Iowa State President Wendy Wintersteen met with Student Government senators Wednesday for nearly 40 minutes, the conversation focusing on key priorities of the university such as funding, diversity and inclusion, as well as student-administration engagement.

This is the first time since being appointed in November that Wintersteen has addressed the Senate in its entirety.

During her introduction, Wintersteen said that one of her goals for Iowa State is to build entrepreneurship across campus and develop it into Iowa State’s brand. She hopes to do this through ultimately developing an “entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Another key priority, Wintersteen said, is to build Iowa State to be the “best land-grant university” in terms of its inclusivity.

“There is great value in looking at another individual, recognizing the differences between that individual and myself, and valuing those differences,” she said.

In regard to higher education funding, Wintersteen said that a talking point she has utilized in talking to legislators, alumni and other higher education stakeholders is that: “Iowa State University is not a cost to Iowa, it is an investment.”

Wintersteen noted that she has been doing this through highlighting Iowa State’s science, innovation and research efforts.

“I think we can change some of the conversations about higher education by not talking about costs but by talking about investments,” Wintersteen said.

While Wintersteen was in attendance of the Senate meeting to hear from students, she also gauged questions on issues facing campus.

Topics addressed included lighting, parking, graduate student inclusion, communication between students and administrators and how Iowa State intends to improve its commitment to diversity.

Speaker Zoey Shipley, in her question to Wintersteen, first thanked the president for taking on the role as a woman and serving as a role model. She asked, however, what Wintersteen’s personal goals are to keep pushing for diversity and inclusion on campus.

“There is a tremendous value [in diversity,]” Wintersteen said. “But diversity without taking action to create a welcoming and inclusive environment is somewhat of a hollow promise.”

In a call to action to the Senate, Wintersteen said when one hears a story about a student experience that wasn’t positive that it is important to do more than just to just sympathize and instead take direct action to improve campus environment

Furthermore, Sen. Norin Chaudhry asked Wintersteen what intentions Iowa State has to increase graduate student inclusion on campus, as well as if the graduate stipend may increase.

Wintersteen said in her conversations she begun to increasingly ask: “How do we grow our commitment to graduate education? How do we support those students?”

As to whether or not graduate students might see a stipend increase, however, Wintersteen said she was unsure of the answer but pointed to last year’s decision to not increase faculty salaries and said it might be in relation due to lagging state funding.

The meeting concluded with Student Government Vice President Cody Smith asking Wintersteen: “What can we as student leaders on campus do to enhance Iowa State University?”

Wintersteen asked that Student Government continue to support campus issues such as higher education funding.

“We really do have a university where students, faculty and staff work together to govern,” she said.