Associated Students Inc. President Angela Arriola spoke at the 2nd annual State of the Student Address Tuesday in the University Union’s Ballroom to inform the campus community of ASI’s priorities to improve academic advising, establishing student representation for the development of the recreation and wellness center and student housing, creating a public affairs department for ASI and turning Sacramento State into an environmentally friendly “green campus.”

Arriola spoke to her audience and listed the priorities ASI has laid out for her administration.

Arriola, along with Vice President of Academic Affairs Lynsie Hebert, are taking faculty and administration input to improve academic advising on campus. By improving academic advising, the university’s retention rates will improve as well, Arriola said.

ASI plans to improve Sac State’s academic advising by increasing faculty involvement.

With faculty often serving as advisers, Arriola said more faculty involvement can give students theresources they need in order to succeed in college.

“We want to improve academic advising within each college. it needs to be streamlined and faculty are going to be our main assets,” Arriola said.

ASI will also make sure student representation will be present in the development of the recreation and wellness center.

Peter Masters, a junior business major, was appointed the ASI’s representative on the project’s steering committee to ensure student representation exists throughout this project. Masters will sit on the board in the initial phase of development of the recreation and wellness center.

He is responsible for ensuring student interest is considered and reporting the status and decisions of the committee to ASI.

The issue of housing will be run under the Vice President of University Affairs Chris Ramos.

Working with Director of Housing and Residential Life Cynthia Cockrill and Associate Vice President for Campus Life Ed Jones, the project will include adding 600 beds to residence halls.

ASI is also making sure that on-campus housing increases security and improves lighting.

A long-term goal of the housing aspect of the strategic plan is to move away from traditional dorms and move toward apartment and suite-style residence halls.

But the immediate priorities of ASI regarding housing have been set on improving security, study spaces and campus life programs within the campus’ current residence halls.

The goal of the ASI Public Affairs Department is to increase communication and relations between ASI and the student body.

Arriola plans for the department to educate the Sac State community about what ASI does and to increase student use of available resources through ASI.

“Public relations is so critical, we are going to brand ASI like they brand Doritos,” Arriola said.

The last item is to develop Sac State as a sustainable green campus.

Working with President Alexander Gonzalez and Vice President of Student Affairs Lori Varlotta, ASI is looking toward moving the campus to use solar energy and recycling.

On April 6 when ASI unveiled its new logo, former ASI President Angel Barajas added a State of the Student address. The ASI board saw it as a great opportunity for the ASI president to communicate with the students, said ASI Executive Director Pat Worley.

“(The State of the Students address) is a vehicle to communicate with students and fits into our goal to reach out to students on campus,” Worley said.

Morgan Curtis, a freshman nursing major, attended the event and was her first exposure to ASI and how the board of directors work for student issues.

“I didn’t know what (ASI) was, I learned about it today,” Curtis said.

Matthew Beltran can be reached at [email protected]