Recap of the Sept. 21 ASUAF meeting
By Lilian Coy
ASUAF begins 2026-27 year with new Senators, events and policy plans.
As the first month of classes passed and Interior Alaska’s short autumn reached its peak, the Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks student government began filling vacant seats and planning events for the 2026-27 school year.
The senate meeting on Sept. 21 covered a variety of topics, including new senators, upcoming events and proposed changes to ASUAF’s governing documents. Twelve newly elected senators were sworn in, filling the majority of the vacant seats and bringing new perspectives to the UAF student government.
The newly sworn-in senators are:
Seat A: Elijah Bell
Seat C: Nolan Morse
Seat F: Preston Hammond
Seat G: Liam Wade
Seat H: Alicia Torres
Seat I: Charlie Andrews
Seat J: Kim Chlupp
Seat K: Cameron Simoneaux
Seat O: Carson Lyons
Seat P: Erik Manousaridis
Seat Q: Jerrick Edwardsen
Seat R: Niklas Wojtkowiak
The senate reviewed the previous week’s events and discussed upcoming plans. ASUAF hosted the Fairbanks School Board Candidate Forum on Sept. 17 and will continue supporting local civic engagement by hosting the Municipal Candidate Forum on Sept. 29.
Planning has also begun for this year’s Friendsgiving feast and celebration, in coordination with the Honors Student Advisory Council. Last year, more than 300 students attended.
Plans are also underway for a Halloween Rave. Noticing a lack of free and accessible events on campus during Halloween in recent years, the Concert Board plans to bring in a DJ and host the celebration in the Great Hall.
Officials discussed progress with the Office of Rights, Compliance and Accountability to enact community-building preventative measures. The External Affairs committee is looking into complaints relating to the Community and Technical College’s bus routes.
The Senate-at-Large is also interested in addressing artificial intelligence on campus and in educational settings, including the possibility of establishing more consistent policies in conjunction with the Faculty Senate.
A new committee, the Constitutional-Bylaw Review Committee, was also proposed. Its purpose would be “efficiently overhauling ASUAF governing documents.” If approved, the committee would focus on the process of reviewing and updating ASUAF’s governing documents for clarity.
With significant turnover in the Senate, ASUAF is entering a transition period for the 2026-27 school year. The newly elected senators will now begin working on upcoming events, policy discussions and other issues affecting the UAF student body.