USUSA student government connects all of USU
This year, Utah State University started a statewide student government in an effort to unify USU’s statewide campuses.
During January and February of this year, USU students voted for the 2022-23 USU Student Association officers. This time, it wasn’t only students on the Logan campus that were voting. USU students across the statewide campuses voted for the Executive Leadership Board.
This is the first year the USUSA Executive Leadership Board serves all of the statewide campuses.
Clara Alder was elected as the USUSA president for all campuses of USU.
“Within the last year, we have changed our constitution, which unites all of our student body from across the state,” Alder said in a phone interview. “So from Monument Valley to Logan, from Toelle to Uintah Basin. We are a unified student body, which is one of the most remarkable things ever.”
Each of USU’s campuses has its own executive vice president to advocate for the students’ needs. Each vice president works with Alder and her cabinet to help improve USU across the state.
Hunter Warren is the USUSA executive vice president at USU Blanding.
“I do feel like we have a lot more voices to our main campus now since we’re directly working with the USUSA president and the executive vice president up there and the student advocate,” Warren said in an interview over Zoom. “So I feel in that way, we’re more represented.”
Each USU campus will have a float in the upcoming homecoming parade in Logan.
USU Brigham City and Kaysville held a retreat in September for their student officers in Bear Lake. Jasmine Sorensen, Brigham City’s USUSA executive vice president, said Alder joined them for part of the retreat to help bring the regions together.
“She’s super supportive of all the campuses, so it’s been great so far working with Logan and her,” Sorensen said in an interview over Zoom.
Alder said this year, USUSA student government has the motto, “We are one”. They want to help connect all students and make sure they feel included.
“My first year at USU I really struggled with feeling like I belonged,” Alder said.
She doesn’t want any other students to feel that way.
In that spirit, the main goal for this year’s leadership is connecting USU across the entire state. One way they are doing this is by sharing event calendars so students know about different opportunities across campuses.
According to Alder, they are also working on a resource guide for those students in the statewide regions to make them aware of what resources are available to them.
“It’s really been my favorite experience to figure out how to support each region in the way that best serves that region,” Alder said.