News

March Executive Blog

Advocacy Ammo!

A large role of AUSU, especially the executive members, is to meet with AU on a regular basis and express the voice of the members. The list of things that we discuss is very long, and I like to think that it includes all the topics that are important to the members that I am elected to represent. I take this role very seriously, and hope that I can affect some change for the good for current and future AU students.

AUSU membership is both diverse and dispersed across the country and beyond. It is difficult to engage everyone, and AUSU has a staff member and a committee devoted to improving engagement. AUSU members have different needs and wants from the university and it is sometimes difficult to know whether we are representing the will of the majority of members.

AUSU gathers information on what members want in many indirect ways. We monitor social media, we track calls to our office, we ask for participation in surveys.
However, I can’t remember anything during my council career that was focused on how our members want AU to improve or change to meet their needs. I’m not sure that we have ever specifically asked you what you want us to advocate for!

Well, you don’t have to feel left out any longer. We are launching a two week campaign to gather information to use in focusing our advocacy efforts within AU over the next year. AUSU is very excited about this and hope that we can get some momentum going within the membership.  You can find some details about this here, or in our upcoming newsletter, so watch your inboxes!

AUSU executives regularly meet with AU faculty and administrators and we will use the information we receive to frame our discussions with AU. Your voices will be heard.

We have called the campaign #AUGoals. So let us know by email, text, social media, or comment below what you want us to advocate for to AU!  Textbook choice? Specific new courses? A new or enhanced AU service? Anything at all that is important to you. Let’s hear it!

Kim Newsome
VP Finance and Admninistration