By Angie Ramirez

With more than 30,000 students at the University of Arkansas, making sure every voice is heard can be a challenge.  The Associated Student Government (ASG) of the U of A works to bridge that gap and give students a platform to raise concerns and shape the college experience for their peers. 

ASG supports programs and initiatives across campus while serving as a connection between students and university leadership. The organization is structured into three branches: executive, legislative and judicial. Each branch works to represent student interest and advocate for improvements across campus. 

“Student government is important because it ensures that the university remains responsive to student needs,” ASG Chief Justice Paige Williams said. “It serves as a direct line of communication between the student body and faculty and staff, allowing us to advocate for policies and programming that students want to see.” 

One of the ways ASG gathers student input is through its annual student poll, which allows U of A students to share their perspectives on campus issues. The survey helps ASG leaders understand student concerns while identifying opportunities for improvement.

The polls cover a range of topics, including campus safety and wellness initiatives, dining and residence hall experiences, academic resources and student support services. Student participation is anonymous to encourage honest and transparent feedback. In this academic year’s survey, most students reported feeling generally safe on campus, but many want improvement on the lighting in different areas on campus, such as Old Main Lawn, and increased U of A Police Department presence, especially at night.  

“We rely heavily on that data to identify areas of need and guide the initiatives and improvements we focus on within our campus community,” Williams said. 

Along with gathering feedback, students had the opportunity to determine the student leaders who will guide these initiatives next year. 

The online polls were open from March 9-11, where students voted for executive leadership positions within the organization. The ballot included candidates for president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Leading up to the election, candidates campaigned and shared their platforms about their priorities for the upcoming academic year. 

On March 16, the All in Arkansas ticket was announced as the winner of the election, setting the direction for student leadership and advocacy efforts in the upcoming academic year.

The All in Arkansas campaign focused on advocating, collaborating and innovating on behalf of the student body. Their platform emphasized on elevating student voices while strengthening relationships between students, university leadership and the surrounding community. 

Their opponents, the Elevate Arkansas ticket, led by presidential candidate Chas Batta and vice presidential candidate Sutton Shires, centered on three key pillars: belonging, safety and visibility. Their goal was to ensure every student feels represented and has access to information and resources on campus. 

During their debate held March 5, both campaigns discussed their visions for the future of student government and how they would address student concerns on campus. Logan Williams, the presidential candidate for All in Arkansas, advocated to assign Counseling and Psychological Services counselors to each college and expand the Razorbot initiative to assist Registered Student Organization (RSOs) with budgeting. Elevate Arkansas presidential candidate Batta focused on increasing the visibility of the Student Senate to ensure students are aware and understand the solutions that are being implemented on their behalf. 

At its core, ASG exists to ensure all voices of the U of A community continue to be represented. 

“We represent students of different majors, backgrounds, and experiences and advocate for student voices across the university,” Williams said.