ASI President Selena Farnesi
As students are welcomed back to school this week, they are bombarded with several realities: classes have filled up, more students have enrolled, old budget cuts are permanent, new budget cuts are looming and job markets for new graduates are still saturated.
These are some of the realities we all live with as 21st century university students. However, we do not have to accept these circumstances as our fate just because we have become accustomed to them. Associated Students, Inc. certainly will not. We will not accept budget cuts as normal and we will not accept tuition increases as something to be expected.
In order to be an effective student government, we must represent the legislative interests of students not just on our own campus, but beyond Cedar and Shaw Avenues as well. Students don’t stop being students at the end of parking lot Q, so advocacy shouldn’t end there either.
We should be lobbying community organizations and nonprofits to help us work against cuts to higher education, talking to our local representatives and City Council members and lobbying the chancellor’s office and our state legislature, pressuring them to write legislation that respects higher education, promotes student success and supports the California State University system and other public education institutions.
ASI’s Legislative Committee and the Senator of Legislative Affairs have done an excellent job to make this happen. They have been present at state-wide meetings, passed resolutions and worked to inform both students and legislatures about the benefits of supporting higher education. In an effort to support their work and expand it, ASI has proposed a new elected position, a Vice President of External Affairs.
The Vice President of External Affairs would be responsible for the student government’s lobbying efforts and Legislative Committee. The individual would be elected by students to work with local and state-wide representatives, advocating for students.
The position of External Affairs is not uncommon in CSU student governments. Many other campuses, including Central Valley campuses at Bakersfield and Stanislaus, have an equivalent position. As Fresno State houses the largest body of students, with more students than both the Bakersfield and Stanislaus campuses combined, it is imperative that we join the conversation about what it means to be a student in the Central Valley.
Additionally, we are one of the most diverse CSUs and represent one of the largest geographical areas of any other CSU. We have many distinguished and unique programs like our winery and Maddy Institute that are foreign to other campuses. It is imperative that we create outlets to lobby on behalf of the unique interests and experiences of Fresno State and Central Valley students.
In order to create the Vice President of External Affairs position we will be asking students to review the position and vote in favor of it in the upcoming week. You will receive an email in your Fresno State email account on Monday, providing you with a link, a username and password. Please use the link to go to the voting website and then enter the unique username and password to log in and vote. You will be able to vote Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. When the position is created, students can run for the position (along with the already existing executive and Senate positions).
If you’d like more information, please feel free to stop by the ASI office and pick up a brochure, or check asi.csufresno.edu for additional information.
Selena Farnesi is the president of Associated Students, Inc. Follow her on Twitter @SMFarnesi.
Dan • Jan 26, 2012 at 5:38 pm
As the voting comes to an end, it should be noted that Pedro Ramirez was the one who originally proposed this position, last year. According to a comment he posted on his Facebook page, he urged students to vote yes, saying he had wanted to change the By laws last year, but ran out of time.
Marc Cohn • Jan 24, 2012 at 12:31 am
Hey stue pid (Corey)before posting please pay attention to what i said in regards to IRS and ASI lobbying here let me post it for you again:
1: Lobbying done by a nonprofit such as ASI is illegal, they have to do it through other means which means 2: they pay into CSSA, that useless club of all AS clubs of all CSUs which have proven not to be effective *hint hint* continuos fee increases 3: They (CSSA) is the ones that get as close to the Chancellor as anyone else will get and such ASI external reps will and have never done jack shmack to fight for state funded education
We get it you are not intelligent enough to read what i said 1: they cannot lobby for the level they claimn to be talking about it is illegal, which if you read my item #2 you will get the only legal lobbying ASI is capable of is through CSSA which we already pay a lump sum of fees into. Go ahead respond with more stupid comments. i beg you to make yourself look stupid. Your cemment is in favor of the referendum in the format that you present the issue as a concern, then try to diffuse the concern by posting the link to the legal findings of IRs, and then restate the support by saying it is necessary for spending more money on more lobbying on a position that absolutely cannot meet the level that is being boasted by Selena. it is Illegal. That is what CSSA is for.
Corey • Jan 23, 2012 at 10:18 pm
As for the illegality of 501(c)3 non-profit organizations lobbying, you’re in fact false according to the IRS, but rather “may engage in some lobbying, but too much lobbying activity risks loss of tax-exempt status”. 501(c)3 organizations are able to lobby as long as they follow several expenditure guidelines.
My biggest concern is adherence to this IRS policy. I do have concerns about the creation of another paid position as well. But we must aslo look at past experience, and current needs. Fresno State ASI is has had the desire to attempt to influence the improvement of the community that this university calls its home, and a measure like this one could help us all make great strides in that direction.
Feel free to disregard my opinion, however check the facts out for yourself. Make your own informed choice, whether for or against.
Here is the source I quoted.
http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=163392,00.html
Marc Cohn • Jan 23, 2012 at 5:01 pm
Ok i graduated over 2 years ago and this silly ASI student club is still around wasting student money? This organization is totally incapable of lobbying for the fact that 1: Lobbying done by a nonprofit such as ASI is illegal, they have to do it through other means which means 2: they pay into CSSA, that useless club of all AS clubs of all CSUs which have proven not to be effective *hint hint* continuos fee increases 3: They (CSSA) is the ones that get as close to the Chancellor as anyone else will get and such ASI external reps will and have never done jack shmack to fight for state funded education and finally 4:How can this be legal at all when back when i particapated in a referendum for senators to be paid and compensated? Isnt this going to create a legal issue for the referendum not being honored from back then when here is stupid Selena ASI trying to push thier own agenda? All it takes is for a few smart students (with lawyers) to push a lawsuit in the favor of current ASI leadership not honroing past referendums but surely trying tp push their own. and this clown of a prez wants to go to law school? Get a life Selena Farnesi, you suck in mock trial!!
Aaron Alfaro • Jan 22, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Who can tell me, or where can I go to find out how effective our legislative committee and our Senator of legislative affairs have been? Once I have the facts, I’ll be much more comfortable making a decision to resist or approve the extension of involvement in these issues in a newly appointed figure.
Also, if this aforementioned Senator is running with Farnesi’s backing(whatever that may be), wouldn’t that imply firstly, that he is motivated ascend to a more executive position, whether for egotistical or admirable motivations, and secondly, that there’s a possibility that a titled Vice President is necessary in representing our student body in speaking engagements-and that they’re aware of the need for such a position.
I just don’t have the facts. However, if they’ve proven ineffective with the bodies already devoted to these tasks, then I won’t be comfortable supporting anyone that doesn’t have a new and promising approach to the project. What would be the point?
Luis • Jan 22, 2012 at 3:02 pm
I like how Farnesi says, “When the position is created” instead of “If…”
Is it really a forgone conclusion? I hope students reject this proposal and remind everyone where the real power lies.
Ren • Jan 22, 2012 at 9:51 am
The Vice president of external affairs is an executive position…..everybody knows that this position will eventually be a paid one!!! The lure might be that it is not a paid one…but the history of these ASI clowns speaks more truth than a cheesy article from Selena Farnesi ever could!!!!
Stanley Ipkiss • Jan 22, 2012 at 2:59 am
Oh boy! Here goes another unnecessary expense from ASI. Ms. Farnesi pushing the AgainstStudentsNow Agenda. Wasteful spender!!! Recall Farnesi Now!! Dan also that crony that is running for that position is Sean Kiernan a current Senator. Thiz is all part oooofff their agenda.
Joshua Stein • Jan 21, 2012 at 8:42 pm
This op-ed does a great job at tooting the horn of Fresno State. Yes, we’re big. Yes, we’re diverse. Yes, we have many students who are interested in the legislation that impacts young people. All of those things are great. What it doesn’t do is argue for the necessity of a *paid position* for External Affairs.
Is there a reason that we should have a paid position at $750 a month (according to Mr. Nava) to meet an obligation which Ms. Farnesi notes is already being met far better than it has in previous years and that has a Senator already assigned to many of the duties?
I’m not saying simply that Selena is wrong. I do think, though, that it is important to point out that this article is a strawman that doesn’t address the legitimate concerns of necessity with creating a paid student position. I could be swayed that such a position is necessary; until that argument is made, though, I will be voting against it, and I think that everyone else should, too.
Dan • Jan 21, 2012 at 9:34 am
Selena–the truth of the matter is, this position is NOT needed. I thought the reason the Cali State Student Association existed was to lobby and interact with legislstors and the Governor’s office. Isn’t ASI a member of the CSSA? Me thinks this is a position for a crony of yours looking for a reason to be.