Once the student government Election Commission rules on the alleged violations in the Undergraduate Student Government presidential elections, we have a few things we'd like to see the new president and the Associated Students of ASU focus on.
Along with the usual calls for leaders to lobby the Legislature and represent the students' voice, we ask the new regime to do one simple thing.
Fix the student government Web site, phone system and record-keeping process. OK, that was three things, but they are simple.
A visit to www.asasu.org is nothing short of laughable. The fancy scrolling announcements box is all but empty and the calendar listings on the right side of the page advertise events in early March. There isn't a single listing for an event that hasn't already happened.
What does this add to (or say about) ASASU's commitment to students?
Following the link to the calendar gives a full report of events, but the opening page is enough to make any student go back to playing online solitaire.
ASASU serves as a representative for all branches of student government. If the Web site is attractive, informative and helpful, it can become a streamlined avenue for students to contact their leaders and learn about the organization.
The problem doesn't end at the computer terminal though.
The phone number listed on the ASASU Web site directs callers to extensions for the branches of student government. Option "2" sends the caller to the vacant line for Undergraduate Student Government.
That's not good for business.
We know as well as anyone how difficult it is to get people to call one number (insert Talk Back reference here) let alone take the effort to continue the quest for yet another number. Students won't take the extra steps unless they're extremely eager (aka: Pissed off).
Fixing the phone number should be a top priority. If students make the effort to call and are informed the number is vacant, they'll likely give up.
There also needs to be a better system of record keeping. A reporter was told no one remembers when a crucial ruling was handed down in the ASASU Supreme Court involving campaign spending.
How can an organization be reformed, monitored or taken seriously if it doesn't have a way to catalog its history?
The information is there ... somewhere. Students can find contact information on the Web site (or on the links to the other branches of government) but they have to dig.
Technology isn't exactly a scarce commodity today. Even Parking and Transit Services has joined the modern world and is encouraging online sales.
