What does ASUCR do for you?
ASUCR represents all undergraduates as the official student government on campus. As such, The Highlander aims to use this guide to inform the student population of their purpose and processes.
Who is a part of ASUCR? How do they represent me?
The executive branch, also known as the executive cabinet, consists of a student-elected, representative body who are in charge of a variety of major committees and are tasked to aid the campus and its endeavors. Several committees include the Green Campus Action Plan, whose mission is to pursue sustainability on campus, the Elections Committee, who are tasked with coordinating and overseeing on-campus elections and the Office of External Affairs, whose committees focus on advocacy and civic engagement.
The legislative branch, also known as the senate, reviews and processes legislation including resolutions and senate bills. These pieces of legislation are designed to address problems concerning students and faculty and aim to bring major improvements to the campus. The senate is composed of 16 elected students representing each college, with one elected as president pro tempore.
The judicial branch, or judicial council, handles the concerns of ASUCR consisting of misinterpretations and disagreements which may occur during the legislative process. Their job is to enforce the constitution and to ensure that justice and fairness are met out and followed. They are a non-partisan body composed of six appointed justices, with three appointed each year to serve a two-year term.
All of the branches and committees work together in order to handle the legislative process, support numerous initiatives and ultimately enact change for the campus.
How does the legislative process work?
Anyone on campus has the power to write legislation, though most legislation is often written by senators. When someone writes a bill, there are a variety of requirements, such as requiring at least one senator to sponsor the bill before it is reviewed. Once it is submitted to the president pro tempore, the Legislative Review Committee evaluates the legislation to make sure it follows certain specifications and maintains proper grammar and syntax. The legislation is then voted on by the senate after it is added to the meeting’s agenda, where a 50% majority vote is required to pass.
Substantial changes can be made to the university, and the problems that many students face in their day-to-day campus experience can be solved or remedied through the proper channels.
