In his “State of the Students” Address, Associated Students, Inc. President Roberto Torres outlined three main goals of this year’s “comprehensive strategic plan” and emphasized student involvement on campus on Oct. 13 in Hinde Auditorium.

“Student involvement is no longer an option. It has become a necessity,” Torres said. “It is important for you to no longer take a back seat in the decision-making process, and it is important for you to stay abreast to the issues affecting you.”

This school year, ASI plans “to increase student awareness of ASI, to advocate for an accessible, affordable and quality education and to foster student participation on campus.”

In attendance were ASI board members and staff, university employees and students.

Torres said students should know about the programs and services ASI offers and where their money is spent. To do this, ASI will publish an annual report and develop an “integrated marketing plan,” which partly involves conducting more surveys, using videos and social networking websites.

“Put it simply, it is important for you to know what ASI is doing and where your money is going,” Torres said.

Torres said ASI will offer scholarships in the fall and spring semesters and will give an advocacy award to the most active club or organization on campus.

“The quality of our education is contingent upon the accessibility and accessibility is contingent upon the affordability of our education,” Torres said.

ASI also plans to establish a homecoming rally, to increase student participation in ASI programs by at least 25 percent, to fill in a minimum of 90 percent of student positions on ASI committees and to organize at least 1,500 students for a Capitol rally in the spring.

Torres said that part of this goal is to create a lobby corps of students who will participate in the Capitol rally. The rally will be for the budget cuts and student fee increase. Creating a lobby corps is a system-wide decision by the California State Student Association.

Torres said there’s no final date yet for the Capitol rally. The lobby corps and integrated marketing campaign are currently in the planning stage.

To make up for the low student turnout, Torres said ASI will post a video of the address on Youtube.

“I think the students, while they may not have been here, they’ve been to other events and rallies,” Torres said. “I’m not too concerned that they’re apathetic. It’s just the time constraints that they have, like having to work longer hours, all contribute to how much they can participate on campus.”

Kristine Guerra can be reached at [email protected]