Sonoma State’s student-led non-profit, Associated Students (AS), is looking for fellow Seawolves who are interested in running for AS’s Board of Directors. The AS Board of Directors are students that govern the entire program and serve as the ultimate voice for the SSU student body. 

AS is a student-run auxiliary organization within SSU that aims to enrich the lives of students. AS contains community outreach programs for students through Join Us Making Progress (JUMP) and student social and educational events through Associated Student Productions (ASP). They also provide childhood educational services for children within the campus community through the Children’s School and Student Government opportunities that aim to serve all students. On top of these programs, AS also provides funding resources for student clubs and organizations, as well as short-term loans and transitional student housing

The AS Board of Directors, also known as the AS Senate, is made up of seven students who are tasked with overseeing all AS programs and maintaining the student voice. The AS Senate includes three Executives: President, Executive Vice-President and Vice-President of Finance, and four Senators, all responsible for: Student Resources, Sustainability, Community and Diversity. 

The Spring 2022 elections application window opens Jan. 24, and lasts until Feb. 19. There are several election info sessions that will be held throughout Nov. and Dec. in the Erin Fisher Room on the 2nd floor of the Student Center. Students can find the dates for these sessions on the Engage@SSU portal and can also attend virtually on zoom if they are unable to make it in person. 

Erik Dickson is the Executive Director of AS and is a part of the organization’s professional staff. Dickson shared the responsibilities of the AS Senate as well as the significance of these student leaders by stating, “the AS Senate is the ultimate management authority of Associated Student, Inc., a $2.5 million student-led non-profit corporation. They serve as part of the governance function of AS – including being active participants in university governance meetings, serving as liaisons to key university leaders, organizing student outreach and feedback, communicating with students and shaping the student voice.” 

The elections process consists of completing the application on Engage before the deadline and submitting a 250 word maximum statement used for promotional purposes. Students who are running must also attend one of the mandatory candidate meetings hosted in the Erin Fisher Room. Candidates are required to attend a one-on-one session with Dickson or AS’s Student Government Coordinator, Jesse Magaña.

“The AS Senate are the student body’s elected representatives that serve as their voice in the operation of the campus and in the operation of their student cooperation. Choosing who represents your voice is a vital right that should be cherished and exercised,” Dickson continued.

The AS Senate positions are a year long and consist of volunteer and paid work. The AS President serves as the Chief  Executive Officer that works closely with the university president and supervises the AS Executive Director. The Executive Vice-President is the chief academic representative that attends various meetings with academic committees on campus. The Vice-President of Finance serves as the chief financial officer in AS and approves all financial transactions within the organization as well as makes financial recommendations. The Senator roles focus largely on issues within SSU student resources, diversity and sustainability. 

Magaña explained why students should participate in the elections process and become involved in their student government. He said, “the decisions that are made and advocated by student leaders not only make the path more easy to navigate for current SSU students but for future students to come. Participating in the elections process and getting involved in student government is a way for students to participate in shared governance within a higher education institution. It gives them the platform to talk about things that make navigating higher education so difficult like mental health resources, access to financial aid resources, and other pressing issues.” 

The time commitment for the AS Senate Executives is about 15 hours a week and roughly 10 hours a week for the Senators. The time for each week consists of meetings, committees, one-on-ones and possible events. 

Nino Gonzalez, a second year Business and Spanish double major is the AS Elections Commissioner. She described the type of students that AS is looking for by stating, “we are looking for folks who are interested in serving the needs of and advocating for SSU students, while also showing interest in the function of a small corporation.” 

Dickson discussed what skills students should possess if they are considering running for AS Senate, and emphasized that, “people who have and want to further develop their leadership skills are often drawn to these positions. Students with an interest in business, political science, civic engagement, etc are often drawn to these positions as well. Important skills also include being an active member in discussions and meetings, public speaking, attention to detail, thorough, dedicated, and good time management skills.”

Magaña conveyed that, “if anyone is interested in running for an elected position I encourage them to reach out to me at [email protected]. We also will be hosting information sessions throughout the rest of the semester and starting back up when we arrive from winter break.”