The Associated Students of the University of Oregon has a lot of jobs. As the recognized student government, it’s the official voice of students on campus, carrying with it large responsibilities.

To deal with those duties, ASUO is split into seven different branches: the Programs Finance Committee, the ASUO Executive, the Student Senate, the Constitutional Court, the Athletic Department Finance Committee, the EMU Board and the Associated Students Presidential Advisory Council.
The Executive, headed this year by ASUO President Maddy Melton and ASUO Vice President Eddy Morales, is in charge of representing student concerns and grievances, ASUO Spokeswoman Taraneh Foster said.
“I really think that the ASUO really provides a voice for students outside of the campus community,” Melton said. “I’d also say that the ASUO really provides a voice for students within the campus community. We participate in a lot of conversations that not every student has time to participate in.”
She added that the ASUO Executive gives students an opportunity to develop their leadership skills and provides a good leadership model.
As the voice of students, ASUO is responsible for lobbying the state and federal governments on behalf of students.
“My job focuses on advocating for students for affordability and access to higher education,” Legislative Associate Gabe Kjos said. “I like to consider any job that advocated for students pretty important. This job is a lot more student-oriented, and focuses on issues that affect every student.”
One of the ASUO Executive’s other jobs is to organize and manage events on campus, such as the fall and spring street fairs, which function as fundraisers for the Executive; Weaving New Beginnings, a forum for students, faculty and staff of color; a public safety forum in which Department of Public Safety representatives discuss the state of campus safety; the Earth Day celebration; voter registration campaigns and other celebrations.
ASUO also carries a large fiscal responsibility: It is charged with distributing some of the $8 million in incidental fees collected annually from students. That’s where the Programs Finance Committee comes in. Its job is to fund all of the approximately 90 ASUO programs.
The EMU Board’s task is similar to the PFC’s. It takes the money that the Student Senate allocates to it and distributes it to different parts of the EMU. In addition to managing the EMU’s operating budget and dispersing funds, the board manages the day-to-day operations of the facility.
Similarly, the Athletic Department Finance Committee has the responsibility of allocating money to the athletic department in exchange for student tickets.
The Student Senate, which is composed of 18 student senators, confirms the budget distributed by the three groups allocating the money.
The Constitutional Court’s job is to get involved when something goes wrong. For example, the five members of the court, who are chosen by the Executive president and confirmed by the Senate, mediate any grievances that occur within the ASUO. Also, it deals with election disputes, and monitors ASUO branches and programs.
Finally, the Associated Student Presidential Advisory Committee is responsible for updating and informing University President Dave Frohnmayer about events that may concern students. The group is composed of 16 representatives from a wide variety of programs and departments.