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.

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!

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.

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

Notes and Thoughts -- 12/11-12/31 tour of Central America

Besides the beautiful scenery and welcoming faces that one would expect to see, I have also realized that apparently even while on vacation, access to an affordable education and social justice remain issues requiring immediate attention. The past week has indeed been exhausting, and has pushed me to the limits of my personal fortitude… but it has also allowed me to realize that the things we place a priority on in the United States are also very volatile issues within other countries. In the short time that I have been out of the country, I have found myself taking part in campaigns promoting equity within the access to education, women's rights, GLBT awareness, and even free democratic elections. And while there have been many obstacles in the way of the efforts of myself and my newly found partners and friends, such as the outbreaks of civil unrest and violence as well as the epidemic of cholera that has been devastating the south-eastern border between Guatemala and Honduras, I have found that these campaigns have been more than worth the effort when taking into context the fruit of our efforts.

For example, over the past three days, regions 14A and 16 as well as zone 4 in Guatemala have all passed several pieces of legislation aimed at encouraging the distribution and installation of solar panels in their public office buildings.

In addition, through the work on the part of several non-profit international humanitarian organizations, I have seen the formation of three new school districts in rural towns as well as the beginning steps to the reconstruction of a prominent cathedral in the town of Esquipulas.

Perhaps the most humorous aspect of all is that despite all the turmoil and civil unrest within the country, I still have found a certain level of peace and comfort. Perhaps it is because I am visiting the home of my ancestors. Perhaps it is the quiet serenity of the lifestyle of the people whose main source of income is through the commercial trade of agriculture.

However, I think that most of all, it is because of the knowledge that even while away from home, I still see that that all of us share similar goals, hopes, and dreams.

Note: I´ll likely write a second part to this and add pictures later on, but seeing as my access to the internet is severely limited, this will have to suffice for the time being.

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.

Quarters versus Semesters: The Pros to Each Arguement

I realize that everyone is a bit confused to the different arguments coming from each side. Therefore, I have decided to compile a list of pros to each proposal. All of this information can be found on the CSULA Home Page or you can simply click on the following link:

https://nss-nemo.calstatela.edu/semester/

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Semesters

Pros

• The conversion would provide the University with the opportunity to comprehensively re-examine, redefine, and remodel its curriculum as necessary to deliver breadth of information and depth of insight, as well as utility, in order to best meet the requirements of modern life and market demands.
• Conversion will ease the transfer of students into and out of Cal State L.A. programs from other institutions, most of which already follow the semester system.
• Because most CSU and community colleges already follow the semester system, conversion would improve program articulation, as well as enable cross-institution courses and materials and comprehensive student interfaces.
• A semester calendar will allow underprepared students greater time to adjust to the rigors of university academic life. Since over 70% of our first-time freshmen require remediation, this will provide adequate time for adjustment.
• The semester system provides greater opportunities for collaborative research and for in-depth teaching and classroom projects.
• Conversion will help Cal State L.A. “capture” more summer school students returning home for the summer months from other institutions, who might want to enroll in courses (and in a time frame) compatible with their academic careers.
• Conversion will provide graduating students with a “first-mover” advantage when entering the job market. Most large employers schedule recruitment of new hires according to the semester calendar. Currently, Cal State L.A. graduates enter the post-graduation job market much later than regional peers because of their late graduation date.
• A semester calendar will facilitate study-abroad options, student teaching, and other forms of experiential learning.
• A semester calendar allows students greater flexibility in regard to dropping/adding or otherwise switching classes because of the extended length of semesters versus quarters.
• The semester system improves administrative efficiency, resulting in cost savings in certain functional areas, e.g., admissions, registration, and financial aid. For instance, financial-aid fund disbursements would occur on a biannual basis in the semester system versus four times per year in the quarter system.
• Sabbaticals for a full semester would be fully funded, thus enabling a leave, including summer, of approximately 8 months with full pay. (Under quarters, still including summer, faculty members can receive 9 months off by choosing two quarters off at 75 percent pay, but can receive full pay for 6 months maximum.)
• The pace of a semester is less stressful for faculty as well as students. This reason may well be the most frequently cited in favor of semesters. In terms of student learning, this translates into more time for the material to “sink in” and to complete assignments; more opportunity to catch up if students get behind due to illness, work, or family emergencies (or even procrastination); and so on. For the student balancing work, family, and academic work, it increases by 50 percent the number of weekends to complete assignments (though, admittedly, with more assignments).
• Class periods can be somewhat shorter, accommodating the attention span of students. A shortened teaching year would free more time for research or creative activities. The exact increase in available time would depend upon the calendar chosen. The shortest academic calendars would likely be a 13-week trimester calendar or a 15-week semester with a shortened summer term (e.g., 10 weeks). On these calendars, faculty would teach for 25-26 weeks and have two exam weeks. Under the quarter system, faculty teach 30 weeks and have three exam weeks–one more week total than teaching two standard semesters (30 weeks plus exam weeks).
• The ease of creating courses of varying units enables faculty to tailor the curriculum in appropriate sizes for the content to be covered. Although flexibility is present under quarters as well, there is pressure in many departments to conform to a 4-unit course standard.
• The greater number of weeks provides more opportunity for research, rewritten papers, field work, service learning, more multi-stage assignments or lab experiments, and so on.
• Semester calendars can allow for “dead time,” enabling students to finish papers, research, or projects, and prepare for final exams, without missing classes near the end of the term.
• Planning, ordering books, and other “gearing up;” evaluating; grading; paperwork; and getting to know new groups of students all take place two rather than three times per year (or three rather than four times for those who teach all year, e.g., lecturers).
• Advisement, including applications for graduation and counseling new students, takes place one fewer time per year.
• There is a greater likelihood of teaching-load reduction from the current load for tenure-track faculty on semesters rather than quarters. This results, for example, from our ability to increase class size by teaching two sections per year of a course rather than three, the ability to create courses with varying numbers of units, and other methods.

Quarters

Pros

• The quarter system allows for more flexibility and creativity in curriculum design. Since courses are shorter by several weeks, students and programs are able to benefit from a greater variety of courses.
• Some have argued that it is easier for students and faculty to stay focused and motivated throughout the quarter term (as opposed to a semester), given the shorter period of time.
• Many faculty have claimed that the pace of teaching and learning can be more easily maintained without a lag in energy in a quarter term.
• The quarter terms are shorter, so for each term there is the potential for fewer exams and quizzes to be taken by students and graded by instructors.
• Some have argued that the quicker pace that develops on a quarter calendar creates the need for students to develop more quickly the time management skills they need.
• Again, given the faster pace, students can be said to be less likely to procrastinate on the quarter system than on the semester system.
• Students are keenly aware that a missed class in a quarter term will be very detrimental for them, so one can assume that attendance is likely to be more consistent on the quarter system.
• Student cohorts do not last as long on quarters than on semesters because students are mixed more often in the scheduling of classes. One beneficial result can be that a class with a negative flavor will end sooner, and with less likelihood that it will impact student learning and/or a faculty member’s frustration level.
• Since most textbooks cannot really be taught in their entirety in a 10-week quarter (textbooks usually are written for a semester-based system), instructors can focus on the most important sections in the book. Pedagogically, this provides a built-in advantage to students by highlighting what is meant to be retained.
• In the quarter system, tests can cover three or more chapters at a time rather than just one, thereby promoting a greater breadth of knowledge of the subject matter.
• The shorter quarter breaks in December and the spring promote a better learning mindset because students must remain focused on academics.
• Most observers will agree that students are more willing to try out an elective class on a quarter schedule, knowing that it will last only 10 weeks.
• The quarter calendar affords faculty much greater flexibility when they are considering taking a sabbatical or other kind of funded leave.
• Because of the greater variety of courses possible on a quarter calendar, this schedule is likely to facilitate better the option of double majors and/or double minors
• Students who find themselves out of sequence (due to stopping out for a term) will likely find it easier to pick up the trail of required courses because programs will find it easier to offer “trailer courses” more often when they have four terms available instead of the two semesters plus short summer on the semester calendar.
• The quarter system has worked pretty well on this campus, so if we keep things as they are we would not be the worse for it.
• In fact, it should be highlighted that there is no additional cost involved in staying with the quarter calendar.
• By staying on quarters, students can enroll in fewer courses per term (and, of course, faculty can teach fewer courses as well).