Devils’ Advocates relies on student work in the wake of new club registration requirements

According to Lopez, the Devils’ Advocates will continue to make decisions for the organization as they have in the past and will remain unaffected by their original approach as a university club.

Devils’ Advocates was one of the longest-running student organizations at the university, having existed for nearly 60 years, according to Matt Lopez, ASU’s assistant vice president for admissions services. The organization’s transition to tenure at ASU came after changes to student organization registration that included a requirement that the club include a faculty adviser.

With the new redesign of Devils’ Advocates, all campus subgroups of Devils’ Advocates will now work as student assistants within Admissions Services. This change further distances itself from their original approach of recruiting volunteers, as all student participants will now serve as on-campus employees.

Lopez said he has spoken with numerous university officials, including those from human resources and the Department of Education and Student Services, to find the best solution for the club rather than disbanding it entirely.

“We didn’t want to do that,” Lopez said. “We really wanted to continue the legacy of the Devils’ Advocates, not only because of an impactful program for students, but because they are incredibly valuable to the university. And my priority was to make sure that as much of the organization and leadership that the students had in the Devils’ Advocates was preserved as possible.”

The revised registration code states that organizations “must have a faculty advisor who can advise the organization on compliance with university policies and who serves ASU in the role of a professor, teaching professor, or clinical professor with two years of experience at ASU.”

The revision came into effect on July 1 and tightened the qualifications.

Even before the registration code was revised, student leaders had asked the university administration to introduce scholarships for the organization’s members, Lopez said. He said the scholarships vary depending on the level of commitment, as the board receives an additional stipend.

However, this change was made several months before the policy revision, according to Lopez. The organization’s student leaders requested financial support due to the strong commitment Devils’ Advocates had shown to the campus community.

“I know it was controversial at the time because there were students who were like, ‘I don’t need money, I want it to be voluntary,'” Lopez said. “But it was important to me that we provide an experience that reflected the student body at ASU, and there are incredible students that I wanted to give the opportunity to participate in Devils’ Advocates, but they just felt like they needed financial support to do it.”

According to Lopez and Brad Baertsch, executive director of admissions services, student leaders of the Devils’ Advocates will continue to make decisions for the organization as they have in the past.

“I will work directly with our team that manages this program to ensure that we deliver on the promises of the advocates and ensure that we grow it and continue to honor its history, and I speak here as a former devil’s advocate,” Baertsch said.

In the fall semester, the organization will begin setting up training programs and providing opportunities for professional development to ensure a “smooth transition” from last year in the area of ​​​​recruitment, said Baertsch.

“It’s about making sure we have the best campus ambassadors to provide tours to students, as we have always done in this particular area,” Baertsch said.

Edited by Natalia Jarrett, Sophia Ramirez, Madeline Schmitke, and Alysa Horton.

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