Associated Students of the University of Hawaii
Encyclopedia
The Associated Students of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa (ASUH) is the undergraduate student government representing the 11,000+ full-time, classified, undergraduate students at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. ASUH was chartered by the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents
in 1912 and was originally named the Associated Students of the College of Hawai'i.
, and has been managed by students since 1980 when ASUH received $836,000 from the sale to invest and create a fund for student projects.
and the executive and legislative branches are combined into one general assembly (the ASUH senate). The President and Vice president are popularly elected by the student body and the President presides over the senate. The President appoints committee chairs with the approval of the ASUH senate. The executive members of the senate consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the four Senator at Large positions. In addition to the executive officers, 30 senators representing various colleges of the university make up the senate. The number of senators per college varies on the population of the college, like the United States House of Representatives
.
The Student Court, which is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, consists of 7 members. The Court has final jurisdiction in all matters pertaining to the ASUH Constitution and By-Laws and in all cases resulting from ASUH senate legislation.
KTUH was issued its first educational FM license on September 29, 1969. The Speech-Communications Department obtained administrative control and line funding of KTUH after it became a FM station while ASUH continued to publish the station's program guides as a quasi-stipulation of the Board of Regents at the time of the transfer. In 1977, KTUH was overseen by the Director of the Bureau of Student Activities and developed as a student organization similar in design and intent to other previously chartered organizations. KTUH became a Chartered Student Organization on April 6, 1982, after a proposal was made to the Chancellor recommending that KTUH became a chartered organization. It was chartered under the organization name, Broadcast Communication Authority (BCA).
The proposal had support from both students and public transit authorities. ASUH collected over 2,200 signatures from the student body supporting the U-PASS initiative, over 604 pieces of written testimony at UH Manoa libraries (77% in support), and over 1,500 online testimonies from an online U-PASS survey (90% in support). In addition, resolutions of support were passed by: the UH System Student Caucus, Sustainable Saunders, Manoa Neighborhood Board, McCully/Moili’ili Neighborhood Board, and the Honolulu City Council Committee on Transportation & Planning.
ASUH proposed the student fee to the University of Hawaii Board of Regents
on March 20, 2009. The U-PASS initiative was approved unanimously with no reservations for a 2 year pilot program. The U-PASS program began in Spring 2010 and will conclude in Fall 2011. ASUH will need to meet with the Board of Regents again if they wish to continue the U-PASS pilot program as a permanent program.
Grant Teichman, a junior at the university and president of the student association, said the ban would infringe on the rights of those who can legally drink."It's pretty clear across the nation that banning alcohol doesn't stop the problem," said Teichman, noting that the student association represents 13,000 undergraduate students, of which half are age 21 or older. "Let's pick the best solution and not the fastest one."
ESPN further reported,"It's really going to hurt the students who just want to go out there and have a good time," said Teichman, noting that 40 student senators representing all university programs have unanimously voted against the ban."It will dramatically affect tailgating, one of the few traditions that our students have," he said.
ASUH also spearheaded a comprehensive management audit for University of Hawaii Student Housing Services enacted by S.C.R. 97 passed by the Hawaii State Legislature. ASUH requested the audit after numerous reports of sexual harassment, embezzlement, waste, fraud, abuse and other illegal activities by student housing employees were reported.
during the 1989 homecoming game. The crowd showered the mascot with debris, catcalls, and insults. ASUH called an emergency session and recalled its act three days later. Bows-O was not the official name of the mascot. Mark Takai (ASUH President '89), stated that ASUH "sponsored a contest to give it a name that coincided with the university's nickname, the Rainbows. But before we found a winner, everyone was calling it Bows-O and the name stuck, much to our embarrassment."
and America's bombing of Cambodia
. The Leeward Community College student and faculty senates both voted to set aside May 11-16, 1970 as "a special week for consideration of U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia." About three thousand people attended a rally in Andrews Outdoor Theatre (now known as Andrew's Ampitheatre). Class attendance at Manoa was significantly lower during the days the protest was held. University of Hawai'i President Harlan Cleveland directed that no one be failed or given a lower grade for being on strike, since students "have the right to absent themselves on a matter of conscience."
, James Farmer
, Robert Simmons of the Louisiana White Citizens Council, Communist Party boss Gus Hall
, and American Nazi fuhrer George Lincoln Rockwell
. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at Andrew's Ampitheatre.
ASUH senator Patsy Mink
, the ASUH Statehood committee chair in January 1948, met with U.S. Senator Guy Cordon of Oregon to get support for statehood. In 1948, the statehood bill that remained stuck in a U.S. Senate committee failed to move to the full Senate. It took another decade before Hawai'i became the 50th state of the United States in 1959.
Board of Regents
In the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...
in 1912 and was originally named the Associated Students of the College of Hawai'i.
Budget
The student government manages a stock portfolio currently worth around $6.16 million dollars, of which up to 5 percent is withdrawn annually to fund the senate's yearly budget. The student government money originally came from the 1975 sale of the Honolulu StadiumHonolulu Stadium
Honolulu Stadium was a stadium located in the Moiliili district of Honolulu, Hawai'i, at the corner of King and Isenberg Streets. It was opened in 1926 and demolished in 1976. It was the primary sports venue in Hawai'i preceding Aloha Stadium. Famous athletes who competed in Honolulu Stadium...
, and has been managed by students since 1980 when ASUH received $836,000 from the sale to invest and create a fund for student projects.
Office
The ASUH office is currently located in Campus Center 211. Before the construction of the Campus Center, the ASUH office was located in Hemenway Hall along with the University's cafeteria, mail room, and bookstore.Structure
ASUH is based on the parliamentary systemParliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
and the executive and legislative branches are combined into one general assembly (the ASUH senate). The President and Vice president are popularly elected by the student body and the President presides over the senate. The President appoints committee chairs with the approval of the ASUH senate. The executive members of the senate consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the four Senator at Large positions. In addition to the executive officers, 30 senators representing various colleges of the university make up the senate. The number of senators per college varies on the population of the college, like the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
The Student Court, which is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, consists of 7 members. The Court has final jurisdiction in all matters pertaining to the ASUH Constitution and By-Laws and in all cases resulting from ASUH senate legislation.
Elections
ASUH elections are held three times a year. The General Election takes place once a year during the Spring semester in April. During the General Election, all seats are open for election. Special Elections may take place during the Fall and Spring semesters to fill any vacancies that occur in the senate throughout the year. All senate members serve one year terms. Elections take place online at each University of Hawai'i students' MyUH account to ensure a fair election.Current Standing Committees
The senate currently has seven standing committees: the Campus Life committee, the Elections committee, the External Affairs committee, the Finance and Investments committee, the Internal Affairs Committee, and the Student Affairs committee. Each committee is overseen by a chair and vice-chair and each person on senate is required to be a member of two committees.KTUH: 1966-1982
KTUH, the student run radio station at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, began as a standing committee of ASUH in 1966. KTUH was an AM closed circuit operation and reached the residence halls. ASUH oversaw the funding and operations of KTUH for its first three years. On September 28, 1967, ASUH passed a resolution asking UH President Thomas Hamilton to apply for an FM educational license. In December 1968, under the sponsorship of ASUH Senator Ken Kuniyuki, ASUH passed another resolution petitioning the Board of Regents to apply for an FM educational license. On January 8, 1969, the Board of Regents authorized the administration to file for a 10 watt FM radio station.KTUH was issued its first educational FM license on September 29, 1969. The Speech-Communications Department obtained administrative control and line funding of KTUH after it became a FM station while ASUH continued to publish the station's program guides as a quasi-stipulation of the Board of Regents at the time of the transfer. In 1977, KTUH was overseen by the Director of the Bureau of Student Activities and developed as a student organization similar in design and intent to other previously chartered organizations. KTUH became a Chartered Student Organization on April 6, 1982, after a proposal was made to the Chancellor recommending that KTUH became a chartered organization. It was chartered under the organization name, Broadcast Communication Authority (BCA).
Board of Publications: 1966
On June 11, 1966, the University of Hawai’i Board of Regents approved the reorganization and subsequent separation of the Board of Publications (BOP) from ASUH as a BOR Chartered Student Organization.U-PASS Initiative: 2008 - Present
In order to help reduce traffic, combat the low availability of student parking, and decrease the cost of bus passes, issues which were affecting a large number of students, in 2008 ASUH proposed a mandatory $20 student fee that would grant all fee paying students a bus pass (U-PASS) for the entire semester. At that time, the U-PASS was an optional $100 per semester a student could choose to pay if they wanted a bus pass. Henry Cheng (97th senate), an ASUH senator who led the U-PASS initiative with ASUH Secretary Kiara Sakamoto (97th senate), said, "TheBus is hoping that the mandatory university wide U-Pass will encourage more students to ride the bus, which will help the company when it applies for federal funding."The proposal had support from both students and public transit authorities. ASUH collected over 2,200 signatures from the student body supporting the U-PASS initiative, over 604 pieces of written testimony at UH Manoa libraries (77% in support), and over 1,500 online testimonies from an online U-PASS survey (90% in support). In addition, resolutions of support were passed by: the UH System Student Caucus, Sustainable Saunders, Manoa Neighborhood Board, McCully/Moili’ili Neighborhood Board, and the Honolulu City Council Committee on Transportation & Planning.
ASUH proposed the student fee to the University of Hawaii Board of Regents
Board of Regents
In the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...
on March 20, 2009. The U-PASS initiative was approved unanimously with no reservations for a 2 year pilot program. The U-PASS program began in Spring 2010 and will conclude in Fall 2011. ASUH will need to meet with the Board of Regents again if they wish to continue the U-PASS pilot program as a permanent program.
Preservation of Alcohol Sales at Aloha Stadium: 2006
In 2006, ASUH successfully led the effort against Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona in order to to preserve alcohol sales at Aloha Stadium. The ASUH Senate voted unanimously to oppose the proposed alcohol ban in both the Aloha Stadium parking lot and seating areas. ASUH was the only major Hawaii organization to oppose the ban.Grant Teichman, a junior at the university and president of the student association, said the ban would infringe on the rights of those who can legally drink."It's pretty clear across the nation that banning alcohol doesn't stop the problem," said Teichman, noting that the student association represents 13,000 undergraduate students, of which half are age 21 or older. "Let's pick the best solution and not the fastest one."
ESPN further reported,"It's really going to hurt the students who just want to go out there and have a good time," said Teichman, noting that 40 student senators representing all university programs have unanimously voted against the ban."It will dramatically affect tailgating, one of the few traditions that our students have," he said.
Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project: 2006
In 2006, ASUH began a high-profile advocacy initiative in support of the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project. ASUH first backed Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in his effort to obtain federal funding for a mass transit solution for the City and County of Honolulu. The mayor later lost ASUH support after his decision to remove the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus from the proposed initial operating 21-mile segment of rail.Frear Hall Renovation Financing and Student Housing Services Audit: 2005
In 2005, ASUH worked in concert with University administrators in order to successfully advocate for $100 million in revenue bonds and $25 million general obligation bonds enacted by H.B. 19 and signed into law by Gov. Linda Lingle. ASUH organized a media blitz around the creation of a tent city on Bachman Lawn in order to demonstrate students would rather live in tents than the dilapidated student housing facilities.ASUH also spearheaded a comprehensive management audit for University of Hawaii Student Housing Services enacted by S.C.R. 97 passed by the Hawaii State Legislature. ASUH requested the audit after numerous reports of sexual harassment, embezzlement, waste, fraud, abuse and other illegal activities by student housing employees were reported.
UH Mascot: 1989
In 1989, ASUH allocated $1,600 to create a new mascot. Bows-O the mascot was pink, gap-toothed, and wore a cartoon version of a football helmet. It made its debut at Aloha StadiumAloha Stadium
Aloha Stadium is a stadium located in the Halawa CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Currently Aloha Stadium is home to the University of Hawaii Warriors football team...
during the 1989 homecoming game. The crowd showered the mascot with debris, catcalls, and insults. ASUH called an emergency session and recalled its act three days later. Bows-O was not the official name of the mascot. Mark Takai (ASUH President '89), stated that ASUH "sponsored a contest to give it a name that coincided with the university's nickname, the Rainbows. But before we found a winner, everyone was calling it Bows-O and the name stuck, much to our embarrassment."
Vietnam War Protest: 1970s
In May 1970, ASUH called for a week-long strike to protest the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and America's bombing of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. The Leeward Community College student and faculty senates both voted to set aside May 11-16, 1970 as "a special week for consideration of U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia." About three thousand people attended a rally in Andrews Outdoor Theatre (now known as Andrew's Ampitheatre). Class attendance at Manoa was significantly lower during the days the protest was held. University of Hawai'i President Harlan Cleveland directed that no one be failed or given a lower grade for being on strike, since students "have the right to absent themselves on a matter of conscience."
ASUH Lecture Series: 1960s
During the 1960s, ASUH sponsored visiting lectures at UH. Notable speakers include, Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
, James Farmer
James L. Farmer, Jr.
James Leonard Farmer, Jr. was a civil rights activist and leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. He was the initiator and organizer of the 1961 Freedom Ride, which eventually led to the desegregation of inter-state transportation in the United States.In 1942, Farmer co-founded the Committee...
, Robert Simmons of the Louisiana White Citizens Council, Communist Party boss Gus Hall
Gus Hall
Gus Hall, born Arvo Kustaa Hallberg , was a leader and Chairman of the Communist Party USA and its four-time U.S. presidential candidate. As a labor leader, Hall was closely associated with the so-called "Little Steel" Strike of 1937, an effort to unionize the nation's smaller, regional steel...
, and American Nazi fuhrer George Lincoln Rockwell
George Lincoln Rockwell
George Lincoln Rockwell was the founder of the American Nazi Party. Rockwell was a major figure in the neo-Nazi movement in the United States, and his beliefs and writings have continued to be influential among white nationalists and neo-Nazis.-Early life:Rockwell was born in Bloomington,...
. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at Andrew's Ampitheatre.
Hawai'i Statehood: 1946 - 1959
Around 1946, ASUH began conducting a national letter-writing campaign advocating for statehood. Student delegates attended a mock convention two years later to draft a "model" state constitution. In March 1946, ASUH senator Ralph Toyota who was chair of the now defunct Statehood committee, worked with ASUH senators Tom McCabe and Mary Matsumoto to produce a statehood brochure that was sent to all mainland colleges, asking students for their support in promoting statehood for Hawai'i.ASUH senator Patsy Mink
Patsy Mink
Patsy Matsu Takemoto Mink was an American politician from the U.S. state of Hawaii. Mink was a third generation Japanese American and member of the Democratic Party. She also was the Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.Mink served in the U.S...
, the ASUH Statehood committee chair in January 1948, met with U.S. Senator Guy Cordon of Oregon to get support for statehood. In 1948, the statehood bill that remained stuck in a U.S. Senate committee failed to move to the full Senate. It took another decade before Hawai'i became the 50th state of the United States in 1959.
Building of Hemenway Hall: 1938
Hemenway Hall, originally known as the Union building, was built in 1938. It consisted of a cafeteria, lounges, and offices for the student newspaper, the Ka Leo, and the ASUH office. ASUH and the student body contributed $12,000 while faculty, alumn, and the Women's Campus Club gave $10,000. The remaining $85,000 needed to construct the building was contributed by the regents. In 1940 the Union building was renamed after Charles Hemenway.State Elected Officials
- Scott Nishimoto(President '96)- Hawaii State House of Representatives
- Jon Karamatsu(Vice-President '97)- Hawaii State House of Representatives
- K. Mark Takai (President '89)- Hawaii State House of Representatives
- Sylvia (Chang) Luke (President '88) - Hawaii State House of Representatives
- Carl Takamura (President '65)- Hawaii State House of Representatives
- David Ige (Secretary '78) - Hawaii State Senate.
- Winston Sakurai (Secretary '92) - Hawaii State Board of Education.
- Donna Tanoue (Secretary '75) - former chairperson of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in Washington, D.C.
- Simeon Acoba (Vice President '64)- appointed to the Hawaii State Supreme Court
- Nelson Doi (President '44) - appointed a Circuit Court Judge and later was elected Lt. Governor
- Edward Towse (President '28)- appointed chief justice of the Territorial Supreme Court
Judicial Appointees
- Walter Chuck (President '40)
- Barry Rubin (President '49)
- Linda Luke (President '70)
Other State Offices
- Capsun Poe (Secretary '99)- first ASUH executive officer to be appointed as the student member on the UH Board of Regents
- Scott Leithead (Vice President '69)- former Board of Regents
- Daniel Ishii (President '75) - appointed to the Board of Regents
- Michael Dahilig (President '02) - served as a student regent/current At Large BOR member
- Grant Teichman (President '05-'06) - appointed to the Board of Regents
- Kristopher Kaupalolo (Vice President '01)- appointed to the Hawaii State Post-Secondary Education Commission.