The Andrews University Student Association (AUSA) was established in 1922. Andrews’ 2024-25 bulletin claims it’s a “hub of undergraduate campus activity.” In fact, every student taking five credits or more is automatically a member. But what exactly is this organization responsible for? I interviewed Jacob Kwon, AUSA president, to find out.
“We are no longer just a party planning committee.” During our interview, Jacob made sure to drive this point home. The previous year he served as the AUSA financial vice president; during this time, the association started a transition away from simply planning events to playing a role in our university's policies. As the current president, Jacob is continuing this by talking to students and pushing for changes.
He defined the process of changing Andrews policies as follows. The first step is “Talk to us; if you have problems, please talk to us. We are here for you.” Especially, he says, if you're being negatively affected by an Andrews policy. He noted that change takes time so results may not be immediate, but that he wants to serve as the bridge between students and administration. To achieve this first step, you can find Jacob’s team in their office during posted hours or contact them through email. After this, his team conducts research into the policy, forming a proposal consisting of testimonies, statistics, logic, and so on. This is then presented to the vice president for Campus and Student Life, who proposes it to the university and Board of Trustees. Thus, through this pipeline, the Andrews student body has a voice in larger campus policies.
“Changing policy is hard; it takes time, patience, planning, and strategy,” Jacob said. Since this shift in focus from event planning to policy only started in the last couple of years, his team is still ironing out the details. For instance, during the pandemic, many records and assets, such as media platforms, were lost. They now have to spend valuable time trying to salvage what they can. “It’s hard to propose a change,” Jacob said, “when you don’t even know what changes happened during past years.”
Despite these difficulties, it’s clear that Jacob believes in the work his team is doing. While it may not be as flashy as festive events, AUSA’s new direction has a much higher potential to bring about meaningful change. Jacob declined to comment on the projects he is currently working on, but students should anticipate announcements regarding potential changes in the near future.
Why should students care about an association they are automatically enrolled in? As Jacob puts it, “We [AUSA] are the bridge between students and administration. We are trying to fulfill our roles as civil servants and work for the students.” The movement toward their goals is slow, but if continued, it can bring forward a more cohesive university. One where the administration can be certain students are being helped by their policies and where students don’t feel cheated or uncared for.
From the interview, I can tell part of his passion as president comes from his love of Andrews and the people here. This is echoed by his final remarks. When asked what he wanted to tell his fellow students, he responded, “Talk to us. If you even just want to say hello, please come and chat.”
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.