Devaney appointed to OSAC

Gov. Ted Kulongoski appointed former Portland State student body President Erin Devaney to the Commission of the Oregon Student Assistance Commission beginning in the 2007 fiscal year.

The Oregon Student Assistance Commission (OSAC) administers 320 scholarships every year and is a state-run organization that aids students in securing funds that will assist them in completing post-secondary education, like the Oregon Opportunity Grant and the Aspire program. The commission consists of two student appointees and four other committee members. The governor must appoint all individuals who work on the committee.

Devaney will begin her work in a student spot of OSAC on July 1, if the Oregon State Senate approves her appointment when she travels to Salem to be interviewed on June 21. Devaney will fill the spot of Portland Community College student Jen Baldwin, who sat on the commission from April 2004 to the end of this month.

Devaney said she is excited about the appointment. She said the Oregon Student Association, a statewide lobbying group that coordinates student governments, originally nominated her for the position. Devaney was chair of the board of directors of OSA over the last school year.

“I’ve been working on issues of access to higher education for my four years as a student,” Devaney said. “This is a great way to continue that work in that direction.”

Devaney said that her goals while serving include coalition building, working to make the Oregon Opportunity Grant fully funded and to get continual state funding for Aspire.

“I’m excited to serve students on this level,” she said.

Current Associated Students of Portland State University President Courtney Morse will serve as interim chair of the OSA until the next chair selection. Morse will be unable to serve as chair of OSA because the same university cannot hold the chair position for two consecutive years.