The following letter is the voice of Associated Students, Inc. representatives, President Mariam Salameh and Vice President Marvin Hooker. The letter does not reflect the opinions of The Signal staff. Look out for our response to the topic next week.
Attention Campus Community,
Recently we have been reflecting on ways we would like to see the university prosper by doing what is in the best interest of students. From our years of experience as student leaders here at CSU Stanislaus and being integrated with the campus community, such as serving on university-wide committees with the administration, faculty, and staff, we have come to the conclusion that our university has forgotten what it means to serve students.
We would like to share our frustration about the lack of campus unity, lack of collaboration, lack of effective communication necessary to move the university forward, and most importantly, the failure to acknowledge that students are the most important stakeholders to this university.
There needs to be a change of perspective – one that puts the students at the forefront. The university needs to be willing and able to adapt to the change in culture and mentality of the students of this generation. We understand the importance of the university making decisions from a business standpoint; however, the key factor missing from the equation is actually listening to students when seeking their input.
Members of this university often assume that students are not knowledgeable when discussing key issues, or are not educated in core subjects. Respect needs to be given to the intelligence and the credibility of our students rather than making assumptions about their lack of capabilities. The university should be reminded that its primary reason for existence is to educate and develop students.
Students make the decision to attend CSU Stanislaus for a number of different reasons, but two that should be highlighted are as follows: 1) to receive a quality education; and 2) to have a positive college experience. Every member of this university plays a key role in each individual student’s experience and success. Every administrator, faculty, and staff member makes an impact and can make a difference in a student’s life, especially as a Hispanic-serving and heavily populated first-generation student institution.
As student leaders we recognize that not all members of the university have forgotten or lost sight of what it means to work at a public university. We would like to thank and applaud those who go above and beyond for students to help them succeed. We understand the issues we have addressed cannot be resolved overnight, however, as a campus community, we need to take action in making the first step to better this university for all students.
To facilitate this discussion we would like to pose a few questions to the university:

1. Do you truly value students at this university?
2. How is student success defined at this university?
3. How does this university invest in the outcome of all students?

Signed,

Mariam Salameh, Associated Students, Inc. President

Marvin Hooker, Associated Students, Inc. Vice President