Associated Students of the University of Washington
The Associated Students of the University of Washington is one of two Student Governments at the University of Washington, the other being the Graduate and Professional Student Senate. It is funded and supported by student fees, and provides services that directly and indirectly benefit them. The ASUW employs 72 students as staff, over 500 volunteers, and spends $1.08 million annually to provide services and activities to the student body of 43,000 on campus. The Student Senate was established in 1994 as a division of the Associated Students of the University of Washington. Student Senate is one of two official student-governed bodies and provides a broad-based discussion of issues. Currently, the ASUW Student Senate has a legislative body of over 150 senators representing a diverse set of interests on and off campus. The ASUW was incorporated in the State of Washington on April 20, 1906. On April 30, 1932, the ASUW assisted in the incorporation of the University Book Store which has been in continuous operation at the same location on University Way for over 70 years.
Diversity
ASUW provides funding for programming and advocacy on behalf of issues affecting groups that have faced historical or social discrimination. There are currently eight different commissions that host events relating to educational goals and diversity. For instance, the La Raza Commission focuses primarily on promoting awareness and advocacy for the Latinx/Chicanx community, and the Black Student Union focuses primarily on promoting awareness and advocacy for the African American/African community. Every Commission is run by a Director, and the Joint Commissions Committee is a committee for these organizations to coordinate efforts for various combined causes and activities, and is chaired by the Director of Diversity Efforts, a member of the ASUW Board of Directors. The ASUW is often at the forefront of social justice issues that face both previous, current, and future generations of University of Washington students. For example, the ASUW has taken a stand against cultural appropriation through Halloween costumes by releasing a 6-minute public service announcement which drew the attention of major media outlets such as The New York Times. In 1991, the ASUW was one of the first colleges in the nation to create a Gay, Bisexual, and Lesbian Student Commission with over $10,000 in funding to help sponsor events for the community.
Components of ASUW
The ASUW is composed of a variety of programs and commissions:
The ASUW works through programming, services, and advocacy to serve the students and improve student life on the UW campus. Throughout the years, ASUW has successfully made changes to include activities like Fall Fling, a free concert at the beginning of the school year, and Everybody Every Body Fashion Show, a program designed to create dialogue around topics of bodies and identities. Universal U-PASS was also the work of ASUW, granting students access to low-cost public transportation around the greater Seattle area. In addition, the ASUW has also had a hand in campus remodeling, scholarships, cultural and ethnic awareness, and much more.
