Right now student government is in a good position. It’s a new year, and a completely new administration is in charge of advocating for student interests at Portland State. All they have to do is not screw it up.
The Associated Students of Portland State University (ASPSU) has a lot of lofty goals for the year, perhaps the most anticipated being a textbook exchange program. Other objectives carried over from President Rudy Soto’s campaign platform include extending library hours and offering more affordable transportation passes.
We’re glad that they’ve got plans. Now let’s see them put into action.
Each administration starts off with noble intentions, but it’s easy to get sidetracked. For example, last year’s administration, led by Courtney Morse, spent more time lobbying in Salem than it did serving PSU students on campus. ASPSU continually gave priority to state funding, not student issues.
Soto has already made clear that his priorities are set on PSU, and that’s comforting. This year ASPSU has so far been more present, more visible. Soto is now a friendly face, and he’s made sure that students know his office door is always open. But at this point, ASPSU needs to become more than just an aesthetic on campus.
It’s started off the year right, filling 39 of 61 positions on various all-university committees, in addition to several positions on other committees. That’s more positions than Morse filled in a whole year. But it is more important that ASPSU see that the students on these committees represent student voice, rather than merely being seat fillers.
Next, Soto’s administration will work to draft a plan for a more affordable textbook program, which has been attempted by ASPSU three times in the past five years and failed on every occasion. No one else has made this program work, but Soto has used it as a platform from the beginning. Now students expect results.
ASPSU will also commence what seems to be the survey phase of its administration, aiming to gather the input of at least 1,250 students by Nov. 9. Through these surveys, it will assess what student priorities are. But students have already shown Soto what they want by electing him based on his platform’s issues. That should be evidence enough, and ASPSU should just get started on making those things happen.
May ASPSU see stories of administrations past as cautionary tales. Paying attention to the students is important, and getting input even better. It is ASPSU’s job to use that information to make a positive change, or else they’ll fail to serve the students like so many distracted administrations that have come before.