To advance the status of their current campaigns, members of the Associated Students of Madison University Affairs Committee collaborated with another ASM leader Tuesday.
ASM Shared Governance Chair Morgan Rae worked with University Affair members, detailing various committees within shared governance that could aid their campaigns.
Shared governance is compromised of about 150 students who are assigned to more than 70 campus-wide committees each year.
“The committees are so interrelated that without shared [governance], we don’t really have the same voice that we do on campus issues,” said University Affairs Chair John Paetsch. “Some of the things we have done historically in this committee wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for shared [governance]. protections and the state constitution and having them protected at our administrative level.”
Current University Affairs campaigns include increasing access to mental health treatment on campus, textbook affordability, creating additional language certificates and peer mentorships.
Paetsch said the wide variety of shared governance committees, such as the Council on Academic Advising and Letters and Sciences Curriculum Committee, will help University Affairs members complete their semester campaign goals.
The future of shared governance is currently unknown as Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed state budget could remove it from state statute, yet Paetsch said shared governance is necessary to pursue future campaigns.
“I think it’s important we keep educating future leaders on campus that this is still something that we should fight for, something that’s important for what we do as students in our government situation,” Paetsch said.
