Ryan ChartrandA typical day in the life of an Associated Students Inc. officer usually starts around 9 a.m. and ends after 5 p.m. – but that’s not including classes, campus involvement or personal time.
“We have a lot of meetings. A lot of meetings. A lot,” ASI president Angela Kramer said.
Because being involved with ASI doesn’t allow for a flexible schedule, the officers, board of directors, executive cabinet and any other member who is elected or appointed gets priority registration each quarter.
“I have that Monday meeting, that Tuesday meeting, that Wednesday meeting and that Thursday meeting. They’re guaranteed in my schedule,” Kramer said, meaning her options for class times are either in the early morning or late evening.
“It’s always a challenge to schedule class around meetings,” said Carl Payne, the chairman of the University Union Advisory Board. “We’re students, too. Classes are important – a No. 1 priority for us. Any spare time we have goes to meetings and projects.”
Because the job is so time-consuming, Kramer gets a 100 percent stipend for the cost of tuition – $19,000 split over 12 months of her term – and the other three officers get a 75 percent stipend.
According to Kramer, they get paid because working for ASI is a full-time job, and the officers shouldn’t have to find another job.
“This is my full-time commitment,” she said. “As far as priorities go, it’s like president, school, relationship . . . There is no way I could have a side job.”
Students who have walked behind the music building may have noticed a parking space that reads “ASI President.” While Kramer and the other three officers receive a reserved spot, it doesn’t mean that spot is free – they each have to pay the same $315 for an annual permit that every other student pays.
“We have meetings off and on campus,” Payne said. “There are times when we need to be continually leaving and returning . . . We have parking spaces so we can be on time for classes and for meetings in the community.”
A common misconception on campus is that the ASI president is provided with a personal vehicle to occupy her reserved parking spot.
“We don’t get any sort of cars or anything like that. I wish; that’d be sweet,” Kramer said, laughing. “For ASI as a whole – not just student government, but all of ASI – we have a car and we have an electric vehicle. But those are used for when we travel to conferences.”
The electric “Think Vehicle” is used for on-campus transportation during events like commencement and Week of Welcome. Use of any ASI vehicles requires filling out a request form. Kramer has yet to drive ASI’s newest vehicle, a Toyota Highlander hybrid.
The four officers have personal offices in the University Union, which Kramer said may seem unfair to other members of ASI.
“As someone who’s spent a couple years as, not necessarily an outsider, but as someone who wasn’t an officer, you kind of have mixed feelings about those things,” she said.
She said just because she and the other three officers have offices doesn’t mean they’re more appreciated than anyone else in ASI.
“There’s no difference in the amount of heart I give to the organization compared to one of the board of directors or one of the secretaries on the executive cabinet,” Kramer said.
Rather, the officers have offices out of practicality.
“I just have a lot of stuff I need to store, so it’s like, full of files, full of files, full of files,” Kramer said as she pointed to each of the cabinets lining the desk beneath her window.
Student fees pay for the cost to rent out the office space and to fund practically all other expenses required from ASI – straight down to officers’ stipends.
“ASI is an $11 million corporation – that goes towards a lot of things,” Kramer said. “And actually very little, as far as dollar amount, goes to student government.”
Despite advantages in registration, parking, tuition and office space, Kramer said those aren’t the reasons she got involved in ASI.
Her favorite part: all the new friends.
“It’s not about popularity or anything like that,” she clarified. “I love a good joke, I love to have a good conversation in the chip aisle. That’s my favorite part for sure, as far as perks go.”
Sean Christy, chairman of the board of directors, said members of ASI don’t become a part of the organization for the benefits. He, like Kramer, says the best part of ASI is being able to know students and campus issues.
“Just being involved with the students is the best perk,” he said. “I know facts before they come out in the open. I think that’s a great thing.”
And the sentiment seemed to hold true with most of the officers.
“The biggest incentive for all of us is just getting the opportunity to work with Cal Poly and make a difference,” Payne said.
After their day-long schedule of meetings, they get down to what the heart of ASI is really about – taking part in all the experiences Cal Poly has to offer.
“What’s great is it’s usually done by 5 p.m., so I have the opportunity to go to all these events that are really what got me started in campus involvement,” Kramer said. “I’ll never stop.”