By Destiny Caster
Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) is a non-profit auxiliary that exists to support the educational mission of CI. ASI is an umbrella organization governing the process, policies and procedures of four main programs: Student Government, Student Programming Board (SPB), Student Union and The CI View student news.
The CI View reached out to ASI’s executive director, Helen Alatorre for more information about ASI. “Students can get involved by applying to serve in a variety of volunteer and paid positions. Opportunities are available throughout the year as they become available,” stated Alatorre.
“Whether you were in ASB in high school and now want to serve in ASI Student Government, or you want help plan or take just attend the events that make the college experience through SPB, or you want to join a club or start one of your own through Student Organizations & Involvement, or you want to find that place to hang out and meet up with friends or just study in the Student Union building – whatever it is, ASI provides a wide range of experiences and services that enhance the college experience!”
ASI’s entities are managed by students who run the daily operations. Everything that ASI does is funded by the Associated Student Fee along with some entities gathering their own funding through advertising and sales.
The CI View
The CI View is the student-run news organization on campus. Their focus is covering news, from on-campus and Ventura County to CSU-wide news. Paid student employees, interns and volunteer student contributors alike produce written and visual content in the form of articles, videos, graphic designs and photographs for The CI View’s Weekly, a weekly email that is sent to every dolphin email in addition to staff, faculty, alumni and community members. As of spring 2023, this totals over 11,000 recipients.
Emily Chang, third year biology major, joined The CI View as the assistant managing editor after being a contributor during her first year at CI. “It seemed like the perfect opportunity to feel more connected at school while exercising some skills I feel I don’t use as often as a STEM major,” expressed Chang. “The CI View presented us with so many opportunities for professional development, community-building, and learning more about the campus community.”
The CI View welcomes students who are interested in learning more about journalism, videography, design and marketing. Students do not need any experience in journalism to join The CI View. You will be taught through training sessions and provided feedback when reviewing your submissions.
Class of 2022 alumnus of business, Jakob Katchem reflected on his time in ASI as former business manager of The CI View. “Getting involved with ASI was one of the best decisions I made while attending Channel Islands,” he said. “I didn’t know anyone in the area or going to the university, but within weeks of joining, I was a part of the ASI family.”
Regarding how ASI helped with future endeavors, Katchem said, “There are also opportunities for working on committees that give you great insight (into) the processes of how committees work within an organization. I personally served on the BASC (Budget Allocation and Spending Committee), which carried over great insight into my current career as a financial advisor.” Similarly, other ASI entities work with students to provide professional development opportunities and increase campus involvement. For more information on CI student news or to check out more articles, visit The CI View website.
Student Programming Board
SPB provides opportunities to teach students how to plan and coordinate events and work with local businesses and organizations. Paid student employees work to contact vendors, raise awareness about the events they host and collaborate to create events for students to enjoy. Some popular events SPB organizes include the night market with student and outside vendors, Cosmos of Love dance, Paint and Trap and the biggest event of the year, Dolphinpalooza. Students can volunteer to get involved behind the scenes in hosting campus events.
Recent class of 2023 computer science graduate Kadejha Jones worked as SPB’s operations manager and event lead during her time with ASI. She stated, “I love event planning and making other people happy and working at (SPB and being able) to take ideas of events that we should have on campus and fully implement them with my coworkers.”She added, “There’s a lot of student involvement with staff and with the community and not only have I become a more well-rounded individual, but I’ve also become more community driven.” For more information, check out the SPB website.
Student Government
Students can actively engage with their campus and community by becoming the voice of their peers through participating in Student Government. Student Government represents the University and the student body, serving students at CI on local, state and national levels.
As student representatives, they have the opportunity to advocate for campus change. Elected positions like Student Government president, vice president and senators provide platforms for students to voice their concerns and work toward improvement.
Student Government chief of staff and recent class of 2023 business graduate, Alegra Grace, spoke about her two years with Student Government. “I was motivated to (become) a part of ASI because of the great opportunities it can present everyone – the connections and experience you gain is unique to that anywhere else on campus. … What I enjoyed most about ASI was the ability to have faces to recognize on campus. I know so many people through this position and it’s a really big mood lifter when walking around campus and waving to people and having people wave back.”
The CI View also reached out to Elizabeth Neumeyer, class of 2020 global studies and organizational communication alumna about her time in ASI. She stated,” ASI made me feel like I was part of something instantly at CSUCI. They preached being a family and that’s exactly what I got.”
Neumeyer learned to maintain, nurture, listen closely and guide students during her time in Student Government. “I was inspired hearing what they wanted for their future and showing them how ASI could make that happen. My dream came true the day I saw Aurora Rugerio become SG President. She was an intern we recruited in my time and I’m still so proud of the growth I witnessed from afar,”stated Neumeyer.
Finally, Neumeyer offered some words of advice for new students: “GET INVOLVED! This is your time to experiment in life; ASI is incredible for finding comfort in a territory uncharted. College can be intimidating but the more you do, the more you’ll have to look back on and be proud of.” For more information, check out the Student Government website to see how you can get involved in making the campus a better place.
Student Union
Student Union is a location on campus supported by a team of student employees who ensure the space is welcoming, help students check out resources and keep the good vibes going. Open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and located in Central Mall across from Sierra Hall, students can visit the two Student Union buildings to unwind, study, play games, eat at the Lighthouse Café or buy snacks from the Sea Store. Student Union hosts various events and activities for students such as coloring, puzzles, Mario Kart challenges and movie nights.
The CI View reached out to that class of 2022, environmental communications alumna Kayla Sardarov about her time in ASI. “My involvement in ASI significantly impacted my personal and professional development. ASI’s resume-building workshops and other professional development workshops have grown my professional skills immensely.”
Building relationships while a part of ASI helped Sardarov in various ways, especially when it came to pursuing a career in higher education. While on Elections Council, “(Annie Block-Weiss, a former advisor and professional staff member) of mine recommended I apply to Pepperdine University, and I did. … I am very grateful for the work experience, and I would not have gotten here without the support from ASI. ”
ASI has provided many opportunities for student employees to engage and learn from each other and from professional staff members. Student Union student service assistant and senior business major Kayla Jacobson expressed that she joined Student Union to be more involved on campus and to get to know other students.
Jacobson stated, “I also enjoyed getting to know the campus some more allowing me to inform others about what we offer.” Student Union has special programs such as the Dolphin Discount Program (DDP) and Student Union Perks Program (SUPP) for students to get the most out of their time at CI. DDP is a collaboration between CI and local businesses that allows CI students, staff, faculty and CI alumni members to receive discounts at different businesses and organizations in the community. Some featured discounts are at the Aquarium of the Pacific and Universal Studios, as well as online services, retail services and so much more. For more information and the full list of partnered businesses, check out the Dolphin Discount Program website.
SUPP was created to incentivize students to attend campus events. Students win points that can be redeemed at the end of each semester for prizes. There are many opportunities each semester to be awarded points at SUPP-sponsored events. For more information about SUPP and how to join SUPP, visit the Student Union Perks Program website.
There are many opportunities to get involved on campus with ASI. If you are looking for a way to get engage with the campus community, gain professional development skills and get paid, ASI is hiring for the 2023-2024 academic year.
With the second highest pay for student employees on campus and flexible hours, ASI put students’ education at the forefront while offering experiences and skills that can translate to future careers. All positions are open until filled and some positions may require a couple additional documents, such as a portfolio or writing samples, but do not let that discourage you! For more information on the positions available, check out https://asi.csuci.edu/applytoasi.htm.
Alatorre advised new students to get involved with campus to get the best college experience they can: “I would encourage all new students coming to CSUCI to take advantage of every involvement and engagement opportunity. Don’t just go to class and go home or to your room. Go to events, check out spaces, go to student organization meetings, meet student(s) outside of the classroom and get connected. This will make all the difference in your college experience. So come on out at visit us in ASI!”
