A.S. Government Resources

A.S. Resolution to Reaffirm Commitment to Shared Governance

WHEREAS, the Associated Students (A.S.) of San Diego State University (SDSU) is the official representative body and voice of SDSU’s more than 35,000 undergraduate and graduate students; and is entrusted to represent the best interests of our fellow students; and

WHEREAS, A.S. represents the voices of all SDSU students. The CSU Board of Trustees has designated that the associated student body organizations established at each university in the CSU system, as provided by Education Code Section 89300, shall serve as the official representative body of the students of their campus. It has also determined that the University Presidents will provide these officially recognized associated student body organizations an opportunity to offer opinions and make recommendations about campus policy and procedures that have or will have an effect upon students; and

WHEREAS, A.S. guarantees the independence of the student voice by being responsible for appointing students to committees, which is paramount to avoid pressure from the power dynamic and undue influence of those on campus that could persuade students to not vote in the best interest of all students; and

WHEREAS, it is the mission of the A.S. to educate students on issues that impact them, and advocate for the student perspective to the appropriate parties, which include the university administration and faculty, and government representatives and agencies on the local, statewide and national levels; and

WHEREAS, A.S. has previously written and passed a resolution in support of SDSU’s shared governance model, but has seen a severe regression in the true intention of what shared governance is supposed to be, in particular the strong tradition of student representation in University and administrative decision-making processes; and

WHEREAS, shared governance at SDSU is a vital system that demonstrates mutual respect, shared responsibility, accountability, and a collaborative partnership between A.S., the University Senate, and the University Administration throughout the decision-making process; and

WHEREAS, recent large Category IV fees, such as the $1,300 per semester Graduate Student Health Insurance Program Fee (GSHIP) and Equitable Access Fee, were developed and implemented without prior consultation with Associated Students and without significant input from the Campus Fee Advisory Committee or the student body. These fees were also implemented without a comprehensive communication plan to inform students on the changes; and

WHEREAS, for the GSHIP fee, a student cannot choose to opt out if they don’t currently have health care insurance; therefore, the health care mandate fee denies or limits the opportunity of choice for health care insurance; and

WHEREAS, the university makes campus-wide decisions that financially impact students and have large impacts on students’ experience and well-being without appropriately demonstrating the needs or reasoning for these changes; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, A.S. calls for a commitment from the university to prioritize its long-standing tradition of participating in genuine shared governance in order to strengthen the relationship between every student on campus and the University Administration; and be it further

RESOLVED, A.S. will continue to be in charge of appointing all students to key decision-making committees including, but not limited to, the University Senate, Strategic Plan, Presidential Advisory, Dean Advisory, hiring and ad hoc committees; and be it further

RESOLVED, the Campus Fee Advisory Committee will be used appropriately in the planning and passing of campus-wide student fees according to Executive Order 1102, which states that “The president is responsible for assuring that appropriate and meaningful consultation occurs prior to adjusting any campus-based fee”. “Appropriate and meaningful consultation” should include hearing and collecting feedback from students to improve the effectiveness of the fee; and be it further

RESOLVED, after approval of new fees or campus-wide changes and during their implementation, administration will properly communicate to and educate students on these changes, so that they are able to make informed decisions relevant to these changes; and be it further

RESOLVED, A.S. will continue to expect transparency, clarity and respect in discussions with administration on topics regarding academics, fees, student life, and all other issues affecting students; and be it further

RESOLVED, when Administration considers the implementation of new fees, there must be a thorough process to assess how those fees are categorized and implemented. Fees that have a significant financial impact or a mandatory component that affect students’ experiences and well-being should always go through proper consultation with the student body, such as alternative consultation or a referendum; and be it further

RESOLVED, that A.S. affirms this resolution serves as a standing symbol of the students’ commitment to the principles of shared governance where A.S.’ role is to represent all SDSU students; and be it further

RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be distributed widely, including, but not limited to, SDSU President Adela de la Torre, SDSU Vice Presidents, CSU Board of Trustees, CSU Chancellor Jolene Koester, CSU Campus Presidents, CSU Associated Students Presidents, SDSU University Senate, and the California State Student Association.

Approved by the A.S. Board of Directors on November 28, 2022.