Sacramento State?s high student dropout rate, inadequate parking facilities, shortage of student housing and financial management top the list of concerns that Associated Students, Inc. will address during the coming legislative year.

Officials at ASI, Sac State?s student government organization, say these are important issues that need to be looked at this semester. ASI will hold its second meeting of the semester today at 3 p.m.With statistics showing only half of the university?s students end up graduating, student retention is a major concern for the campus, said ASI President Artemio Pimentel.

“Just a little (more than) 50 percent of students gain their degree within six years of starting here,” said Pimentel. “That?s ridiculously low. It?s our duty to do something about it.”

ASI interim Executive Director Pat Worley said improving retention numbers will be the organization?s highest priority this semester.

“Student retention is ASI?s number one goal,” Worley said.

One problem, Pimentel said, is that several factors such as parking and housing discourage students from completing their education, and ASI must advocate on their behalf.

Pimentel said the Sacramento Rental Housing Association?s recent decision to no longer accept co-signers is one example of problems students face. Since many student incomes don?t meet the standards of local apartment complexes, the decision could leave some with no place to live.

“How many students have the kind of credit it takes to get a place on their own?” Pimentel said. “And that means they have to live farther away and drive to school. And that contributes to our parking problems.”

Pimentel said that ASI has “opened a dialog” with the housing association to persuade them to reverse the policy.

The housing association did not return The State Hornet?s calls.

ASI will unveil an incentive program to get students to take public transportation as part of a collaborative effort between ASI, Sac State administration and the Sacramento CSUS Foundation.

Pimentel said that he hopes this, along with re-routing the Hornet Shuttle and convincing Regional Transit to alter its routes to better service students, will ease the parking crunch.

“The university was caught unprepared, and now we?ve got to make the best of it,” said Pimentel. “It?s going to be very tough, (and) very complicated.”

Considering the budget problems ASI experienced in the past two years, Pimentel and Vice President of Finance Tom Hughes agreed that money management and accountability must be a high priority.

“I want students to know exactly where their money is going,” said Pimentel.

Hughes, who said that ASI?s audit for fiscal 2000-01 should look “positive” when it is presented on Sept. 24, wants to expand the role of his office to help keep ASI?s many programs on track.

“We?re going to expand the role of Finance and Budget,” Hughes said. “We?ll be running quarterly reports for each program and letting staff know where they?re at financially.”

Hughes said he believes that while such reports were part of ASI operations in the “distant past,” they were not used in recently.

According to Hughes, ASI overcame a $350,000 budget deficit from 1999-00, collecting approximately $300,000 more than it spent. ASI placed $52,000 of the surplus in an investment fund that will serve as a hedge against future cost overruns.

“We?ll add to the investment fund every year for the next four or five years and not touch it,” Hughes said.

ASI?s 2001-02 budget is $7.2 million.

Hughes would like ASI to formulate a reserve policy of its own that will free it from university mandates. He believes the current reserve goal of $350,000 imposed by the university is inappropriate.

“I don?t think the university?s numbers are realistic,” he said.Hughes also hopes to increase ASI coffers through corporate fund-raising on a scale never seen at Sac State.

“Until now, our idea of fund development has been small,” Hughes said. “We?ll have a dance or something and hope it works out. I want to see us get people from the financial community and corporate world to donate grants or pay for sponsorships.”

Part of retaining students is improving their campus experience, and ASI will look to promote programs to do just that, Worley said.

“The dramatic increase in the freshman population this year means ASI has more opportunities for events and activities promoting campus life,” Worley said.

Student forums, more internship opportunities, and an increasing student awareness of their individual colleges are all on the docket this year, Worley said.

Pimentel points to work that ASI Executive Vice President Eric Guerra did last year as Director of Engineering as a model for others to follow.

“I believe each director needs to focus on the individual needs of his or her college,” Pimentel said. “Eric?s effort with the School of Engineering last year was fantastic. He really pulled that group together.”

Today?s meeting will be held in Foothill Suite on the 3rd floor of the University Union.