Letter from ASPSU
Things in ASPSU Student Government have already been rolling. We’ve been working all summer, hiring and training a new staff, working out the details of our various campaigns and doing our best to serve the student body here at Portland State University.
At the top of our list this summer was voter registration. We exceeded our summer goal of registering over 350 young people to vote. We will be registering over 2,000 more young people during the first two weeks of school. We will haunt you; you will see us in your classes, in the park blocks, dorms, at the book store and wherever you may go. We will register you to vote!
Last year, many students wanted to have student class evaluations that were accessible to the students. In the University Studies program, first year students spend an entire year with a single professor and should be able to access information about their teaching style, history, and teaching experience. For more information about the Student Class Evaluations, or to get involved with this campaign, call Kelvin Nicholson, our University Affairs Director at 503-725-8516.
Portland State University is the most diverse institution in the state. This is why we have Jason Lowery, ASPSU’s Multicultural Affairs Director working in coalition with the black studies department to get black studies as a major for the students here at PSU. We need your help in getting this passed through the Oregon University System Board! The deal is almost sealed, and it’s just a matter of pressure and the people to apply for it for PSU to get Black Studies as a major.
ASPSU has vowed to continue working on access to higher education at Portland State University. We have promised to continue fighting to keep tuition low and to keep grants accessible to students in Oregon. We will continue to work on access but of course this means working the politics of Oregon. To do this, we need students who want to work on state issues. If you are interested in changing the politics of Oregon, ensuring funding for student grants, and keeping tuition low, call Miriam Gonzales our State Affairs Director.
During the first few weeks of school, ASPSU will be distributing surveys to the students to find out what it is you want us to work on. This will help us prioritize our campaigns for the coming year and decide what issues are most important to the students. So keep your eyes peeled for these surveys, and then please take a few moments to fill them out and drop them off at our office (Room 47A, in the basement of Smith Memorial Student Union).
Finally, get ready to flash those pearly whites because ASPSU sealed the deal (as promised) on dental coverage. Last year, the students at PSU expressed a strong interest in acquiring dental coverage. ASPSU took the issue head-on, and fought hard to get this service for the students here at PSU. Thanks to the hard work of your student government, you will have dental coverage starting on the first day of school!
There are still many more challenges that lie ahead for ASPSU in the coming year, and we look forward in winning these challenges for you! But without you getting involved by interning or volunteering with ASPSU, this work is far from finished! For more information on interning for credit or volunteering, please stop by our office in room 47A in the basement of the Smith Memorial Student Union.
Go Vikings!
Kristin Wallace, ASPSU President
Dune Zhu, ASPSU Vice President
