Former Director of Finance for the Associated Students of the University of Portland (ASUP) Joey Paumier resigned Nov. 1. Paumier cited the weight of the emotionally exhausting and taxing semester for his resignation, and said he needed time to focus on mental health.
“When I was elected into this position, I can’t emphasize enough the joy that I felt being able to serve the students of UP on financial matters,” Paumier said in his resignation letter to ASUP. “But more now than ever, I need to find that same joy in myself. I need time and space to start a process of healing that is long overdue.”
This resignation comes at the beginning of ASUP’s budgeting process for spring semester, a period of ASUP and their selected Financial Management Board (FMB) dispersing hundreds of thousands of dollars amongst the plethora of clubs at UP.
Club budgets were originally due Nov. 2, but that due date has been extended and all club presentations for their budgets have been canceled this week. ASUP President Sage Taylor encourages all clubs who have questions to reach out to ASUP.
There will be an election for a new director of finance, but not until the spring semester, according to Taylor. In the meantime, Pamplin School of Business Senator Cole Stoker will take the lead on the budgeting process.
At this time, there are also two open positions in ASUP for sophomore class senator and for senior class senator. Applications are due Nov. 8.
Although this came as a shock to the organization, ASUP E-Board and Senate supported Paumier’s decision to step down and focus on his well-being, according to Taylor.
“In one way or another we all ran on campaigns with a focus on the importance of mental health and self-care, and we meant what we ran on,” Taylor said.
Austin De Dios is the News and Managing Editor of The Beacon. He can be reached at dedios22@up.edu.
