Campus Reports: San José

Associated Students at San José State University continued in its endeavors to represent the student body and fulfill its mission to improve the quality of educational opportunities and experiences. AS promotes student involvement by actively seeking students who are not involved and facilitates opportunities to increase meaningful interactions between students and faculty, staff, and administrators. In addition, AS strives to build a strong sense of school pride in the university among students, programs, departments and athletics.

Key Accomplishments

Campus Life: AS worked on trying to establish a professionally staffed LGBTA Resource Center on campus. Additionally, AS urged improvements in advising and other campus resources to promote and increase retention and graduation.

Student Issues: AS worked on subsidizing individual students’ professional development such as fees for conferences and standardized tests like the MCAT and GRE. Further, AS worked with students to successfully align San José State with the Worker’s Rights Consortium, a labor-rights group that ensures that the merchandise sold on campus is from reputable manufacturers that treat workers well. AS also passed a resolution that encourages departments to improve advising through standardized maps with campus academic resources and a list of advisors.

Communications: Each member of the AS Board reached out to students at least twice a month through classroom presentations and campus events. In addition, AS improved its communication to the campus through the reinstatement and remodeling of the AS newsletter.

Voter Registration: AS conducted a successful voter registration, education and mobilization drive. As a result, it reached its goal of registering over 500 new voters in time for the November 7, 2006, mid-term election.

Initiatives: AS took action on a number of initiatives including taking a position regarding the California Faculty Association’s fight for fair contract bargaining; fighting against the proposed 10 percent fee increase through education, mobilization and lobbying; and pushing for the reinstatement of Summer Bridge and other student success programs. AS also increased its visibility in the use of AS student fees by providing an annual report to the campus.