Any attempt to withdraw membership from the Oregon Student Association on this campus is an attempt to silence students and diminish statewide student power.
The OSA is the only statewide, student-led, student-run advocacy group that works to ensure that all Oregon students have access to an affordable and accessible college education. The OSA represents over 120,000 students across Oregon, and it is with that collective statewide power that they are able to effectively advocate for students in the state legislature. Every student at Western benefits immensely from being a member of the OSA and withdrawing membership will be a detriment to all. Please help save statewide student power by voting NO on Bill 4.15 in the upcoming student government elections.
As Western alumni and former student body presidents, we know the importance of the OSA to every student on this campus. The OSA is the organization elected officials rely on to bring a student voice to issues facing higher education in Oregon. Western Oregon students have built incredible collective statewide power and fought for amazing legislative victories that have only been possible because of the work done by the Oregon Student Association.
The OSA fights every year to limit tuition increases and make college more affordable and accessible.
By leveraging its statewide power and influence, students won a tuition freeze for in-state undergraduates on this campus for the last two years.
OSA is also the only lobbying organization that fights for an increase in financial aid.
The OSA was also the leader in winning the long fight for Tuition Equity in Oregon.
The OSA ensured that students had representation in the new government structure at Western and pushed to safeguard student control over the student incidental fee on campus.
These triumphs for Western students would not have been possible without the leadership of and collaboration with OSA.
The OSA not only benefits student through legislative victories, it helps make students better leaders on campus. Through on-campus training and campaigns, the OSA developed us as student leaders and made it possible to affectively advocate for Western students on the statewide level. The ongoing training and development that the OSA provides is essential for creating good leaders at Western. Without the OSA, we would not be the leaders and people we are today and Western would not be the campus it is today.
The OSA is the only advocacy group in Oregon that always puts college students first. Withdrawing membership from the OSA is a huge mistake for Western students to make. Not only would it weaken Western students’ ability to work with other students across the state, it would severely limit students’ influence and power in the state legislature.
Since ASWOU students sit on the Board of Directors for the OSA, then changes could be made from within rather than attempting to duplicate efforts without this collaborative effort statewide. Leave nine other campuses in the state to go it alone is short sided and not strategic.
Be extremely wary of any attempts to limit the collective student voice in Salem. We need students across the state to work together in order to achieve real victories for affordable and accessible higher education in Oregon. Please support statewide student power and the continued membership in the OSA by voting NO on Bill 4.15 in the upcoming student government elections.
As a group of former Western student body presidents we ask you to vote NO on Bill 4.15.
Max Beach ASWOU President 2008-2009
Evan Source ASWOU President 2009-2010
Yasmin Ibarra ASWOU President 2010-2011
Jonathan Farmer ASWOU President 2011-13
Krystonia Kotoa ASWOU President 2013
