The University contributes $30,000 to an organization that most students have never heard about – the UNC Association of Student Governments. It’s an organization that has floundered in years past trying to establish an identity but is finally beginning to find its niche.  Is it perfect yet? No. But it’s moving toward improvement. The leaders have moved past last year’s ethical scandal involving the past President and they’ve found some stability while at the same time increasing participation and providing a forum for exchange of ideas.  Students at every UNC Campus put in $1 to fund an organization that’s supposed to be representing students within the UNC system — specifically by using the hard fought student position on the UNC Board of Governors.  The organizations holds monthly meetings to discuss issues at different campuses and policy is hammered out on issues such as textbooks and tuition. All great and wonderful things – but this may be the fault of ASG.  It’s too cumbersome, it’s too bureaucratic and it paralyzes itself with policy.  Policy is important of course, but is a policy making body really worth the nearly $200,000 that students across the UNC System have put into the association?  At that cost, we may as well put a lobbyist on the payroll and rotate the UNC Board of Governors seat between the 16 campuses on a yearly basis. ASG needs to establish a brand outside the Student Government types. They need to make an impact, involve students and be an organization that formulates opportunities for students to meet with legislators and administrators. They’ve scheduled a student’s day at the General Assembly but has it really been publicized to anyone outside the Student Government officials at the last General Assembly meeting?    Here’s my two cents – all it’s really worth, but it may be something from an outsider looking in. Slash the budget. Money is typically the root of problems for an organization that doesn’t facilitate appropriations. It’s a source of contention, a source of power and potentially a source of corruption. I can hardly stomach the salaries of our own Student Government officials. Move away from mass policy meetings. They’re pointless to some and could be conducted at zero cost via conference call or video conferencing that’s available at all campuses. Policy can be handled by a small group of people.   Provide opportunities for all sorts of student leaders at each campus to be an advocate. Publicize, include and invite more than just the standard student government types – they don’t exactly always understand every concern at a particular campus. Move toward a service based organization that provides information and opportunities at a fraction of the cost. Give students a reason to know what the acronym “ASG” stands for and move beyond the student government circles. As the UNC ASG President, Greg Doucette, noted in a phone conversation with me – the association has improved – but as I’ll point out, its not quite perfect.