USU Message From the Chair
To my fellow students,
It may have come sooner than we had all hoped for, but it is my esteemed pleasure to welcome you to the 2010/2011 school year. I am greatly looking forward to the excitement and challenges the year will present as well as to seeing the new progress that will be made by students, faculty and staff, the administration, and of course, the University Student Union. I hope that you share this anticipation and will work with me towards making this an outstanding year. Though the Expansion and Renovation Project was turned down last spring, the University Student Union (USU) continues to move forward with innovative ways to update the Student Union Building without having to financially burden students. With our focus shifting inward and the building being one of our main priorities, I have full faith that the USU will be able to take greater steps towards making the Union building the pride of CSU Stanislaus students. We are continuously striving to make the Student Union the center of campus life and this desire resonates in our main goals. In order to give you an understanding of what the USU hopes to achieve this year, here is a brief outline of the USU Board of Directors goals:
REBRANDING
Every year the USU focuses its main goal on being the center of student life, and it is a goal that we continuously fall short on. A woefully large amount of students are still unaware of the services the USU provides, the leadership and job opportunities within the Union, and even that the USU exists. We are forever being lumped together with ASI, much to the dismay of both organizations. Though we do have a functional merge and work together for efficiency, the USU and ASI have two very different purposes and students are unable to utilize these organizations because of a lack of differentiation. It is for this reason and for the reason of further benefiting the students that we are looking to rebrand the Union into a more distinguishable organization. We are looking towards creating a new logo, which will be a project that will involve both students and the Turlock community. New banners and signs would be used to better distinguish the Union building and vividly display the service available for students. We’re looking to work with the Art department to have a monthly display of students’ artwork and show our pride in our fellow students. And more than anything we’re looking to “revamp” the building in order to give it a livelier and more welcoming atmosphere. With our new logo setting the precedence for how students will visualize the USU, our marketing efforts will be further pursued in order to inform students on all activities happening with the Union.
PROGRAMMING
The absolute pride of the Union is our Program Board and it is the main way we give back to the students. We have five programmers who are all looking forward to being out in the quad almost every day to talk with students and put (on) great events. Already, the programmers have planned trips for indoor sky diving, lectures(series) with provocative and intriguing speakers, and opportunities to broaden students’ social awareness, all in an effort to get students involved and to truly experience campus life. Because of the importance of the Program Board and their ability to reach out to students, we’re looking to broaden our programming opportunities. We want to create more specialty events to be able to pique the interests of multitudes of students. Utilizing the Art department to put on student art shows and having music recitals in the Union building is just a step in reaching the main goal of bringing together the student body. And more than anything, we’re looking to put on more events inside the Union in order to truly make the building the hub of student life.
COMMUNICATION
As much as we hate to admit it, it is incredibly hard to communicate and receive feedback from over 8,000 students. We are continuously looking for new ways to market ourselves and better inform students of what is happening on campus. Our marketing team works diligently to create bright and vibrant posters to be placed around campus, but we’ve learned ,through trial and error, that this can’t be our only way of promoting events. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites are now being used to in order to directly inform students on a daily basis of what is going on with the Union. This is also an opportunity for students to give us feedback and suggestions, something we are always hungry for. The AXIS TVs that are currently present inside the Carol Burke Student Lounge and inside the front hallway of the Union are a quick way for the USU to advertise to students Union, ASI, and other campus activities. The Union is in the process of updating the Axis TC’s and hopes to add more of these informative televisions in other buildings on campus, such as the Vasche Library and inside the Residential Life building. Though communication with students is our main priority, the Union is also looking(seeking) towards building bonds with the community in order to work (together) towards making Turlock the “college town” students so desperately want (desire).
SCHOOL SPIRIT
We at the Union are incredibly proud of being students at CSU Stanislaus and we always aim towards showing off our Warrior pride. With our pride in our alma mater, we also have pride in our students, and nothing should be showcased within the Union more so than the student body. Our school spirit should be shown(demonstrated) in every corner of the Union, from the carpet and furniture to the inclusion of Warriors athletic paraphernalia and to the (hopeful) murals and pictures of actual students. Along with renovating the building to give it a more lively atmosphere, the USU is looking towards adding more student-focused décor that truly showcases the Union as the center of student life. But décor is not enough, and we’re making strides towards involving every area of student life into the Union. Artists, clubs, musicians, athletes, Greek Orgs, residential students, and multicultural groups should all feel like the Union is a second home and that it is the one place for the student body to come together as one. It is my hope that these goals will make you and the rest of the student body excited and anxious to see these new improvements. The USU is here to improve your college experience, and that fact is the fire that motivates me to take these goals and make them a reality. I will ensure that the Union does its part to reach out to students and provide the best leadership, career, educational, and entertainment opportunities it can, but in return I ask that you continuously give us feedback and consequently help us to further improve the building and organization. If there are any concerns or questions that you would like the USU to address, please contact me and I will be more than happy to follow up with you.
Welcome back, Warriors! It’s going to be a fabulous year and I wish you the best of luck in your academic endeavors.
Carolyn Zoerb
Chair
University Student Union Board of Directors
California State University, Stanislaus