Responsible for managing ASUO programs and acting as the official voice for students, the ASUO president, head of the Executive branch, is one of the most powerful and visible elected student government officials. The president has the final say on the budgets of the ASUO’s major committees, totaling more than $10 million, and sets the ASUO’s political agenda.
Each year, the president selects students to fill positions within the executive and ASUO student committees.
Within the executive, the president appoints the vice president and selects about 17 administrators to oversee different aspects of student life, including safety, housing and multicultural advocacy.
The president also appoints justices to the Constitution Court, one member of the Athletic Department Finance Committee, one member of the EMU Board of Directors and one member of the Programs Finance Committee. The president is also responsible for filling vacant spots on the ASUO Student Senate.

As the administrator of the ASUO and representative of the student population, the president also sets policy goals for student government, both on and off campus. This year, ASUO President Adam Petkun prioritized finishing the work of the previous executive by lobbying the Eugene City Council for a housing code to ensure renters’ rights. He also undertook a campaign to eliminate scheduling fees that forced students to forfeit tuition. Petkun continues to lobby in Salem for a tuition freeze.
The President can also affect the funding of student groups by setting budget recommendations for the ADFC, PFC and EMU Board before each undergoes its budget process. The president also wields veto power over final budget decisions by the Senate.
This year the executive vetoed funding benchmarks for the ADFC and the PFC to allow the Senate to reconsider what Finance Coordinator Mike Martell called a “disparity” in the manner in which their budgets were decided.

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