Welcome home to the “promised land” of the Palouse. This is such a special time to be in Pullman, as Cougs from all across the world make their way back to WSU, which truly creates an incredibly infectious energy around town. Cougs represent the best our state has to offer, and regardless of background, income or experience you are all now Cougs, unified by the common love for Crimson and Gray.

Hopefully by now you have gotten comfortable in your residence hall and are meeting fellow Cougs. Take advantage of this time, explore new things and talk to strangers. WSU has so much to offer, but you will only find it if you look for it.

Over the past four years, we have added amenities to each side of campus, so that no matter where you live you will get the same incredible experience as your peers across campus. This is your time to embark on an incredible journey of exploration and self-discovery.

ASWSU is here to support you in that journey. ASWSU serves as the official student government for the over 17,000 undergraduates here at WSU. Our job is two-fold: First, we want to be a resource for students. When students see an area of need, ASWSU will either provide the resource or lobby the university or legislature to add the resource.

The second major role that we play is being an advocate for students. Through university governance committees and meetings with university administration, ASWSU seeks to convey the voice of students in order to bring about positive change.

Given the magnitude of these tasks, ASWSU employs a large team of students every academic year. Similar to the U.S. government, we are composed of three branches. Our executive branch consists of eight departments that focus on advocacy, policy and resources. One example is our department of Health and Safety, which works on issues regarding sexual assault, campus climate and mental health.

Our legislative branch is our Senate, where bills and resolutions are passed. Bills are edits to the governing documents of ASWSU, which helps us govern and represent students better. Resolutions are official statements made on behalf of the Association and student body.

Our third and final branch is our judicial branch. The judicial branch hosts our judicial board, which consists of eight justices who are responsible for interpreting our governing documents and resolving conflicts within the association.

Aside from our branches, we also have 13 service and programming committees, which are more focused in their scope. The Black Student Union, Environmental Sustainability Alliance and Student Veterans’ Committee are three of our committees that each represent a specific cause or group of students on campus.

Our key focus this year is on four pillars: community, academics, transparency and safety. Under each of those pillars, we have some key projects and initiatives we would like to complete in order to make our university better. Visit our website to read details about each pillar and ways you can contribute to one or all of them.

We also have a plethora of involvement opportunities for first-year students and would love to get you involved right away. You can find information on our website about the committee process and how to get plugged in.

If you ever have questions or concerns about any aspect of your time here at WSU, please do not hesitate to reach out. I would love to meet you and learn about what brought you here to WSU, but also to share about how ASWSU can be a strong resource and advocate for you. You can email me at [email protected] or come visit my office in CUB Room 314B.

Welcome to the Cougar family!