The Associated Student Government at the University of Arkansas is launching a new project called the Razorback Action Group, which will advocate on behalf of students. We interviewed Autumn Lewis, the ASG Chief of Staff, to find out more about the group.
What is the Razorback Action Group? Who will be in it? How will it function?
The Razorback Action Group is a group of students who work together to represent the interests of students to elected representatives at the local, state, and national level. The group will collaborate to identify legislative issues that affect students and develop a coordinated effort to fight for the best outcome for the students of the University of Arkansas.
The group will be composed of approximately 6-8 students, selected by the Director of External Affairs (an Associated Student Government cabinet position) and myself. The group will meet to discuss issues about two times per month and will travel to the state capitol in Little Rock in March. In the future, the group will coordinate letter-writing campaigns and additional trips to the capitol.
Where did the idea for the Action Group come from?
The idea for the Razorback Action Group came from a student government conference called SEC Exchange, where all of the student governments from the SEC come together to discuss ideas. The University of Kentucky has a similar group called the Wildcat Action Group that we used to bookmark this group.
What are your goals for the group?
My goals for the group are that it will be a long-lasting, sustained method of representing student interests to elected officials at all levels. I hope that legislators will be more aware of how their actions affect the day-to-day lives of students and that their voting will accurately reflect the need for more investment in higher education in the state of Arkansas.
What do you expect to be the Action Group’s biggest priorities in the coming year?
The highest priority issues for the Razorback Action Group will be higher education funding and scholarships. These issues affect every student on campus because increased funding from the state will most likely result in smaller increases in tuition. Scholarships are also important for many students on campus.
You can read about the Razorback Action Group in the Arkansas Traveler here and here.
