Opportunities to Serve

About Us

The Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO) is the official Student Government Association at the University of Oregon. We facilitate student expression and coordinate the collective voice of University of Oregon students. Our organization serves as the primary conduit for students to articulate their perspectives on university stances, policies, and procedures. We also spearhead impactful campaigns aimed at advancing student interests.

In addition to our advocacy role, ASUO plays a crucial part in financial matters, recommending and allocating the student Incidental Fee. ASUO is also responsible for overseeing the recognition, support, and involvement of student organizations.

Our function is to engage students and advance their out-of-classroom experience at the University of Oregon. We provide a platform for students to gain experience as leaders. ASUO serves as a catalyst for personal growth, offering opportunities for students to thrive while addressing institutional issues that resonate with their concerns.

ASUO Eligibility and Organizational Structure

ASUO Officers must be enrolled at UO for at least half time and must pay the Incidental Fee for all terms during their tenure. Some officer positions are filled by election and others by appointment. In accordance with ASUO rules, most non-elected officer appointees are subject to the review and confirmation of the ASUO Student Senate.

Eligibility for leadership stipends is subject to the restrictions and policies of ASUO rules, including the ASUO Constitution and the ASUO Stipend Model. These documents are available on the ASUO website.

ASUO is a structured three-branch government, each branch playing a distinct role in fostering effective governance and safeguarding the rights of ASUO Members.

ASUO’s three branches operate independently, embodying a system of checks and balances to prevent power abuse. Each branch wields influence over the others, fostering a collaborative environment that curtails the concentration of power within any single branch. This framework ensures an equitable distribution of authority and creates a platform by which inter-organizational communication and collaboration are essential components to success.

Branch Role and Function Leadership and Composition Powers Positions
Executive Responsible for implementing and enforcing ASUO rules established by the legislative branch. Manages day-to-day governmental operations, oversees campaigns advancing student interests, and administers recognized student organizations. Led by the ASUO President, with a cabinet of officers appointed by the president. The ASUO President acts as the primary spokesperson, sets the vision for student government activity and interests, coordinates public relations, and may veto certain legislative decisions.
  • President and Vice President
  • Elections Coordinator
  • Elections Commissioners
  • Chief of Staff
  • Advocacy Secretary
  • Finance Secretary
  • Student Organization Secretary
  • Event Secretary
Legislative Charged with creating ASUO rules and policies, initiating financial actions, managing the I-Fee Budget Process, and representing students’ interests by formulating and passing resolutions. Led by elected representatives, including senators and at-large committee members. Senate has four subcommittees which focus on the financial activities of Incidental Fee-Funded organizations by type (contract, department, student union, or student organization). Engages in the drafting, debating, and voting on proposed rules, policies, financial proposals, and resolutions. Confirms appointments and holds the ability to override specific presidential veto actions.
  • Finance Senator – Senate Seats 1-10
  • Academic Senator – Senate Seats 11-23
  • First-Year Senator – Senate Seat 24
  • At-Large Finance Committee Executive Designee
Judicial Tasked with interpreting ASUO rules and policies, ensuring their constitutionality, and providing adjudication when needed. Headed by a chief justice who is appointed internally; justices serve independently and without political bias. Justices are appointed by the ASUO President and confirmed by the Student Senate. Focuses on adjudication, making decisions on legal cases, interpreting rules, and ensuring the equitable administration of justice. Questions of constitutionality and officer performance are resolved by the court, and the court bears responsibility for the allocation of Academic positions on Student Senate.
  • Associate Justice

Position Opportunities and Application

Overview and Officer Positions on the ASUO Executive Branch

The ASUO Executive Branch serves as the central hub of governance, managing daily operations, coordinating student interest campaigns, and overseeing more than 200 recognized student organizations. The executive branch drives student initiatives and is an active proponent representing student interests with decision-makers on and off campus, including at the state and federal level. Executive Branch Officers receive guidance from the Director of Student Government Engagement and Success.

At its core, the executive branch consists of a twenty- to thirty-person cabinet comprised of pivotal roles such as the president, vice president, chief of staff, directors, secretaries, and election commissioners. While the president (and often the vice president) is elected, the remaining cabinet members are appointed by the president. Governed by the ASUO Constitution, university policies, and state and federal laws, executive branch officers dedicate themselves to a maximum one-year term, necessitating re-election or re-appointment for continued service.

The Elections Board, a semi-independent component of the executive branch, coordinates and oversees ASUO’s Spring Election. Comprising four Commissioners and a Coordinator, all positions are annually appointed, subject to senate confirmation, and serve a limited-duration term. To ensure neutrality, there is a functional separation of the elections board from the executive cabinet.

Overview and Officer Positions on the ASUO Legislative Branch

Within the framework of ASUO governance, the ASUO Legislative Branch operates a one-chamber (unicameral) legislature called the student senate. Student senate has the responsibility to initiate student government policy and financial decisions. At the heart of this dynamic branch, legislative officers serve as architects, deeply engaged in the crafting, debating, and voting on proposals that shape the course of ASUO’s policies. The Student Senate has three financial sub-committees who assist with decision-making and fund allocation.

The legislative branch consists of thirty-six ASUO Officers, including:

  • Twenty-four senators, twenty-three of whom are elected. Of the elected senators, ten serve both on the student senate and a designated finance committee and thirteen represent designated academic constituencies. One senator, the first-year representative, is appointed annually each fall.
  • Nine elected at large officers with responsibilities assigned to a designated finance committee.
  • Three officers appointed by the ASUO President and confirmed by the Student Senate with responsibilities assigned to a designated finance committee.

Guided by the ASUO Constitution and the operational rules of the senate and its committees, legislative officers commit to one- or two-year terms, necessitating re-election or re-appointment for sustained service. The student senate operates under the governance of both the ASUO Constitution and the rules of the student senate. All legislative branch officers adhere to university policies, state, and federal laws.

Student senate’s three finance committees are engaged in the recommendation of incidental funds during ASUO’s Annual Budget Process. Committee members utilized informed decision-making and practice responsible financial stewardship to distribute financial resources in a viewpoint neutral manner. Each committee is organized by a chair who oversees meetings and maintains the progress of the committee. The three finance committees include:

  • Programs Finance Committee (PFC): A ten-member committee with responsibility to recommend the distribution of Incidental Funds to ASUO’s 200-plus Recognized Student Organizations.
  • Departments Finance Committee (DFC): A six-member committee with responsibility to recommend the distribution of Incidental Funds to Department-Based Programs within the university.
  • Contracts Finance Committee (CFC): A seven-member committee with responsibility to recommend the distribution of Incidental Funds and the crafting of legal terms to campus-wide service providers.

Overview and Officer Positions on the ASUO Judicial Branch

The ASUO Judicial Branch serves as the guardian of ASUO integrity and government accountability. Responsible for policy interpretation and officer compliance, the members of the judicial branch are engaged in responding to inquiries, resolving disputes, and applying ASUO's rules and policies to specific cases.

Advised by the Director of Student Government Engagement and Success, the Judicial Branch, also known as the Constitution Court, operates with a five-member team of Associate Justices. Endowed with authority over rules promulgated under the ASUO, this regulatory body interprets, determines constitutionality, and applies the law to officer behavior and the actions of any ASUO governmental body. It possesses the substantial authority to impose sanctions compelling compliance with its decisions.

Comprising a minimum of two students enrolled in the UO Law Degree program, Associate Justices maintain their positions as long as they remain enrolled University of Oregon students who meet officer eligibility requirements.