Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) senate meetings officially start for the fall semester on Wednesday after a roughly four-month summer break.
The bi-weekly meetings will be in the Resnick Student Union Room 207 from 4-6 p.m. and are open to the public.
The agenda for Wednesday’s meeting is linked here.
ASI will see a major difference in leadership this year with an entirely new executive board, a revamped position, the operations manager, and a new president, Camalah Saleh. Saleh said that she has big plans for ASI, but is confined to a one-year term to accomplish them all.
“That’s why I actually started working on projects back in June—I didn’t want to waste any time,” Saleh said. “My mindset is to make progress every single day, even if it’s just a little bit, and to take advantage of every moment.”
Saleh said that accurately representing the student body means speaking with students face-to-face and directly interacting with the community.
“At the end of the day, it’s about always being present and listening so we can bring real student voices into every decision,” she said.
Maris Prado, the former senator of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, will serve as executive vice president. The executive vice president’s main job is to facilitate senate meetings and guide the cohort through various decisions and endeavors.
“We have 18 senators and four executives who are eager to get started, and I’m really looking forward to collaborating with them to help bring their ideas to life,” Prado said.
Like Saleh, Prado mentioned the challenge of working against the clock. Prado said it can be difficult to complete large projects in just one year, but she is nonetheless looking forward to helping members in the cohort achieve their goals.
Prado is working with the rest of the ASI team to launch Bulldog Voices, which will serve as an outlet for students to communicate with ASI concerning their needs or opinions through surveys and other feedback mechanisms.
The ASI executive team also recently set up a plan to implement a patio area at Fresno State’s South Valley campus for students to study.
Adding to the shift in command is Frederick Lisitsa, the former ASI executive vice president, who has stepped into his new role as operations manager. Lisitsa is succeeding James Martinez, who resigned late last semester following a tumultuous ASI election season in the spring.
“I’m really encouraged by this cohort,” Lisitsa said. “I’ve managed two cohorts as executive vice president, and advising this group as staff—so enthusiastic, civically engaged and willing to take the extra step—has been rewarding.”
He said he’s excited to see what the current ASI members have in store for the student body this year.
The Collegian will be following ASI and providing recaps of the senate meetings, as well as other related stories, throughout the semester.
