Major: Political Science
Year: Junior
What is your class load like for next year and what will your other responsibilities be?
My class load is going to be 13 credits, that’s going to be including GE-330. And then, my other responsibilities, I don’t have anything in the foreseeable future. I want to commit to what I’m doing here.
Why are you running for this ASWU position?
I’m running for this position because I like to work with money and I like to work with people. I am passionate about ASWU and the betterment of the entire student body. And I have experiences that l think lend well to this position. I’ve been the activities coordinator this year. That’s allowed me to manage a $53,000 budget, which is the largest one of the coordinators. And I’ve been able to do that independently. Through that, I’ve also been able to serve on budget committee and finance committee, and a few others committees too. And, also, I’ve been able to work with the current FVP (Herm Valdez) and have been on the receiving end of a lot of his tasks.
What does the FVP do?
A large portion of the job is really procedural. It’s tasks that you need to do year after year, it doesn’t change. It’s the daily deposits, you have to have petty cash, you take stuff to the business office. A huge portion of the job is really just interacting with people. You have a lot of people come up to you that are going to want to start a club, that need to get reimbursed–stuff like that. And you’re the person that they go to for that. You work with clubs, that’s a huge part of the position. And you’re just generally managing the budget, which is decided upon at budget committee. You’re overseeing that, and not spending any of the money. I don’t really have a huge hand in any of the decisions that are even made in finance committee. That includes the unallocated and the capital account.
What finance-related experience do you bring to this position?
I was able to manage–independently–my coordinator budget this year. Which is essentially what the FVP does. Not in the same way but a little bit different. I’ve been been able to serve on the finance and budget committee, which are things he (current FVP Herm Valdez) does directly. I’ve taken political science classes, I’ve taken business classes and economic classes. Just because I have an interest in that and because I want to apply that to a future career. I’ve been able to serve on several committees that just discuss money in general. I live on a budget myself.
What are two goals that you want to have accomplished by the end of the first semester if elected?
What I’d like to do, especially in the first semester, is really push for the transparency of ASWU as it relates to the finances. What this means for me, is I’d like to consistently post an updated budget on my door so that people can see it. I’d like to, if I get the chance to go to a Primetime, whether that’s monthly, bi-weekly, whatever. Wherever I feel the need is to keep the students updated on what the current budget is and if they have questions. I know every year we get questions about the student fee and where that’s going. I’d like keep them updated on that. I’d also like to hold an info night, which that could be once, and that’s just a general ‘what is the budget?’ Because a lot of people don’t know–they’re not clear on it. So that’s my first thing.
My second thing is I’d like to apply everything I’ve learned and been able to accomplish as activities coordinator to club council. In the beginning, when the clubs come in, a lot of them are new leaders and they’re not really even sure how to fill out on FRF (Facilities Request Form) or an infosylum, how to advertise. That’s all stuff I’ve done in my position this year so I think I can impart those skills I’ve learned on them and hopefully set them off on the right foot in the beginning of the year, especially.
What are your weaknesses in terms of the position you’re running for?
My weaknesses are that I don’t have an extensive accounting background. But I also wouldn’t say that that’s something that’s super crucial. I talked to Herm about it, and he said that most of the stuff you do is just procedural and tasks that you learn on the job anyway. But I think anyone coming into the position in underprepared because there is no position like this on campus.
Is there anything else we need to know about you to make this decision?
I spoke with the current FVP and a lot of the students are just not informed about the actual tasks of the position. And really, it’s something that you learn on the job. It’s not something that you come in with the full conception of what you need to be doing and how to do that. It’s not about being an accountant, it’s more about following directions well and being detail-oriented, both of which I feel like I am.