Spring Wrap-up: ASUAF Elections, Budget Changes, Plans for Fall

By Amber McCain

As the Spring 2025 semester winds down, the Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks has been busy wrapping up elections, updating its annual budget, and laying the groundwork for student-focused initiatives for next year.

In the recent student government elections, Jackson Nelson and Yan Vyshynskyi were elected as ASUAF’s next president and vice president for the 2025-2026 academic year. They’ll step in alongside six newly elected senators: Alan Nunn, Alexander Blacken, Sarah Bahnke, Eugene Wilts, Noah Kempski, and Oakley Powell. ASUAF will still have 13 open seats next year and encourages students to get involved.

President-elect Nelson has expressed a strong interest in making ASUAF more visible and active on campus and in the Fairbanks community. Along with Vyshynskyi and ASUAF’s new advisor, Victoria Thompson, Nelson hopes to focus on increasing student engagement, pursuing sponsorship opportunities, and rebranding the organization after several quieter years. During the interview with Escobar, the president-elect, Nelson walked past in a chicken suit and waved.

“Yeah, we’re doing some marketing,” Escobar said. The marketing was for a student feedback forum held on April 24 to gather input from students on what their priorities and concerns are moving into the next academic year.

One issue that’s already gained attention is the concern about housing and meal plans. According to Fernando Escobar, ASUAF’s public relations director, many students were unaware of changes due to inconsistent communication from university departments. This sparked ASUAF to strengthen communication between students and the university administration in the future.

On the financial side, ASUAF has passed its budget for the upcoming academic year. The organization is projecting approximately $135,500 in revenue. The new budget includes increases in billable hours for the ASUAF president, vice president, and secretary positions and raises for the senate clerk, public relations director, and advisor. There were also several cuts, including reductions to student travel funding, club funding, senate project budgets, and contingency funds. A previously designated $10,000 ADA fund, which had been used to purchase accessibility equipment, was entirely spent and removed from the new budget. These changes reflect the shift in ASUAF’s priorities toward more direct student support and leadership visibility. ASUAF will review and revise its governing documents over the summer, including its constitution and bylaws. The proposed revisions will be presented to the Senate in the fall semester.

ASUAF also recently supported a resolution to adopt a local stretch of highway, which will be maintained through cleanups organized by the student government and other campus groups. The resolution was proposed by Senator Sammy Bass and passed with support.

Student travel and research continue to be important areas of focus. This spring, ASUAF helped fund Victor Devaux-Chupin, a student who presented glacier research at the European Geophysical Union conference in Vienna, Austria, followed by a workshop in Norway. ASUAF plans to increase travel funding next year, allowing students to apply for up to $1,000 to attend academic and professional conferences. According to Escobar, most applicants this year were STEM majors, but all students are encouraged to apply regardless of major.

ASUAF allocated funding to a few student clubs this spring through its club funding process. Two groups in particular received support: the UAF Native Games Club and the UAF Soccer Club. The Native Games Club was awarded $1,000 to purchase equipment for traditional Alaska Native sporting events. This included team shirts, an Inuit pull stick, a toe kick stick, a kickstand, and other gear such as backpacks and shipping costs. These materials will allow the club to continue offering hands-on cultural experiences and competitions here on campus. The UAF Soccer Club applied for funding to help them cover tournament expenses, including field rental fees, referee costs, prizes for participants, and repairing holes in nets. ASUAF encourages all clubs recognized by Student Leadership & Involvement (SLI) to apply for funding for small-scale items or maintenance-based needs. Their goal is to support student-led activities all across campus.

Students with ideas, concerns, or questions are encouraged to stop by the ASUAF office or email asuaf.office@alaska.edu or asuaf-pr@alaska.edu. Escobar said, “We’re really trying our best to be present, to listen, and to make sure students know we’re here for them.”