The Associated Student Government and the Undergraduate Budget Priorities Committee are working together this year to survey Northwestern students about what they want to change on campus.

“Our brainstorms often give us results that would work well with ASG,” UBPC member Serendi Lau said. “We’re integrating efforts so it’s a more efficient process.”

UBPC, which represents the student voice when presenting budgeting suggestions to University administrators, was a part of ASG in the past before “branching off” in recent decades, said Lau, a McCormick junior.

The group, along with the new ASG analytics committee, which was created this past spring, sent a two-question survey to students on Friday, asking them how they would improve the NU community.

In past years, the survey has been sent out as a “Campus Brainstorm” in the fall by UBPC. Its results help the group develop its annual Winter Quarter survey on students’ budgeting priorities. This year, ASG will also be a part of the upcoming Winter Quarter survey, the results of which help UBPC make recommendations to administrators about students’ priorities on campus.

Previously, UBPC survey results have indicated that students prioritize issues such as mental health resources, financial aid and campus safety.

“We thought this year would be a good year to join efforts for the winter survey because last year both groups released separate surveys that covered very similar topics regarding budgeting and student life,” McCormick senior Grant Nicholas, ASG analytics vice president, wrote in an email to The Daily.

Nicholas said he hopes the two groups’ collaboration will help the survey reach more students.

Collaboration between the two groups reduces “survey fatigue” among students, Lau said.

“It’s been the goal of ASG and UBPC to work together more efficiently for a while now,” she said. “The work we do overlaps with what the other committee is working on.”

Lau said students often respond to UBPC surveys with suggestions for changes to NU policies.

“It’s not something UBPC has any control over, but it’s information that ASG and analytics would want to be privy to,” she said.

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