April is an important month for Yuba College students-and not just because they are taking midterms. It is the month when the Associated Students of Yuba College hold student government elections. However, most students at Yuba College are uninformed about what the ASYC does, who is in the organization, or what the elected positions are.
Nine out of 10 Yuba College Students polled said they “have no idea” who or what the ASYC is. “The ASYC do nothing for this campus, so it doesn’t surprise me that students have no idea who they are,” said student John Mezzanotte.
The elected positions of the ASYC are President, Vice President, Secretary, Business Director, Activities Director, Communications Director and One Senator per every one thousand students at the Marysville and Yuba/Sutter campuses.
The purpose of the ASYC, according to its own constitution, is to provide “an expanded educational and social program which will stimulate the intellectual and social awareness of the student body.” In other words, the ASYC should provide students with educational and social opportunities. It should foster an intellectual environment on campus and provide or sponsor social functions.
The lack of “an expanded educational and social program” on campus (see “Looking for Signs of Life” on page one) may explain why so few Yuba College students know what the ASYC is or does. Activities provided to date by the ASYC this semester do not include much. Other than announcing the selling of student identification cards, at $5 per semester through the Campus Life office, little has been heard from the student council.
“I look around the campus, and it seems like there should be more activities for the students. As of right now the ASYC has done nothing in my eyes,” said Mezzanotte.
Whether they do or do not provide educational and social opportunities to the students of Yuba College, officers of the ASYC receive many benefits. In addition to traveling to conferences, such as the one held at Disney World, and meeting student leaders from other colleges across the state and nation, the Yuba College student leaders can receive a $250 discount on their textbooks each year from the campus bookstore.
To become ASYC President or Vice President, a student must have completed at least twelve units before running for office. Furthermore, the ASYC Constitution states, “The President, Vice President, Secretary and Business Director must be enrolled in twelve units at the time they assume office, and may not drop below nine units during their term in office.” The Constitution also states that all other elected members must be enrolled in nine units at the time they assume office and may not drop below six units during their term in office. All ASYC officers must hold at least a 2.0 Grade Point Average their term in office.
Notification of the ASYC elections are released on April 4, and the nominated/petition period starts in April 11. Office eligibility must be cleared by April 18 and campaigning begins on April 25. For those wanting to be involved in what goes on at Yuba College, but not interested in running for office, voting for ASYC officers will begin on May 2.
The ASYC President is the chairperson of the ASYC council. The President must approve all expenditures in excess of $50. The President has the power to call special meetings, enforce the ASYC continuation and make decisions on his or her own initiative in an emergency.
The Vice President assumes the duty of the President in his or her absence. The Vice President must be a member of the Student Services Planning Committee and is responsible for carrying out duties that have been delegated by the President or Council.
The Secretary shall keep complete and accurate minutes of every ASYC meeting, prepare the ballots for all elections, and post a copy of the approved minutes on the ASYC bulletin board for two days following each meeting.
The Business Director is responsible for the completion and management of all business transactions for the ASYC. The Activities Director promotes activities for the ASYC and subsidiary organizations and makes all arrangements for activities as may be decided upon by the Council.
The Communications Director is responsible for facilitating communication between the Council and all Administration, College Committees, Faculty Senate and all other groups. The Communications Director conveys to the Council the intent of the actions of all Administration, College Committees, Faculty Senate and all other groups.
Senators will, to the best of their abilities, represent the student body at large. It is their responsibility to ascertain, by whatever means made available to them, what the desires of the students are with respect to any legislation or action proposed in the Council.
The student trustee, who is not necessarily part of the ASYC but will be on the ballot this April, has only one responsibility, which is to attend meetings of the Board of Trustees. The person who holds this office receives a weekly stipend of $47 per meeting, along with the William P. Rich Scholarship in the amount of $400, plus travel expenses to Board meetings.
Running for and winning a seat in any of the previously mentioned offices gives a student the chance to make a difference at Yuba College.
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