Our community of internationally-oriented students brings together diverse experiences. As an inclusive association, it is our goal to create equal opportunities for all students and to foster an environment in which different perspectives are explicitly valued. In this way, we support an inclusive atmosphere where we can continuously learn from one another. In collaboration with the Diversity Commission and the Anti-Racism Initiative Fund, alongside the involvement of all members, we aim for the Association to be an inclusive community that celebrates all gender identities, nationalities, religions, abilities, cultures, and ethnicities. In pursuit of this, we aim to host accessible and varied AUCSA events that allow the community to be a place of self-discovery and awareness of others. We strive to take concrete steps that build an actively anti-racist Association by enabling students to organize initiatives that address (anti-)racism. We want to nurture AUC as a safe space that amplifies all voices and fosters the well-being of each and every member of our student body.

Our coexistence with the world around us is dependent upon our actions in everyday life. We believe that using the resources available to us comes with a responsibility to our planet. We strive to combat climate change and maintain awareness of the environmental impacts of our actions as an association. The Sustainability Commission (SUSCOM) safeguards the sustainability level of the Board and of AUCSA’s committees and teams. The commission is a direct advisor to the Board and acts as its extension by providing members with policy briefs and a green letter, thereby informing members on how to act more sustainably. Apart from increasing awareness among students, its main tasks are measuring the Association’s carbon footprint and proposing more sustainable options. As engaged and passionate individuals, we feel it lies in our hands to ensure the sustainability of our Association.

Next to supporting committees, the AUCSA values the many connections it has with parties outside the Association. We aim to maintain close relationships with other University Colleges through the UCSRN, the umbrella organisation of UC’s in the Netherlands. By working closely together with organisations in Amsterdam and our Acquisitions Commission, we continue to offer our members a growing network of opportunities outside the bubble. Apart from fostering ideas and interests of AUC students within our university, we also encourage members to get involved with local communities in Amsterdam and to explore their academic, professional, and extracurricular interests. Also, we intend to form friendships and collaborations with other student associations in Amsterdam. In this way, we strive to increasingly bring the Association and its members in contact with the many facilities and opportunities the city of Amsterdam has to offer.

Having over 900 students in our lovely bubble, we want to ensure the availability of information as well as the fluent exchange of information between all members, committees, and the Board. We stand for clarity, transparency, and inclusivity in terms of internal communication, and we believe that a meaningful feedback system is a way to move forward for the organization as a whole. Keeping the website as a centralised platform of information, we also strive to improve our social media performance and equalise exposure of committee events and initiatives, making sure that students can learn about activities and opportunities encompassing AUC. We aim to provide a clear framework for our committees, commissions, and teams, and give them the tools and skillset needed to efficiently communicate within our Association. Alongside this, we aim to close the gap between different committees, students, and the Board by being approachable and by encouraging interconnections in our Association.

One of the most important aims of our community is its continuity. The inclusion and engagement of our first years play an important role in making sure that the Association has passionate and involved members. The AUCSA prioritizes the integration of first years in the AUC community and Amsterdam, and the inclusion of first years in all the opportunities we as a community have access to. In this way, the AUCSA commits to striving for a smooth and equal integration for all new students, despite the challenges that the current year may bring. We emphasize the value that the first years’ diverse backgrounds and perspectives bring to the Association. We intend to stimulate events that spread more awareness of the multitude of cultures that the AUC student body has to offer. This makes students feel more at home, and most importantly it allows our community to continuously change and grow.