Questions surrounding the appointments of several key positions and committees fueled a debate over student access at Associated Students, Inc.?s first meeting Sept. 12.

The controversy began after ASI Director of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Luke Wood questioned appointments to a number of committees, including Dollars for Organizations and Student Education and Leadership (DOC/SEL) and the selection of Janus Norman as ASI press secretary. After some discussion, the appointments were all approved.

Wood claimed the availability of the positions weren?t properly advertised to the student body. He said the appointments should be re-opened so other students who want to be involved could have a chance to apply.

“Any appointments that didn?t go through an application process should not go ahead because they weren?t made available to the public,” Wood said.

ASI President Artemio Pimentel said the positions were all advertised during orientation, through e-mails and mailing lists and on both the University and ASI Web sites. He said that since the appointments were made over the summer, many students were unaware of their availability, but that doesn?t mean the organization doesn?t want to include them.

“My biggest (hope) was that the students would discover (ASI), and that we would be able to involve them,” Pimentel said.

He also defended his appointment of Norman, who he said best fit his qualifications for what is required of the position. The position was created with the idea of getting information on ASI issues out to the student body.

“I felt it was necessary to make a press secretary position, and it has been created,” Pimentel said. “I believe the most qualified person is Janus Norman.”

Wood said he wasn?t questioning the quality of the selections, but whether there was any competition for the positions.

“My argument isn?t that the best person wasn?t picked, but that the position wasn?t open to all the students to be picked,” Wood said.Wood collected more than 100 signatures of students who would have been interested in applying for the positions on the DOC/SEL committee, had they been made aware of them. He also claimed Sacramento State and California State University, Fullerton are the only CSU schools which don?t advertise for every open position.The DOC/SEL committee provides funding to various student clubs and organizations. If the appointments for the committee were rescinded and re-opened to competition, many campus organizations would not get the money they need to hold campus events, said DOC/SEL Chair Veronica Lerma.

“I think if that happens, it?s going to be very detrimental to this organization and very detrimental to the campus,” Lerma said.

Interim ASI Director Pat Worley said students in the past haven?t shown much interest in serving on the committees.

“The majority of the time, we couldn?t find enough people who were interested in participating,” Worley said.

Though the appointments were eventually approved, Pimentel said any issues involving the application process would be looked at.”I had never known this was an issue,” Pimentel said.