CSU Board of Trustee member Henry Mendoza toured the campus Monday to gain knowledge about the culture of CSUN and observed how the faculty and administration responded to the needs of the students, said Conor Lansdale, A.S. president. During the vice president’s committee report Tuesday at the last A.S. meeting of the semester, Lansdale said he and A.S. senators Melinda Hamrbick and Jonathan Polus had the opportunity to take part in Mendoza’s visit. “Trustees take tours to learn about different… Read more

A.S. voted to allocate $6,100 to Black Student Union (BSU) for Black History Month and for monthly workshops Tuesday. During the meeting, A.S. Director of Finance Vahan Khodanian said BSU would receive supplemental funding because the organization’s initial request made in late September was pending due to the amount of funds available at the time. He added BSU was instructed to come back in November. “We funded them that ($1,500) and we intended to fund this ($6,100) initially. No one… Read more

A.S. President Conor Lansdale wants to put a kiosk in the Oviatt Library to serve as a connection between A.S. and the library and to expose students to issues and leadership. Although the project has not been formally funded, approved or implemented, senators provided Lansdale feedback during the A.S. meeting Tuesday. “This is one of the pet projects I took on to get A.S. more involved with different colleges and the library,” said Lansdale, who has been working on the… Read more

Have you ever thought about traveling outside of the country, or taking classes at another university, but did not know how to make it a reality or financially possible? A.S. senators got the opportunity to learn how they could spread their wings and take their education on the road, or rather via airplane, in a special presentation Tuesday about CSUN’s study abroad programs. Juliet Aylmer, study abroad and national student exchange advisor, said she actually came to CSUN to study… Read more

CHABAD, a Jewish student-run organization at CSUN, received a $2,000 allocation from A.S. for the completion of a Torah, a scroll that has the five books of Moses handwritten on parchment paper. Jessica Krotin, 23, psychology major, addressed Senate members Tuesday during A.S. open forum and said it would be an honor for A.S. to provide money toward the completion of the Torah. “The Torah represents the soul of Judaism,” Krotin said. “A.S. represents the students on campus, so them… Read more

With just a few weeks left in the semester, I have decided to write the remaining A.S. blogs in an informal way to move away from a rigid reporting style to a more conversational tone. As readers, I think you deserve to have your information given to you differently on blogs from time to time. So, with that said, let’s talk about what happened at Tuesday’s A.S. meeting. Library presentation Pop quiz: Name at least three services provided by the… Read more

CSUN students will have the opportunity to spend additional hours in the Oviatt Library to study during Finals week due to funding from the Campus Quality Fee. Marianne Afifi, associate dean of the Oviatt Library, said during a special presentation Tuesday at the A.S. meeting that the library would be offering extended hours beginning the Saturday before finals week. The new hours would keep the library open from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. from Dec. 6 to Dec. 14. Afifi… Read more

CSUN students will receive another opportunity to ask questions and address concerns about issues impacting their student life during a second Presidents’ Town Hall Meeting today. A.S. President Conor Lansdale said he is not sure what topics will be addressed during the meeting, but thinks students may ask questions about the recent hike in tuition and the write-ins for A.S. student elections. Senior Shannon Colavito, 22, said she was not aware of the town hall meeting, but thinks students should… Read more

The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees voted Wednesday to approve a two-step tuition increase equaling 15 percent and adopted the 2011-12 budget requesting financial support from the governor and legislature in a boost of $379 million. Students will pay an additional $105 (5 percent) for the Winter/Spring terms and $444 (10 percent) for the 2011-12 school year. Jack O’Connell, superintendent of public instruction for the CSU, said the 10 percent tuition increase would entitle 30,000 plus students to… Read more