10 perks you didn’t know about, courtesy of ASU student government

You may have heard about the Associated Students of ASU (aka undergraduate and graduate student government at ASU) or seen their acronym, ASASU, but you may not know what they’re all about or all the perks they provide to Sun Devils.

Here are TEN things you should know about ASASU.

1. They represent all campuses and students.

ASASU includes the Undergraduate Student Governments from Downtown, Tempe, Polytechnic and West, as well as the Graduate and Professional Student Association. The presidents of each body make up the Council of Presidents. The elected campus leaders create priorities for student government and the student body, and they’re dedicated to representing the student voice and being advocates for each campus. 

2. They have three branches, including a Supreme Court.

The structure of ASASU mirrors that of the U.S. federal government — there’s an executive branch, the Council of Presidents; a legislative branch, each campus’ Senate and Graduate Assembly; and a judicial branch, the ASU Supreme Court and GPSA Supreme Court, which each consist of five judges.

3. There are all kinds of opportunities to represent your community in ASASU.

University Boards and Committees make up a branch of ASASU and are appointed by the ASASU Council of Presidents. Each board or committee is made up of student members from each campus and shares reports to their respective USG or GPSA president. You can also run for a  position within USG or GPSA as an executive member or assembly member/senator. Applications to run in the spring 2020 election open in late January.

ASU's Council of Presidents. From left: Leah Jones (GPSA), Tony Camisi (West), Daniel Pasco (Poly), Hanna Salem (Tempe) and Yasmin Alvarado (Downtown Phoenix)

4. You can drop by meetings.

Any student can get involved by attending public senate or assembly meetings. To find out when and where meetings are happening for your student government, visit your student government’s page.

5. They get you access to President Crow.

ASASU hosts two forums with President Michael Crow each semester, alternating host campuses and simulcasting across the other campuses, to facilitate student feedback with the university’s president. Keep an eye out on the student government social media channels for those announcements. 

6. They encourage civic engagement at all levels.

ASASU advocates for students at the university, state and even national levels. They host ballot centers during national elections and hold voter registration drives throughout the year. And they encourage you to be civically engaged, such as by voting in the ASASU election and volunteering in your local community.

7. They can fund your conference travel.

ASASU offers grants to assist students in traveling to conferences for professional development. Visit the ASU student governments page and click on your respective government for more information if you’re interested in applying for travel funding. 

8. They’ll get you rides home and fix your wheels.

ASASU offers a variety of services to students, including bike co-ops, safety escort services, child care subsidies and research grants. You can check out the full list of resources.

9. They host professional development opportunities.

USG and GPSA help students professionally, with events like Grad Chats and professional development workshops and by providing travel funding for individuals and groups. Visit the ASU student governments page and click on your respective government for more information about opportunities.

10. They keep you in the know.

The Council of Presidents has its own website with constant updates, so you can always stay informed about what’s going on. You can also learn about our COP priorities for the year.