Sacramento State’s Student Action Committee is preparing students to testify on behalf of Assembly Bill 1965 regarding student representation of the California State University Board of Trustees.

AB 1965 would allow ex-officio members of the trustees to appoint a staff member to attend board meetings and vote on their behalf.

Currently, ex-officio members of the trustees are the governor, lieutenant governor, superintendent of public instruction, speaker of the assembly and the CSU chancellor.

“Ex-officio members often are against student fee increases,” said Brian O’Hara, press secretary for Assemblyman Richard Pan, D-Sacramento. “Sometimes they cannot attend and vote at meetings in Long Beach because they are tied up in Sacramento on budget negotiations and overseeing legislation.”

In addition to the ex-officio members, the board is made up of one representative from the alumni associations, 16 members appointed by the governor, one tenured CSU faculty member and two CSU students.

The two student trustees are allowed staggered two-year terms and only the student in his or her second year can vote.

AB 1965 would also allow CSU student trustees in their first year to vote at the trustees meeting if the student in his or her second year is not present.

“Students can have a voice with the AB 1965 bill,” said senior biology major Sundarong Taing. “Usually students are disregarded when it comes to decisions such as tuition increases, so it’d be nice to be always represented by a student body.”

Taing, who is also an intern for Pan’s office, said he believes if the bill is passed, it will impact student involvement.

“Students would be more involved because they’d actually have an ability to raise their concerns and be able to know that they have a higher chance of their voices being heard,” Taing said.

AB 1965 will ensure students are properly represented on the trustees when it votes on issues and ensure a more responsive and transparent decision-making process by the board.

California Faculty Association Legislative Director Shirley Kim said AB 1965 would have been useful at the November Board of Trustees meeting regarding a 9 percent tuition hike.

“There were two ex-officio members that were absent that day and the voting student trustee was absent as well which would have brought it to a 9-9 vote instead of the 9-6 vote,” Kim said.

The bill was first announced on Feb. 23 to the Sac State Student Action Committee, which provided input for AB 1965 as it was prepared for introduction by Pan.

“I really commend Dr. Pan for reaching out to students and not shying away from this issue,” Kim said. “He’s really helping students find a voice and I think you need to take advantage of that because students run the future and he recognizes that.”

CSU student fees have increased 191 percent since 2004 while new administrators coming into the CSU system are being paid higher amounts.

The Student Action Committee meeting on Thursday focused on preparing students to testify in support of AB 1965 in front of the Assembly Committee on Higher Education.

Ryan Allain, freshman government international relations major, said he will be testifying because he thinks his personal story can help.

“Because of the tuition hikes, I’ll have to commute next year from my home to school instead of living somewhere in Sacramento or on campus,” Allain said.

At the Assembly Committee meeting, there will be two witnesses, one of which being a student, who will speak on behalf of the bill. After the witnesses, any citizen can speak in front of the committee members on why they support the bill.

At the Student Action Committee meeting Kim advised students to speak to the Assembly Committee members from the heart about personal struggles due to tuition hikes and budget cuts.

“These members serve you. (Students) are tax paying citizens that employ them and that’s the way you should approach it,” Kim said. “You have a right to be there and they have a responsibility to hear you out and act on your behalf.”

Pan’s office will rent out space in the basement of the Capitol on April 17 for students to enjoy food and guest speakers while training is provided for those who wish to speak on behalf of the bill.

“I think that the student voices are louder than ever and people are willing to listen,” Kim said.

To inquire about applications for student trustee nominations, contact the CSSA located at 401 Golden Shore, Long Beach, CA or (562) 951-4025.

Alyssa Sanguinetti can be reached at [email protected].