University of Missouri

The Associated Students of the University of Missouri

ASUM CELEBRATES ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY

ASUM celebrates 30 years of outstanding service to UM system students and 30 years of strong history this year.

Student-led ASUM serves fellow university students by assuring that the student voice is heard on legislative issues that impact college students and higher education in general. ASUM is the UM student voice in state and federal government.

30 Years of Strong ASUM History:

In June of 1975 MU´s Missouri Student Association requested that the UM Board of Curators approve a student fee to support the ASUM organization. Supporting philosophies for a Student Advocacy Program at the University of Missouri-Columbia, to be called ASUM, were: student welfare can be promoted through participation in the political process and a better public awareness of the "role of higher education" in the state of Missouri be enhanced.

The Board approved the request. Within a few months, ASUM was "up and running."

Student proponents of the establishment of ASUM wrote in their proposal, "Experiences derived from this program will provide students with an opportunity to define and make their contribution to the development of a better educational environment."

In 1979, ASUM expanded to the UMSL campus, with MS&T joining in 1987 and UMKC becoming a member of ASUM in 1988. Since 1988, ASUM has represented all University of Missouri system students. The four-campus representation in ASUM makes it a stronger organization, more able to understand student issues, and better able to establish a presence at the Capitol.

ASUM started its internship program in 1976. Over the past 29 years, 225 UM students have served as ASUM legislative interns. Numerous ASUM legislative interns are current and past Missouri legislators and others work in Washington D.C. Some former ASUM legislative interns are working as professional lobbyists and others are active in local government.

30 Years of a Consistent ASUM Mission:

ASUM has remained true to its mission over the past 30 years. ASUM´s mission is to:

• Educate students about the political process
• Increase political awareness, concern, and participation among students
• Provide the public with information concerning student interests
• Channel student energy and interest in the governmental process

30 Years of ASUM Programs:

ASUM achieves its mission through programs including: voter registration; inviting legislators to campus to interact with and hear students; lobby day at the State Capitol annually; state and federal student internship experiences; ongoing communication to students about issues of importance to them; and steering legislation that benefits students and higher education in Missouri (state sales tax exemption on university textbooks that saves Missouri students over $6 million per year, establishment of the Bright Flight Scholarship, obtaining student representation to the Board of Curators, to name a few).

ASUM has some set programs that have endured over the years that include:

• Annual Student Showcase (lobby day at the State Capitol)
• Ongoing voter registration drives and education
• Major election polling sites on UM campuses
• Lunch or Dinner with a Legislator series
• Ambassador Program on each UM campus

And then there are newer programs to include:

• Student VOICES Project
• Student Advocacy Network
• ASUM Day at the Capitol

SUM, at the central and UM campus levels, offers many opportunities for student involvement. Check out the full web site to learn about the programs and find out how to get more involved on your specific campus.

30 Years of ASUM Legislative Success:

Missouri State Representative Sam Page (D-82) helped start ASUM at UMKC and says this of his involvement, "ASUM introduced me to the legislative process. I quickly learned that state government makes decisions that have a direct impact on the University, and I learned how to influence those decisions."

ASUM seeks ideas for its legislative platform from UM students so that their work is focused on issues that are important to the student body.

Over the past 30 years, ASUM has been instrumental in legislation of positive impact to university students, and their families as well. Specific legislation, in which ASUM was instrumental, includes:

• 1977 Legislation giving 18 year olds the right to consent to medical treatment
• 1984 Placement of a non-voting student representative on Board of Curators and
• Regents in public universities in the state
• 1986 Bright Flight Scholarship, Greek tax reassessment, foreign teaching assistant legislation signed into law
• 1989 Information to Congress on reauthorization of higher education act
• 1995 Legislation to increase the penalty for hazing
• 1999 Legislation allowing Student representative to the Board of Curators to attend closed meetings
• 2001 Loan forgiveness program that provides incentives for teachers and medical and veterinary doctors to work in high-demand areas of Missouri.

ASUM has also been instrumental in legislation in the areas of anti-hazing, mail-in balloting, strengthening of landlord-tenant legislation, increased funding for the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, engineering laboratory equipment funding, tax refunds, environmental issues, gender equality, simplified voter registration, increased scholarship funding, Missouri College Guarantee Program passage, loan forgiveness programs for medical and veterinary doctors and teachers who service high-need areas of Missouri, passage of the MOST program which allows state tax breaks and other incentives to save for higher education, 18 year old jurors, and minimum wage, to name a few.

Perhaps the best known accomplishment of ASUM was their contribution to legislation that eliminated state sales tax on textbooks for university students, saving Missouri students, and their families, over $6 million per year.

“As a legislative intern, I have gained a better understanding of state government and how it affects Missouri residents. As an ASUM lobbyist, my focus was on student issues. I am now more aware of how state government impacts the University system, especially the students.”
Katy Murphy, UMC, 2005 Intern.

30 Years of Active ASUM Alumni:

ASUM provides multiple opportunities for UM students to become involved, in a hands-on, practical manner. ASUM offers an Ambassadors Program, state legislative internships for academic credit, a federal level internship for academic credit, student staff positions, opportunities to plan and host legislator visits to campus, an annual lobby day at the State Capitol, numerous voter registration drives and polling sites on UM campuses, and much more.

Through these many student involvement opportunities, over 30 years of time, several ASUM alumni have gone on to serve as state legislators, some work for the federal government in various capacities, some serve on City Councils, and yet others became professional lobbyist.

For example, Sam Page (D-82) and Jim Avery (R-95), both current Missouri Representatives, served as leaders in ASUM. Representative Page was instrumental in starting ASUM on the UMKC campus, while Representative Avery took the lead in starting an active UMSL ASUM chapter. Governor Blunts´s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy is an ASUM alumnus. And there are many others who work in government who got their start in ASUM.

Representative Page says of his time in ASUM, "ASUM introduced me to the legislative process. I quickly learned that state government makes decisions that have a direct impact on the University, and I learned how to influence those decisions." Sam Page served on the ASUM Board of Directors 988-1991.

ASUM, upon its 30 th year anniversary, is proud of its many alumnus who, because of or through their exposure in ASUM, pursued an even-deeper involvement in government and who will, we hope, always remember the university student when crafting legislation and casting a vote.

29 Years of ASUM Real-World Experience:

This year marks the 30th anniversary of ASUM and also marks the 29 th year of the ASUM Legislative Internship Program.

UM students, through the ASUM program, serve as legislative interns and lobbyists in the State Capitol, working directly with legislators on issues that impact college students and higher education.

Thomas Helton, UMSL ASUM Executive Board member, remarks, "The internship program is a pride point of ASUM. ASUM is known for its student lobbyists and their accomplishments in Jefferson City. Through the internship program, ASUM is able to be the voice for 63,000+ UM students and to impact decisions made in state government that impact the lives of university students."

And past legislative interns remark... "There is absolutely no replacement for hands-on experience. I have met and talked with Representatives and Senators from all over the state of Missouri. I always considered the possibility of running for office one day and this experience has put that possibility within my reach. I would not trade what I have learned for anything." Bren Phillips, MS&T, 2005 Intern.

"As a legislative intern, I have gained a better understanding of state government and how it affects Missouri residents. As an ASUM lobbyist, my focus was on student issues. I am now more aware of how state government impacts the University system, especially the students." Katy Murphy, UMC, 2005 Intern.

To find more information about 30 th Anniversary celebrations, ASUM in general, student involvement opportunities on your campus, and how to have your voice heard in government, contact ASUM Central Office at (573) 882-2701 or contact us at tankersleybankheade@missouri.edu

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