University of Wisconsin’s Associated Students of Madison will kick off its fall semester this evening, when it will provide students interested in becoming a part of the student government with information and overviews about ASM and its corresponding committees.
According to ASM Vice Chair Tom Templeton, the organization hopes to develop the diversity committee, whose aim is to attract more diverse applicants and faculty to the UW and to coordinate efforts to broaden diversity on campus.
ASM will also make campus outreach a key component of its activities this fall with plans to revamp the ASM website, use new forms of communication to reach students and strengthen ASM’s relevance to students.
These agenda items will accompany ASM’s overall goal of communicating students’ opinions to administrators, Templeton said.
“If we weren’t here, I think a lot of the decision making would be left up to administrators and a lot of the student voice would be left out,” Templeton said.
ASM is UW’s official student government, representing the 42,000 students on campus, backed by a Wisconsin state statute that gives students the right and the responsibility to actively participate in campus governance.
This concept of shared governance is one of UW’s core values, according to Dean of Students Lori Berquam.
Berquam said ASM is a “critical arm” of UW, sharing administrative power with the Faculty Senate and the Academic Staff Assembly.
“ASM plays an important role on our campus in really addressing where our students want the campus to proceed,” Berquam said. “[It] is the visionary body for our students.”
She commended ASM for its work in organizing and implementing the move-out night event Aug. 14 and securing the formalized study day for students before final exams begin each semester.
Berquam also said ASM played a vital role in helping formulate the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates that was first outlined last spring to provide students with more need-based financial aid.
“Those have been fantastic opportunities for our student government to see the role they have in helping out students,” Berquam said.
ASM cites as its achievements securing Madison Metro bus passes, the successful campaign for College Library’s 24-hour operation during weekdays and construction of the Student Activity Center located on East Campus Mall.
One of ASM’s responsibilities each semester is distributing segregated fees students pay as part of their tuition to various student organizations and services on campus, including the SERF, natatorium, Wisconsin Union and various student advocacy groups.
The ASM fall kickoff will begin at 7 p.m. tonight in the Student Activity Center on East Campus Mall.
Volunteer opportunities and spring internships are also available to students interested in working with ASM.
