Elections, BeachBoard and pensions were all on the agenda for the Associated Students, Inc. Senate at its Wednesday afternoon meeting.
ASI Executive Director Richard Haller opened the meeting with a report of the latest ASI election results, saying that 2,685 students had voted as of 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon.
“This number of voters is 55 percent more than last year already, and more than the past two years combined,” Haller announced to the Senate.
With only 11 registered complaints of technical failure from students, Haller reported that the online voting system seemed to be working well and reminded students that they still had until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday night to vote.
A new resolution titled “BeachBoard Flag, Information and Polling/Surveying” was also introduced to the Senate by Sen. Cody Fitch.
If passed, the resolution will create an ASI Flag in the My Organization section of the BeachBoard/Learning Management System.
The move is designed to allow students to have quick, easy access to information about ASI. and take surveys and polls on pending legislation in the Senate.
“It’s going to make the ASI website more accessible. A lot of students don’t go searching for it, so this will make it easier for them,” said Fitch. “People will be able to fill out surveys and give their opinions on Senate legislation. We’re getting more people to participate.”
Sparking much debate at the meeting was the discussion of an amendment to a contract between the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the ASI Board of Directors regarding pensions for the 57 ASI full-time employees.
The proposed change will see all ASI full-time employees employed on or after July 1 be given a two percent pension plan at age 60 compared to the previous rate of two percent at age 55.
The new contract would also see a one-year final compensation be replaced with a three-year final compensation, meaning employees would be working longer and later in life for a smaller pension.
Sen. Fitch, who was the lone opponent to the proposed pension change, said that the amendment would be detrimental to Cal State Long Beach.
“I believe that to get the best directors you have to treat them the best … you basically pay for what you get,” Fitch said. “You want the students to have the best directors they can, and this plan will not help to achieve that.”
“There are some people that devote their whole life to this school and they deserve a good retirement package, and they won’t get that with this amendment,” Fitch added.
While still not passed in the Senate, Fitch stated that he believed his opposition to the amendment was a lost cause.
“In opposing this amendment I was standing up for the students of CSULB, the state of California and the nation … CSULB should stand up for its workers and its administrators. It’s pushing back the American ideal by not doing so,” Fitch said.