The transition of power to ASPSU President Jonathan Sanford’s administration is underway with most of the hiring for cabinet positions complete, but a clear picture of how the campaign promises of fostering engagement, safety, inclusion and proper funding will be accomplished has yet to come into focus.
The way in which ASPSU’s agenda of action items will be set this year is through the distribution and collection of surveys to all of PSU’s 27,000 students by e-mail, class presentations and student group connections, Sanford said. Student government hopes to collect 10,000 completed surveys per term, which it intends to use to determine the concerns and priorities of the student body in order to plan campaigns.
Sanford said he hopes to have the first round of surveys sent out soon, but that the process of obtaining digital access to ASPSU databases and resources is not easy and is holding up the process.
Further complications
A snag in the hiring process has been the inability to immediately obtain money from the Student Fee Committee to fund two new executive staff positions: outreach and fundraising coordinator and athletics and sports coordinator. The student government plans to actively raise funds for events and campaigns this year under the direction of the outreach and funding coordinator but it is currently unknown by what means and for what events any funds might be raised, Sanford said.
He also said that, once the precedent of the student government participating in its own fundraising is set, future student governments will be required to fundraise as well.
Planning for success
The only definite plan of the new administration right now is to expand this year’s version of diversity symposia that took place twice last year, Sanford said. ASPSU will fundraise for the events, which are held for students, staff and faculty to gather and discuss cultural diversity on PSU’s campus, said Multicultural Affairs Director Erica Johnson.
“Last year was very productive and the term ‘diversity’ was redefined to ‘cultural sustainability,'” Johnson said.
So far, newly hired Communications Director Christian Aniciete has set up a YouTube channel, Twitter account, Facebook group and a Google group for ASPSU as ways for students and the student government to communicate. An ASPSU wiki is coming soon and Sanford has already begun recording Franklin Roosevelt-esque fireside chats to update students on student government activities.