Associated Students Inc., California State Students Association representative Shaun Lumachi tackles tough issues that students face statewide.

Sacramento State student and chair of CSSA, Shaun Lumachi, along with the rest of the CSSA Board, has released the agenda for the 2000-2001year.

Tax-free text books, safe and affordable housing and the students’ ability to own their intellectual property rights are some of CSSA’s top priorities this year.

As chair of the CSSA Board, Lumachi has been the driving force behind the Board’s proactive approach to finding and resolving the major issues that Sac State students face today.

“I’ve been working very closely with the chancellor, and when the Legislature reconvenes I’ll be working with them, too,” Lumachi said.

Lumachi and CSSA have put together a list of about twenty issues that they believe are either of major concern or would greatly benefit students if resolved.

Among its goals for the year, CSSA hopes to exempt textbooks from sales tax and ensure that all students working at the campus are paid at least the state minimum wage.

CSSA also hopes to secure what it calls a “favorable” allocation for the CSUs for the 2001-2002 budget.

Also among CSSA’s top priorities for this year is the globalization of education. In its agenda released this week, CSSA notes the need for more diverse curriculum within the international programs, as well as a need to expand and diversify the countries available for study abroad.

The Board is also considering a suggestion that foreign language be made a graduation requirement for all CSUs. Currently, only four schools have a foreign language requirement.

CSSA will also be lobbying the Board of Trustees for what it calls “shared responsibility.”

Lumachi believes that students should be consulted on decisions that have an impact on them. In a CSSA memo, he urged the Board of Trustees to adopt a policy “that emphasizes and prioritizes the consultation and counsel of students in university policymaking.”

The CSSA 2000-2001 agenda was released in December, due to Lumachi’s efforts to get the Board to restructure the way it operates.

Lumachi, who succeeded in November in having the CSSA Board implement his plan, said that he has created “organization and efficiency” within CSSA. “Next year the agenda will come out in August, not November,” Lumachi said.

Under the new plan, CSSA Board members are assigned a task or issue to resolve, and task forces are created to assist the board member.

In the past, a board member could take on as many or as few tasks as desired. This is CSSA’s first attempt at any type of structure, and Lumachi is hopeful that the new structure will not only create more accountability within CSSA, but also increase productivity.

CSSA’s agenda is long, and despite the late start, Lumachi remains optimistic that all of the items on CSSA’s agenda can be resolved.

Work has already begun on most of these issues, and according to Lumachi, he and the rest of CSSA will continue working through the winter break.