ASUSU president still working
By Marie MacKay
Assistant News Editor
A CEO of a large company might have more than 100 three-minute conversations a day and each one might be about something different.
That’s a lot to soak in.
But ASUSU President Quinn Millet said his job isn’t much different, and that’s what he likes about it.
“I thought it would be a great experience and it has been,” he said. “I consider myself lucky for having had the opportunity.”
During the more than nine months that he has been president, this Orem native said he, along with the rest of the Executive Council and Academic Senate, are more than happy with their accomplishments this year.
“He is an effective leader and he also has some very good interpersonal skills,” said Juan Franco, vice president for Student Services. “Everybody seems to work well with him.”
One such accomplishment was getting the Utah Legislature to put the HPER Building on a five-year list to receive funding for renovation.
“He kind of rallied everyone on ASUSU to get excited about it and support the cause,” said Rosie Strong, Athletics vice president, who spearheaded the project. “He’s been really helpful in working to get the administration to support this.”
Millet said he has also been actively involved in the Utah Student Association, which represents 110,000 students from 11 institutions of higher education in Utah. During this year’s legislative session, Quinn helped lobby in support of an additional $1 million in ongoing financial aid for all higher education institutions throughout the state.
“Within the last three years, USA has taken student lobbying to the next level,” he said. “It has been very successful.”
Among other items, he said he also helped to lobby for House Bill 66, which will provide 400 tuition waivers to Utah State University students from Idaho.
“House Bill 66 will be a big help in enrollment,” Millet said.
Among other projects, ASUSU is also trying to improve relations with Logan City and create a new position that will be a liaison with the city and the university, he said.
Millet said he is also working on establishing a university radio station and installing changing stations in each of the bathrooms on campus.
Aside from working directly with members of the Executive Council and Academic Senate, each ASUSU president works closely with President Stan Albrecht and is a voting member of the Board of Trustees.
“Working with [President Albrecht] is great; he really does care about student issues,” Millet said. “He makes sure we’re working towards the same objective.”
Tiffany Evans, director of Student Involvement and Leadership, has worked with many ASUSU presidents in the past and said she has been impressed with Quinn’s ability to help the most amount of students as possible.
“I would classify him as a visionary,” Evans said. “I think he’s been an excellent representative for the students.”
As part of his platform at the beginning of his term as president, Millet said he would meet and listen to a variety of student issues and concerns and take those issues to administrators and legislators as he advocates for the best overall experience possible at USU.
In comparing USU with other universities, Millet said USU is the envy of higher education as far as student life goes, which he has tried to maintain.
“We have a college-town environment,” he said. “A lot of things are geared toward students.”
After Millet graduates in May, he said he hopes to pursue a degree in law.
-mmackay@cc.usu.edu