Our View: Students aren’t taking advantage of ASUSU’s power
Every Monday and Tuesday night, members of the Associated Students of Utah State University Executive Council and Academic Senate meet on the third floor of the Taggart Student Center. Everything from parking woes to student fees are discussed.
Even though ASUSU is a student-elected group, it seems very few students on campus know what they do or even when they do it. At the beginning of each council meeting, time is allotted for a student forum. This time is for any student representing any group, or even just themselves, to voice any concern about any issue. All too often, the time goes unused and the only people in attendance at the meetings are the members of the council, a Statesman reporter and a staff member or two.
Last year during elections, when we can only assume interest in ASUSU is at a high, only 13 percent of students voted for the office of student body president. Far fewer voted for their respective senator. Even if all of those who voted in the election have maintained an avid interest in the council, there is still an incredibly large number of students who have no idea what’s going on.
The impact is sad.
ASUSU is quickly becoming one of the most legitimate student-led groups in the state. The restructure has allowed them to behave more like their university administration and even state and national Legislature counterparts. These students can have long reaching impacts on both the university as an institution and on individual student comfort (think fees, parking and advising to name a few) and yet very few are taking advantage of their power. Either by your vote, or by your lack of it, you agreed they could be your voice and your representation to the administration, the faculty senate and the state Legislature – all groups in which it would be in your best interest to have a good reputation.
Students may care about how much their textbooks cost, how hard it is to get into an adviser and how much money is available for their research, but do they care enough to complain? Let us rephrase that – do they care enough to complain to the right people?
It’s possible that students don’t know where to go to get help – but for those of you reading this editorial, consider that argument void. Call your senator, drop a line to the student advocate. Their contact information is readily available on the A-Station Web site – a quick click away from the A-Z index on the main USU page. These elected officers are working for students. You might as well be one of the students they’re fighting for.