Priorities and Principles
The Union of Students of the University of Alaska Anchorage (USUAA) is recognized by the University of Alaska Board of Regents as the governing body for students enrolled at the University of Alaska Anchorage. As stated in the Constitution, the goals of USUAA are to:
- Broaden the educational perspective of the students by instituting a structure of self‐governance.
- Promote the educational needs, general welfare, and rights of the students.
- Serve as a forum for students to express their ideas for enhancing the quality of their educational experience through expanded and improved communications among students, faculty, administration, and beyond.
- Formulate policy and procedures concerning student life.
- Serve all students equally, in accordance with Board of Regents Policy, federal and state law, prohibiting discrimination against individuals, including but not limited, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, physical or mental disability, change in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood.
Strategic Priorities
Preamble to the USUAA Constitution
"We, the members of the Union of Students of the University of Alaska Anchorage, in order to represent student interests, needs, and welfare within the university community; to supplement and complement education on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus; to provide for the expression of student opinion and interests to the community at large; to protect the rights of the students herein stated; and to promote an understanding of the concept of self‐governance, do affirm and establish this Constitution of the Union of Students of the University of Alaska Anchorage."
To these ends, USUAA has three strategic priorities: service, advocacy, and self-governance.
Service
USUAA is dedicated to serving both the UAA student body and the UAA community. As a fee-based organization, USUAA has a duty to contribute, through means such as events and services, to the UAA community. In this pursuit, several events have begun yearly endeavors such as:
- Thanksgiving Feast
- Adopt-A-Road Cleanup
- Little Black Dress Doesn't Mean Yes
- Homecoming Dance
- Mabil Duir Leadership Scholarship
Advocacy
Advocating on behalf of the student body is a priority of USUAA. From the level of student initiatives to Board of Regents policy, USUAA communicates the student perspective and represents their best interests. To ensure the best representation, USUAA hosts yearly events such as:
- Meet the Mayor
- Ask Me Anything (formerly known as Chat with the Chancellor)
- Juneau Advocacy Trip
Self-Governance
Self-governance is a key principle of student government at any university. At UAA, USUAA functions within a reasonable level of autonomy and is led by students. To learn about the structure and individuals that compose USUAA, please see People and Structure. As a student governance organization, USUAA provides many opportunities for students to gain leadership experience such as:
