ASI LEADERSHIP MISSING
February 13, 2009 (Published in February 19, 2009 Edition of U Times)
Student Representation creates a structure to ensure that students' views are head in order to bring about improvement in the quality of the student experience and development of learning and teaching within the institution.
--Adapted from The University Of Manchester
At CSULA, we do have a student government association, the Associated Students Incorporated (ASI). However, like any organization, the underlying fundamental behavior of this association has a direct link with its leadership. In any given year, when a President is elected into office, he or she has committed to providing true student representation even in the face of challenges from the University administration, faculty, and staff. If a president proves to be 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, the association cannot be expected to show much character either, unless they oppose both the University administration and the leadership within their own association!
On Wednesday February 18, there was a student-led rally to protest the Academic Senate's vote to mover forward with the planning stages for a conversion to a semester system at CSULA. Protest organizers felt that for any planning to take place, funds will be required. It is the opinion of many students, myself included, that any funds that are readily for use should be invested in saving the quality of education for students, especially when we are facing the darkest hours of a global economic crises. The rally gained the support of both students and faculty alike and many hours were dedicated by certain key individuals. But one person that has been absent from these discussions is our un-elected ASI President, Jennifer Chemel.
There are those who blame the entire ASI for the current situation. However an organization is only as capable as its leader. One would hope, however, that instead of claiming credit for the work of others and misrepresenting the 23,000 students at CSULA, our current and future student leaders will opt to begin the work of rebuilding the campus in both pride and unity, advocating for the rights of CSULA students and the value of investment in higher in education.
Carlos Lopez-Jimenez
Economics Student
clopezj@calstatela.edu
(310) 384-7254
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
CSULA STUDENTS ORGANIZE RALLY TO COUNTER LOSS OF REPRESENTATION IN DISCUSSIONS TO CONVERT UNIVERSITY INTO A SEMESTER SYSTEM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 16, 2009
Event: CSULA Student Rally
Contact Person: Carlos Lopez-Jimenez
Company Name: California State University, Los Angeles
Telephone Number: (310) 384-7254
Email Address: clopezj@calstatela.edu
Web site address: www.csulaleadership.webs.com
CSULA STUDENTS ORGANIZE RALLY TO COUNTER LOSS OF REPRESENTATION IN DISCUSSIONS TO CONVERT UNIVERSITY INTO A SEMESTER SYSTEM
Los Angeles, CA, Monday, February 16, 2009 — On Wednesday, February 18, 2009, students of California State University, Los Angeles, will congregate on the campus’ main walkway at 12 noon to protest the proposed university conversion to a semester system from its traditional quarter system.
This rally is a student-organized response to the series of discussions that have taken on the CSULA campus where the majority sentiment of the student community has been voiced as being against the conversion; however, on January 13, 2008 the university’s Academic Senate announced the final results of the advisory vote to the President on whether or not to proceed with the preliminary planning of a possible conversion to a semester system. The Senate voted in an overwhelming 30-17 in favor of proceeding with the said planning. The Academic Senate is the official representative body of University faculty which speaks on its behalf on matters within its purview, such as policy on curricula, promotion, retention and tenure matters, and other matters that affect faculty.
Estimates for the costs of such a conversion have ranged from anywhere from $ 1 million to an alarming $18.3 million based on comparisons of other universities that have undergone similar conversions.
In an official statement issued by the Associated Students Inc., the student government on the campus, stated that no decision has been made yet on whether the conversion will occur.
"… this is still up to the president of the University to decide" the statement said
With recent budget cuts and fee increases that have drastically affected the quality and accessibility of higher education in California, students are expressing concern over the possible costs of the conversion. The planned demonstration intends to meet outside the office of CSULA President James M. Rosser on the afternoon to collectively express their concerns and frustrations with the lack of student representation in the University’s policy making process and with the proposed conversion.
Event: CSULA Student Rally
Contact Person: Carlos Lopez-Jimenez
Company Name: California State University, Los Angeles
Telephone Number: (310) 384-7254
Email Address: clopezj@calstatela.edu
Web site address: www.csulaleadership.webs.c
CSULA STUDENTS ORGANIZE RALLY TO COUNTER LOSS OF REPRESENTATION IN DISCUSSIONS TO CONVERT UNIVERSITY INTO A SEMESTER SYSTEM
Los Angeles, CA, Monday, February 16, 2009 — On Wednesday, February 18, 2009, students of California State University, Los Angeles, will congregate on the campus’ main walkway at 12 noon to protest the proposed university conversion to a semester system from its traditional quarter system.
This rally is a student-organized response to the series of discussions that have taken on the CSULA campus where the majority sentiment of the student community has been voiced as being against the conversion; however, on January 13, 2008 the university’s Academic Senate announced the final results of the advisory vote to the President on whether or not to proceed with the preliminary planning of a possible conversion to a semester system. The Senate voted in an overwhelming 30-17 in favor of proceeding with the said planning. The Academic Senate is the official representative body of University faculty which speaks on its behalf on matters within its purview, such as policy on curricula, promotion, retention and tenure matters, and other matters that affect faculty.
Estimates for the costs of such a conversion have ranged from anywhere from $ 1 million to an alarming $18.3 million based on comparisons of other universities that have undergone similar conversions.
In an official statement issued by the Associated Students Inc., the student government on the campus, stated that no decision has been made yet on whether the conversion will occur.
"… this is still up to the president of the University to decide" the statement said
With recent budget cuts and fee increases that have drastically affected the quality and accessibility of higher education in California, students are expressing concern over the possible costs of the conversion. The planned demonstration intends to meet outside the office of CSULA President James M. Rosser on the afternoon to collectively express their concerns and frustrations with the lack of student representation in the University’s policy making process and with the proposed conversion.
An Online Partnership with Fellow Students
As I'm preparing for another advocacy effort on the part of CSULA students, I wanted to ask you, my core supporters, to help me begin to build a strong, online, grassroots network of supporters and activists to help us fight for a better future for our University and our surrounding campus community, not to mention statewide. Over the coming weeks, I will be employing various methods in an effort to communicate with my fellow students -- including my new blog and website -- but there is one that you and I, together, can help get off the ground right now: this Facebook page.
I want you to help me grow our Facebook page community so we can begin to share our vision of a mobilized and unified CSULA with a new thoughts and ideas. After much deliberation with several key advisors, such as the Student Action Coalition at California State University, Los Angeles and the executive board of Earth LA, we came up with few easy steps that can help you start using Facebook to grow our community right away.
1. Become a supporter. The quickest way to start growing our numbers is for you to make sure you've signed up as a supporter. And better yet, when you become a supporter, your friends will see it in their News Feeds, so just by joining you'll be helping spread the word!
2. Click the Share button on my page. By sharing the page, it will be posted to your profile and in your friends' News Feeds. You can also add a comment about why you are supporting my candidacy and why you think others would want to as well!
3. Post a link to my page in your Facebook status. Use a message like, "Join me in supporting student representation at CSULA!" and include this link to my page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carlos-Lopez-Jimenez/120138260493
4. Write a note about what change here on our campus means to you and tag your friends in it. Then, include a link to the page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carlos-Lopez-Jimenez/120138260493 ) so they can join us and so that I too may read about your opinions and concerns!
5. Email your friends. I will be constantly updating to post relevant news regarding issues at CSULA and our surrounding community, but I also need your help! Help me by continuing the chain of information by forwarding emails to all of your CSULA contacts. Then, include a link to my page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carlos-Lopez-Jimenez/120138260493 ) and encourage them to tell their friends as well!
Still looking for more ways to spread the word or having some trouble? Don't hesitate to contact me at clopezj@calstatela.edu for more information!
Building a strong and active online community will help us build the vision of a green, unified, and strong CSULA campus community that we all share. But to create that community, I need your help to recruit your friends and make our Facebook page a place where we can all come together and look to the future.
Here, we have the opportunity to not just share, but also shape a new vision for LA. My colleagues and I will be posting videos, articles, and messages for the community there, but you will also have the chance to share your videos, photos, and thoughts. Together, we can discuss the future of Cal State LA and ways to make it brighter for everyone.
Thank you for your continued support, and make sure to keep an eye out for new tools as we build this online movement.
Very Truly Yours,
Carlos Francisco Lopez-Jimenez
I want you to help me grow our Facebook page community so we can begin to share our vision of a mobilized and unified CSULA with a new thoughts and ideas. After much deliberation with several key advisors, such as the Student Action Coalition at California State University, Los Angeles and the executive board of Earth LA, we came up with few easy steps that can help you start using Facebook to grow our community right away.
1. Become a supporter. The quickest way to start growing our numbers is for you to make sure you've signed up as a supporter. And better yet, when you become a supporter, your friends will see it in their News Feeds, so just by joining you'll be helping spread the word!
2. Click the Share button on my page. By sharing the page, it will be posted to your profile and in your friends' News Feeds. You can also add a comment about why you are supporting my candidacy and why you think others would want to as well!
3. Post a link to my page in your Facebook status. Use a message like, "Join me in supporting student representation at CSULA!" and include this link to my page: http://www.facebook.com/pa
4. Write a note about what change here on our campus means to you and tag your friends in it. Then, include a link to the page (http://www.facebook.com/pa
5. Email your friends. I will be constantly updating to post relevant news regarding issues at CSULA and our surrounding community, but I also need your help! Help me by continuing the chain of information by forwarding emails to all of your CSULA contacts. Then, include a link to my page (http://www.facebook.com/pa
Still looking for more ways to spread the word or having some trouble? Don't hesitate to contact me at clopezj@calstatela.edu for more information!
Building a strong and active online community will help us build the vision of a green, unified, and strong CSULA campus community that we all share. But to create that community, I need your help to recruit your friends and make our Facebook page a place where we can all come together and look to the future.
Here, we have the opportunity to not just share, but also shape a new vision for LA. My colleagues and I will be posting videos, articles, and messages for the community there, but you will also have the chance to share your videos, photos, and thoughts. Together, we can discuss the future of Cal State LA and ways to make it brighter for everyone.
Thank you for your continued support, and make sure to keep an eye out for new tools as we build this online movement.
Very Truly Yours,
Carlos Francisco Lopez-Jimenez
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
CSSA CONDUCTS SEARCH FOR CSU STUDENT TRUSTEE
Long Beach, CA. – The California State Student Association (CSSA) today opened its annual search for a Student Trustee to serve on the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees. Applications are now being accepted by the CSSA.
The Board of Trustees is the highest policy‐making body for the 23‐campus California State University system. Trustees establish policies on student fees, admissions, financial aid, technology, student services and other areas that directly impact approximately 450,000 CSU students.
The primary responsibility of the position is to present the issues and perspectives of CSU students. Trustees conduct campus visits and attend seven regularly scheduled meetings per year. Serving as Student Trustee offers a unique opportunity to shape policy for the largest four‐year higher education system in the world – the California State University. The student trustee is the most prestigious leadership position a CSU student may hold.
Completed applications must be received by the CSSA no later than 5pm, Wednesday, April 1, 2009. Application packets must be mailed or hand delivered. Incomplete applications and those sent by facsimile will not be accepted. Applications are to be delivered to:
California State Student Association
ATTN: Director of University Affairs
401 Golden Shore, Suite 135
Long Beach, CA 90802.
Applicants selected for personal interviews will be notified in writing and by telephone. Interviews will be conducted May 8, 2009 at the CSSA monthly meeting. Three to five nominations will be forwarded to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who will make the final appointment.
For more information and complete instructions on how to apply visit the CSSA website at www.csustudents.org.
The Board of Trustees is the highest policy‐making body for the 23‐campus California State University system. Trustees establish policies on student fees, admissions, financial aid, technology, student services and other areas that directly impact approximately 450,000 CSU students.
The primary responsibility of the position is to present the issues and perspectives of CSU students. Trustees conduct campus visits and attend seven regularly scheduled meetings per year. Serving as Student Trustee offers a unique opportunity to shape policy for the largest four‐year higher education system in the world – the California State University. The student trustee is the most prestigious leadership position a CSU student may hold.
Completed applications must be received by the CSSA no later than 5pm, Wednesday, April 1, 2009. Application packets must be mailed or hand delivered. Incomplete applications and those sent by facsimile will not be accepted. Applications are to be delivered to:
California State Student Association
ATTN: Director of University Affairs
401 Golden Shore, Suite 135
Long Beach, CA 90802.
Applicants selected for personal interviews will be notified in writing and by telephone. Interviews will be conducted May 8, 2009 at the CSSA monthly meeting. Three to five nominations will be forwarded to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who will make the final appointment.
For more information and complete instructions on how to apply visit the CSSA website at www.csustudents.org.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Results of the Academic Senate of Quarter to Semester Advisory Vote and its Consequences
On January 13, 2008, at approximately 1:30 pm, the Academic Senate announced the final results of the advisory vote to the President on whether or not to proceed with the preliminary planning of a possible conversion to a semester system. The Senate voted in an overwhelming 30-17 in favor of proceeding with the said planning. Please note that ASI, the official voice of the student body at CSULA, has officially taken a stance against this conversion and each student representative that voted within the Academic Senate voted against the preliminary planning.
My personal opinion on this matter is that it will take a mobilization of students to protest this decision in order to show how vested the student interest is in this matter. If this does not occur, the decision will indeed stand and the consequences will be that the student voice will be, again, diminished. I am not advocating for a revolution. I am not advocating for a complete overhaul of the system. Instead, I am asking you, as students of CSULA, to voice your opinions to myself and to your other representatives within ASI to make this a priority issue. ASI is BY the students and FOR the students. Let us not forget that.
If you are willing to mobilize and advocate for change, please by all means, let me know. The time has come for the CSULA student body to show with our masses that WE are the driving force of this University. It is time for us to show that the STUDENTS are the living spirit and life blood of the campus life here at CSULA.
Let's make our stand. Not a month from now... not even a few weeks from now... but NOW!
Monday, January 5, 2009
A Facet of Religon
Dictionary.com defines "humanitarian" as:
One who is devoted to the promotion of human welfare and the advancement of social reforms; a philanthropist.
With that definition, the term "eternitarian" could be defined as:
One who is devoted to the promotion of a person's eternal welfare and the advancement of spiritual reforms; a philanthropist.
This is how the eternitarian lives:
The eternitarian treats people not just as humans, but as eternal beings. They are mindful of the reality that each person is an eternal being who will spend eternity in either Heaven or Hell. Their focus is on aligning hearts and souls with the truth of eternity. They work for the eternal benefit of everyone, through discipleship, with an understanding for the diversity in culture and ideas of people around the world.
Just a thought.
One who is devoted to the promotion of human welfare and the advancement of social reforms; a philanthropist.
With that definition, the term "eternitarian" could be defined as:
One who is devoted to the promotion of a person's eternal welfare and the advancement of spiritual reforms; a philanthropist.
This is how the eternitarian lives:
The eternitarian treats people not just as humans, but as eternal beings. They are mindful of the reality that each person is an eternal being who will spend eternity in either Heaven or Hell. Their focus is on aligning hearts and souls with the truth of eternity. They work for the eternal benefit of everyone, through discipleship, with an understanding for the diversity in culture and ideas of people around the world.
Just a thought.
Friday, December 26, 2008
The Difference We're Making: An Open Letter to CSULA Students
I couldn't let this holiday season pass by without taking the time to thank you all for all the wonderful support you've given me. I've received so many kind messages in the last few weeks, and I can't tell you how much your friendship and support means to me.
As I celebrate the holidays with my family, I'll be thinking about all our wonderful memories from the past year. I hope you'll take the time to remember all the things we accomplished together and all the lives we touched.
I know that there is much work left to do... it goes without saying that we have a lot to look forward to in the coming year. With the possibly of a calendar conversion occuring without the approval of the majority of the student body on our campus, the increase in student fees being mandated from the state Capitol, and even the turmoil we face with representation on our campus, there will be many battles to be fought, long campaigns to win, and we will all have to pitch in to make things work. However, even in the midst of great challenges here on our campus and throughout the state of California, we know change is coming and there is reason to have hope for a brighter future. I assure you all that you can expect great things in the coming weeks.
Thank you so much for everything: your support, kindness, and constant encouragement. I hope you have a very happy holiday season and please do not hestitate in contacting me with your questions, comments, or concerns!
Always,
Carlos Lopez-Jimenez
Cell: (310) 384-7254
Email: CSULALeadership@gmail.com
As I celebrate the holidays with my family, I'll be thinking about all our wonderful memories from the past year. I hope you'll take the time to remember all the things we accomplished together and all the lives we touched.
I know that there is much work left to do... it goes without saying that we have a lot to look forward to in the coming year. With the possibly of a calendar conversion occuring without the approval of the majority of the student body on our campus, the increase in student fees being mandated from the state Capitol, and even the turmoil we face with representation on our campus, there will be many battles to be fought, long campaigns to win, and we will all have to pitch in to make things work. However, even in the midst of great challenges here on our campus and throughout the state of California, we know change is coming and there is reason to have hope for a brighter future. I assure you all that you can expect great things in the coming weeks.
Thank you so much for everything: your support, kindness, and constant encouragement. I hope you have a very happy holiday season and please do not hestitate in contacting me with your questions, comments, or concerns!
Always,
Carlos Lopez-Jimenez
Cell: (310) 384-7254
Email: CSULALeadership@gmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
