The ISG has four special departments: Helping Others Personal Excellence, the Department of Governmental Relations, the Sexual Assault Prevention Department, and the Student Wellness Department. Departments are run by members of the ISG and work closely with the senace, executive branch, and school administration to launch programs, pass reforms, and make the university a safer and better place for everyone.
Helping Others Personal Excellence: The purpose of the HOPE department is to ensure that the HOPE (Helping Others Personal Excellence) Scholarship is administered and dealt with in an efficient manner. It is the duty of the HOPE department to make sure that the scholarship goes to fruition and is available to all students who qualify by working with University administration and other entities on campus. The purpose of the HOPE scholarship and HOPE department is to help undocumented students feel safe and welcome on campus. The department meets on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. in the ISG Suite, located in the Illini Union.
Department of Governmental Relations: The Department of Governmental Relations serves to advocate on behalf of the Illinois Student Government and University of Illinois Student body on issues related to higher education and maintain relations with the pertinent governing bodies at the local, state, and federal levels. The department also serves to help students register and turnout to vote, as well as get student engaged with the election process at the local, state, and federal levels. The department meets on Fridays at 5:00 p.m. in the ISG Suite, located in the Illini Union.
Sexual Assault Prevention Department: The Sexual Assault Prevention Department aims to make the campus a safer and healthier environment for students, faculty, and visitors by combatting the unfortunate but common phenomenon of sexual assault. The department helps create programs to better educate students about the policies of consent, boundaries, and appropriate behaviour, works with faculty and authorities to effectively target perpetrators, and assists survivors in recovering from traumatizing events. The department meets on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the ISG Suite, located in the Illini Union.
Student Wellness Department: The Student Wellness Department is not a new initiative within ISG. We have always worked to improve the well-being of our students, but we need a more coordinated effort in this regard. This department's overall goal is to coordinate the efforts of ISG and other advocacy groups to improve the mental, physical, and emotional health of our students. While mental health constitutes a significant portion of our activities, we are also working towards solutions to other issues such as suicide, eating habits, and career goals. The department meets on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. in the ISG Suite, located in the Illini Union.