What Is Student Advocacy?

A student advocate is someone who listens to the needs of students and works to provide support, recommended course of action, and can directly intervene to administration on behalf of the students.

When working in student advocacy, the focus should always be the needs of the students we work with. While there is no one path in advocacy, students can experience a change to their campus. Students can also learn the important skill of self-advocacy when the process is carried out effectively.

It is also important to recognize that change is not something that happens over night. Especially when working with large policy or systematic issues, the progress may be gradual and move through several stages before a noticeable change occurs. This process can be draining so it is important to be surrounded by support and find joy in the small successes.

About Me

I am a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. I am a Triple Major in Linguistics, English, and Korean. I am also working towards a Music Minor and a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. I work multiple jobs on campus: evening security guard, career services consultant, and undergraduate instructor.

On campus, I have served as the Foster Conduct Board Chair, Foster Center President, and RHA Vice President of Student Advocacy. These experience have allowed me to meet a wide array of students and make connections with campus partners.

I also serve in the leadership of IU's non-profit student organization Books & Beyond and the IU branch of the international non-profit Liberty in North Korea.

Please feel free to explore this site. You can contact me for any question at zhancock@iu.edu. To bring an issue of advocacy to the attention of RHA, please go to the Advocacy Request Form tab.