- Cal Poly’s Associate Students Inc. student government is entirely student-run.
- The goal of ASI student government is to “be students’ connection to the ultimate college experience.”
- The majority of funding for ASI comes from student fees.
What three letters do Cal Poly’s Children’s Center, Recreation Center, Sports Complex, Turf Fields and Chumash Challenge have in common? ASI — Associated Students Inc. — Cal Poly’s student government runs of many of the organizations and facilities students use regularly on campus.
Recent high school graduates may think that ASI is an extension of the Associated Student Body (ASB) program that organized the dances and spirit days in their high school days. In reality, ASI student government is much more complex.
Cal Poly’s student government is divided into three branches:
1. Executive Cabinet. This branch is comprised of nine appointed student members, each with a different position regarding the university and its students. The Executive Cabinet works toward accomplishing ASI President and English senior Sarah Storelli’s campaign goals, which are based on students’ needs and desires. The Executive Cabinet also consists of unofficial student government members who are considered to be executive staff. These members work under each of the secretaries of the cabinet based on their interests and goals.
2. University Union Advisory Board. This branch is also comprised of nine appointed student members, consisting of one student from each college, one chair member, a President’s designee, and a board representative. UUAB is in charge of managing ASI facilities, which involves reviewing and managing these facility’s policies. Because this branch requires a consistent management of the campus’ facilities, the term for members of UUAB is two years.
3. Board of Directors. Unlike the first two branches, members of the Board of Directors are elected by Cal Poly students themselves. Each year, the student body elects 25 student members to make up the Board of Directors. The number of seats available to each college depends on the number of students in each college. For example, the colleges of engineering and agriculture each hold the most at five seats. This branch is responsible for consistently reevaluating student needs student needs to maintain ASI’s vision statement, which is to “be students’ connection the ultimate college experience.”
Students interested in becoming a part of ASI student government can visit the ASI office — located on the second floor of the University Union.
Most student government members are strictly volunteers. However, members of leadership positions receive a stipend payment. This includes the President, Chief of Staff and the three chairs of each branch, as well as their respective vice chairs.
While the time commitment for volunteer members varies from one to three hours a week or meetings, ASI Chief of Staff and fifth-year parks, recreation, and tourism student Tiffany Fowler estimates that the leadership team puts in approximately 20 hours each week.
“If I’m not in class, I’m [in my office],” Fowler said.
However, Fowler assures that it’s exactly where she wants to be.
“Leadership positions are really big commitments, but we campaigned and worked hard for it,” she said, “We’re finally in the positions where we want to be, and that’s incredible for our age because we’re still really young.”
Students can already see the projects ASI is working on this year by simply walking around campus. The most obvious project is the renovation of Cal Poly’s Recreation Center, which, according to ASI’s timeline, will be completed in winter 2012. Last year, ASI’s renovation of the University Union Plaza was completed, and ASI hopes to begin revamping the UU itself.
ASI is also currently working on a Health, Wellness, Sustainability, and Safety Fair, which will be held on January 18. One of the ongoing projects of student government is UU Free Speech Hour, which is held every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the UU Plaza, in which anyone from the student body and the community can attend and share whatever they want with ASI.
These projects are as expensive as they sound, and they don’t fund themselves. According to UUAB Chair and Cal Poly graduate student Lorin Torbitt, ASI receives nearly all of its funding from student fees, despite a few donations. Additionally, a portion of ASI’s funding comes from what Torbitt describes as a “UU fee.”
ASI student government is currently working on expanding Cal Poly's Recreation Center, which is expected to be finished by winter 2012.
“A UU fee is income from the rent that facilities pay us to run their businesses in the UU,” Torbitt said. “For example, Starbucks and Backstage are run by the Cal Poly Corporation, which pays us rent for the space.”
As with any government, ASI is often on the receiving end of criticism from the students it governs. Business senior Sara Adams can attest to this.
“There are obviously a lot of good things about ASI, I mean we wouldn’t be here without them,” Adams assured. “But it can be frustrating with you’re involved in something like a club or Greek life, and you have to go through a whole lot of red tape to get to the one person you need to talk to.”
However, Fowler explains that there are some common misconceptions about ASI.
“We’re held accountable for issues that don’t even concern us,” she said. “Like the reconstruction of the Rec Center — we get a lot of backlash with students asking us why we’re building a new gym when teachers are getting pay cuts, when really academic funding is entirely separate from ASI.”
Fowler wants to encourage students to look into becoming a part of student government, and to disregard any criticisms they hear about it.
“Working in ASI gives you an opportunity to grow with your leadership and communication skills, and helps you become more professional,” Fowler said. “It’s a great way to learn to work with people with different personalities, and to set aside differences and work together toward a common goal.”
Fowler adds that ASI can be a beneficial aspect to students’ future resumes after college.
Students who are interested in becoming a part of ASI student government can visit ASI’s website or go into the office to find out more information. Presidential and Board elections begin in May, and applications for Executive Cabinet are reviewed after that.
Fowler encourages students to come into the office with any questions they may have regarding student government.
“ASI is what I’m going to look back on that made my ultimate college experience, and I want other students to feel that way too,” she said.
Get Involved Cal Poly 