The ASI meeting held on April 27, 2021 involved updates on the Cal State Student Association (CSSA), a discussion on communication efficiency between Stan and the student body, and a breakdown of the University Police Department’s budget.
Krishan Malhotra updated ASI on legislation raised prior to this meeting and where they stand now.
Malhotra brought up AB 1456, a Cal Grant Reform Act that will expand the eligibility of the Cal Grant, as well as the Internet For All Act. Malhotra revealed that the bills had been sent to the Board of Directors with the recommendation to support them.
Along with this, Malhotra brought up the current April 30, 2021 deadline for campus re-opening plan outlines to be submitted to the Board of Directors.
Malhotra explained the CSSA Board meeting’s discussion on the caste resolution regarding the absence of a policy against caste oppression in the Anti-Discrimination policy for CSUs.
In closing this segment, Malhotra reminded attendees of the upcoming townhall meeting with California State University Chancellor Joseph Castro that will be held on May 3, 2021 from 5-6 p.m. Students can register for this meeting here.
In conversation led by Vice President Karlos Marquez, the group went over university communication strategies and possible solutions for communication issues. Marquez included an attachment to the strategy presented on Stan’s website.
The primary concern raised by the group centered around the structure of the school’s information release and the difficulty in identifying where information is coming from. This concern was first brought up by director Santos Ayala.
Other concerns raised by Malhotra were the amount of information released at one time and the lack of important information on the student dashboard in myStanState Portal.
In response, Nicolette Padron and Fausto Garcia suggested finding a single platform and retaining student interest. Trinity Morataya suggested a listing of the many CSU Stan social media accounts, while Santos Ayala suggested a master calendar on Canvas.
Transitioning into director reports, Fausto Garcia mentioned the CSU system’s decision to implement a vaccine requirement upon FDA approval. In following the FDA approval of COVID-19 vaccines, a requirement to receive the vaccine before returning to campus will go into place by fall.
The last main point of this meeting involved a presentation on the University Police Department’s budget from Chief Clint Strode. Strode described the 1.3 million dollar budget of the UPD split between various operating expenses. Students can find more information on this in the campus budget book found here.