What is Student Representation?

Student Representation creates a structure to ensure that students' views are heard. A form of student government is usually necessary at a University to ensure a committed effort to receiving and responding to student feedback in order to bring about improvement in the quality of the student experience and development of learning and teaching within the institution. The underlying principle is that any student from any background on any degree programme should be able to contribute to and enhance his or her experience at the University.

--Adapted from The University Of Manchester

At CSULA, we do have a student government association, the Associated Students Incorporated at California State University Los Angeles. However, like any organization, the underlying fundamental behavior of this association has a direct link with its leadership. In any given year, if a President who has been elected into office and has committed to providing true student representation even in the face of challenges from the University administration, faculty, and staff proves to be an knowledgeable in their charge and shows character by challenging University policies and proposals when they are against the desire of a majority of the student population, then the rest of the association will follow suit. However, when a President takes upon a lax and complacent attitude and chooses to bow down to the views of the administration, how can the association be expected to show character? Not only would they have to oppose the University administration, they would have to face possible retribution from within their own association!

Using dictionary.com (an alternative source, of course), I have found the definition of "to lead" to take upon three similar definitions:

1. To go before or with to show the way
2. To influence or induce
3. To guide in direction, course, action, or opinion

For any person to claim that as the Chair of an organization (within CSULA, an ASI President also serves as the Chair for the Board of Directors of ASI), one is restricted to pure neutrality in all cases or issues is, and please do forgive the expression, a claim of supreme ignorance and a coward's excuse for inaction. A basic, underlying responsibility of a Chair in any organization is to ensure that the association's Board of Directors has the information to make informed decisions. 

An excuse that may be brought up is that it takes time to educate an entire Board of the issues that concern students and that perhaps a people differ in their ability to lead. My refutation to this particular claim is that any person that agrees to lead must be confident in his/her ability to execute the duties of his/her position. 

Therefore, it is my claim that student representation is whatever the student leadership deems it to be. If the leadership is strong and committed to the best interests of the student body, then students will receive ample representation. If not... students may see their interests being mishandled by ineptitude and complacency.