreme Court, 1988-2008

The Supreme Court files include items maintained by the court such as court procedures, updates, complaints and appeals, as well as Indiana Daily Student (IDS) coverage of cases.

Series: Associations, Committees, and Task Forces, 1967-2010

The Associations, Committees, and Task Forces files include records relating to the meetings of associations, committees, and task forces outside of IUSA. University committee and task force files make up the bulk of this series and include minutes, agendas, notes, and background materials. Records from participation in prominent university committees such as the Bloomington Faculty Council (BFC), the Commission on Personal Safety, the Commission on Multicultural Understanding, the "Committee on Committees," the "Concerts Committee," the All-Big Ten Students (ABTS) and United States Student Association (USSA) are included in this series.

Series: Departmental files, 1964-2008

The departmental files within this collection include files relating to the various departments of IUSA's executive branch. The collection is broken into ten sub-series: Academic Affairs, Assisted Interorganizational Development (AID), External Affairs, Faculty Course Evaluations, Health and Safety, Legislative Relations, Safety Escort Service, Services, Women's Wheels, and General.

The files within the Academic Affairs (1964-1999) sub-series include records on academic issues as well as initiatives carried out by the department. Notable files cover the topics of academic reform, teaching vs. research, Associate Instructor (AI) training, faculty-student interaction, and grading systems.

With a date span from 1978-2002, the Assisted Interorganizational Development (AID) files within this collection are split into two sub-sub-series: Subject Files (1978-1999) and the Student Organization Files (1985-2002). The Subject Files (1978-1999) include early Student Organization General Support Fund (SOGSF) or Student Organization Fund (SOF) guidelines, the Student Organization General Support System (SOGSS) charter, other policy documents, allocations summaries, and annual reports. The Student Organization Files (1985-2002) include applications for funding from the SOGSF or SOF. Making up the bulk of the contents of these files are completed applications which detail the initiatives, activities, and general financial needs of the following programs and funds: SOGSF, SOGSS, Commitment to Assist Student Initiatives (CASI), CASI Block Grant, Student Organization General Support Program (SOGSP), Capital Improvements Program (CIP), Special Projects Support Fund (SPSF), and Grass Roots Initiative Fund (GRIF)

The files within the External Affairs (1975-1999) sub-series include records documenting participation in the Association of All-Big Ten Students as well as background files on other university and university student governments.

The files within the Faculty Course Evaluation (FCE) (1981-2001) sub-series include records relating to the administration of a student run faculty course evaluations. Prominent files include course compilation guides, student surveys, and correspondence with faculty.

The files within the Health and Safety (1987-2001) sub-series include records relating to the activities of the Health and Safety Department. Prominent subjects include plans and promotions for Aids Awareness Week, the IU Rape Crisis Fund, and a number of blood drives.

The files within the Legislative Relations (1974-2008) sub-series include records relating to student research and analysis of political issues as well as student involvement in lobbying. Notable subjects include background information about "getting a student on the Commission for Higher Education," flat fee tuition, and financial aid. Legislative surveys, press releases, and publications issued by the department are also included.

The files within the Safety Escort Service (1989-2001) sub-series include records relating to the administration of the safety escort service previously known as "Women's Wheels." Notable files include background information on male ridership and on the initial program.

The files within the Services Department (1967-2001) sub-series include records relating to the administration of various student-run services. Notable subjects include the babysitting referral service, book co-op, car co-op, test file, and travel service.

The files within the Women's Wheels (1986-1995) sub-series include records relating to the administration of the escort service to help women around campus after dark. Notable files include notes from the Women's Wheels Board of Advisors meetings, weeklies, and budget material.

The files within the General (1980-2002) sub-series include records relating to the activities of various departments and were likely maintained by the Vice President for Administration or another executive officer. The content of these files documents the activities of the specific department. For instance, general files for the Media Resources department include press releases, Indiana Daily Student clippings, and "how to guides" for publicity and advertising. Notable departments included in this sub-series are Advocacy, Minority Affairs, Student Environmental Action Coalition, Student Involvement, and Student Rights.

Series: Issues, 1960-2005

The Issue files within this collection relate to a variety of issues affecting students. Prominent subjects include alcohol policy, campus safety, child care, fees, landlord/tenant disputes, minority recruitment and retention, and gays, lesbians, and bisexuals (GLB) in the military.

Series: Projects, 1971-2008

The Project files relate to a number of projects undertaken by IUSA. Prominent subjects include plans and promotions for $1 cabs, coupon books, Financial Aid Awareness Week, Environmental Awareness Week, a Red Tape Service, Sexfest, and United Way campaigns.

Series: Subject files, 1972-1998

The Subject files within this collection relate to various files that were not transferred as part of other series. The bulk of these files are Indiana Daily Student (IDS) advertisements and IUSA news/promotional materials.