On March 10, Ronit Chopra, who has served as the Associated Students of the University of Portland (ASUP) director of finance for the past two terms, emailed student organizations to announce his immediate resignation.
His letter to the Senate was read aloud at last night’s ASUP meeting by ASUP President Aidan Sanchez.
“Dear ASUP Senate, I wanted to take a moment to personally share with you all that I have made the difficult decision to step down as director of finance,” Chopra said in the letter. “This role has meant so much to me, and ASUP has been one of the most formative experiences of my time at UP. The work we do matters, and I have no doubt that ASUP will continue to thrive and serve the student body in incredible ways.”
Kyler Lajoie, who was recently elected director of finance for the 2025-26 school year and worked closely with Chopra as a controller and member of the Financial Management Board, was sworn in to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the school year. Sanchez will support Lajoie as he transitions into the role.
Due to the abrupt change in leadership, Sanchez announced the deadline for student organizations to submit budget requests will be extended to March 21.
The ASUP director of finance oversees the student government’s budget, which manages student fees to fund clubs, events and other student initiatives. The role includes reviewing budget proposals, allocating funds and ensuring financial accountability within ASUP. According to Sanchez, the director of finance oversaw $364,500 in the fall of 2025.
During this transitional period, all finance-related questions or requests should be directed to asup.finance@up.edu, which Sanchez and Lajoie will monitor.
Julianna Pedone is the News and Managing Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at pedone25@up.edu.
