The organization that we know today as the Arts and Sciences Colleges Student Council (ASCSC) was originally known as the Arts College council and was founded during the 1930-31 school year. It consisted of twelve students and two faculty advisors from the Arts College (today the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences). Its purpose, as stated in the 1931 Makio was as follows:

“to foster better relationships between the Arts students the faculty of this college. It aids worthwhile student projects and endeavors to develop greater loyalty in the student body.”

During the first twenty years of existence, membership was limited to twenty-five students chosen by the various departments. They relied on donations from members, interested persons, and Dean Park (then the Dean of Men) in order to sponsor their events, which included some of the following:

• Receptions for transfer students
• Faculty firesides
• Teas for seniors graduation during Autumn and Winter Quarters
• Scholarship banquets honoring all students with a 3.5 or higher GPA
• Collegiantics, an amateur show (1939)
• Selling war stamps (1944)
• Contributing blood (1944)
• Publishing the magazine Campus (1940’s)
• Holding lectures and coffee hours
• Presenting the Good Teaching Award (Now the Outstanding Teaching Award)

By 1953, membership had increased to and been limited to thirty members. Students interested in joining had to attend at least one general meeting, file a petition for membership, hold on faculty fireside chat, and go through an extensive interview before being accepted. Meetings were moved from the Ohio Union to University Hall. In 1955, the council petitioned for seats on the Arts College Faculty-Student Affairs Committee. Membership started to fluctuate: in 1957 it was down to eighteen students and in 1962 it was only twenty. However, in 1963 it increased back up to thirty again. By this time the necessity of holding a fireside chat was dropped from the requirements of becoming a member. Some of the other council activities during this time included the publication of Tower Topics, a quarterly newsletter for the Arts College, establishing a sounding board for student suggestions, essay contests, and tours for high school students. During the 1965-66 school years the council actually held thirteen firesides.

By the late sixties, council had started to become more politically active in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences (as the Arts College was now known as). In 1966, members started investigating student complaints through questionnaires, and in 1967, the offered evaluations of curriculum review to the curriculum committee. In November 1968, they gained five seats on the Faculty Senate. In 1970, they were actively involved in protesting the suggested splitting up of the five colleges. They also published another quarterly newsletter, the Perigon. Meetings were moved again, this time to Denney Hall. During the early seventies the council had to struggle to keep alive, and it was only through the efforts of about five dedicated students that it kept from folding. Obviously, membership prerequisites were loosened; no longer did an interested person have to petition to join. By 1978, membership had risen again, any many of the activities we do today were started, including our involvement in the annual Honors Banquet/Reception (where we now present the Outstanding Teaching Award) and the Medieval and Renaissance Festival.

In the 1980’s, many of these traditions continued and in the 1990's the council began participating in service projects such as working at the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Banquet, trick or treating for Unicef, and face painting at Children’s Hospital. With the goal of helping students gather information on various majors, the council held the annual Major Awareness Fair at the start of Winter Quarter.

More recent history to be added soon.

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