CSU-Pueblo Student Body President Steve Titus' Blog

Final Notification to the Senate

2011-04-30T20:56:00.001-07:00

ASG Members,
I just wanted to inform that Senate that I have signed into law all pending Senate Bills including the one presented by Senator Reeves at Thursday's meeting. The Student Fee Governing has also concluded its work for FY 12 and fees are pending approval of the President and the Board of Governors. As soon as that information is available it will be released to the campus community. Also the Student Fee Governing Board has elected current Vice President, Richie Cahill, as the chair for next year's process. I am confident in his abilities to continue to lead the SFGB through its new process.

I would also like to apologize for the lack of maturity and professionalism among leaders in the Senate for the stunt that was pulled on Thursday. I was appalled at this stunt and was caught off guard by it. This stunt was in poor taste and as a piece of professional advice I would suggest that as developing leaders you do not do such a thing. That stunt will do nothing but hurt your standing and ruin your perception as a person. Perception is EVERYTHING.. On behalf of those individuals and for the unprofessionalism exhibited by our organization, I apologize. As Winston Churchill said, "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."

In closing, I wanted to thank you all for one heck of a year. Not as productive as I would have hoped but it really could have been worse. Personality conflicts, egos, a lack of vision and knowledge (exhibited by Senate Leadership), power trips and apathy reined supreme. A senate that trampled every challenge last year struggled to gain footing this year. I hope that the senate next year can exhibit what this year's lacked in order to be successful. Senate strength and leadership is KEY to a successful ASG.

I wish everyone the best of luck in their future endeavors. For all returning members of I have one quote to better express the best advice I could give.

Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
Vince Lombardi

Thank you for the memories, I will never forget them.

-steve

Steve Titus
President
Associated Students’ Government
Colorado State University-Pueblo

My Official Position on the Threats on Campus.

2011-03-09T11:50:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to voice my support for the admin of the university and the actions and due diligence they have practiced over the last 36 hours in response to this threat. The University and the Sheriff's Office acted appropriately by vastly increasing police presence, being very transparent of what exactly the threat said and not canceling classes. The school made the right choice by not canceling classes because of the possibility of copy-cat threats. CSU-Pueblo is one of the safest campuses in the state and we need to all do our part to keep it that way.

Testimony to Senate Ed Committee on Student Voting Rights Bill

2011-02-11T10:26:00.001-08:00

Thank you Mr. Chairman and members of the Senate Education Committee.

My name is Steve Titus and I am the student body President of the fastest growing and most diverse university in Colorado at CSU-Pueblo. The state’s only university designated as a Hispanic Serving Institute. I was born and raised in Southern Colorado and I am a first-generation college student. I will be the first member of my family to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree when I graduate in May with a degree in Political Science, I will also be attending law school this fall.

I am here to ask you for your support for rights and privileges that nearly three quarters of student board members at four year public universities across the country enjoy in the terms of a vote.

As I testified last year in this committee, we are in no way shape or form reinventing the wheel we are just merely finding best practices at other four-year public universities across the country and mimicking them.

With the economic recession continuing to plague Colorado’s Higher Education Funding CSU-Pueblo is budgeting an 18% tuition increase next year. This university, which reports 90% of our students on some type of financial aid, deserves a voice at the table as their financial stake in our university and the system increases.

According to the Chronicle’s of Higher Education in a November 2010 article governing boards are shown not to be diverse. The nationwide average public institution governing board has:

12 voting members, including nine men and three women.
Nine members are white, two are black, and one is another race.
One trustee is under 30 years old, two are 30 to 49, eight are 50 to 69, and one is over 70.

The students’ role on the board is vague and really not defined. We are there basically to try to look good for the cameras and used as a basis of support for the board’s decision and the common quote of, “We asked the students on the board and they didn’t disagree (obviously we cant adequately voice our dissent if the case arises)”

The transparency on this board varies depending on circumstance. For example, the Board vastly opposes this bill as I am sure you all know. The Board, tried to schedule a meeting on this bill to decide its position but that meeting never occurred.

I respect the Board and pray that what the board does is in the best interests of the students but using university monies for a lobbying effort that neither the faculty nor students support may not be the most transparent action and violates the cornerstone of shared governance within these theoretical halls of ivy that our institutions have been built upon.

I would once again like to thank Senator Giron and Representative Fisher for their continued support of the bill and would yield to the committee for any questions that you all may have.

Academic Calendar Issues, No Holidays Off? Too Short? Too Long?

2011-01-30T10:19:00.001-08:00

Campus Community,

 The Associated Students’ Government would like to invite the campus community to attend an Academic Calendar Forum on Monday, February 7th from Noon to 1pm in the Hearthwell Lounge.  

 ASG wants to hear from you regarding the current academic calendar and possible changes including observing national holidays such as Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and President’s Day.  

 The forum will be an open discussion to give input into the viewpoints of the staff, faculty and students of the University in response to an ASG Senate Resolution. Pizza and drinks will be provided.  

 If you are unable to attend the forum and would like to express your viewpoint on this issue, please visit the ASG website at http://www.colostate-pueblo.edu/asg/Pages/default.aspx and click on the “Click here to submit your feedback to ASG” link.

This is your chance to be the voice for change in the future!

We hope to see you there,

The Associated Students' Government Academic Affairs Committee

December Board of Governors Report

2010-11-30T18:18:00.001-08:00

Board of Governors of the
Colorado State University System
Meeting Date: December 8^th, 2010
Report Item

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE'S REPORT

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY-PUEBLO

Interim President Leon
First and foremost I would like to take the opportunity to welcome our Interim President Dr. Leon. Dr. Leon brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. I would also like to thank Chairman McConathy and Chancellor Blake for including both the CSU-Pueblo Student and Faculty Representatives in the interview process..

Thank You to President Garcia

Without the leadership of President Garcia over the last four years it is likely that our university would have never grown by the leaps and bounds as it did. Joe, much like Tony, had a style where most people had no foul things to say about him. Joe did a great deal to strengthen the ties between the university and community. Joe also served as a mentor to me and for that I thank him graciously. President Garcia will really be missed around not only CSU-Pueblo but as well as the Pueblo community as a whole.

… as well President Frank

On behalf of the fastest growing and most diverse student body in Colorado I would like to thank President Frank for his time here leading the university. Tony, thank you for your genuine leadership and the breath of fresh air you provided our campus over the last two months. You both have done great things for our university and we will forever be grateful.

National Board of Student Regent and Trustees Conference
Student Representative Cooper Anderson and me attended the Annual Conference for Student Regents and Trustees conference in Tempe, Arizona. It was a great conference that was attended by members from throughout the country. A new study of student regents throughout the country shows that 64 percent of student trustees are full voting members. The study also shows that 87 percent of the student regents interviewed felt they felt like a "full board member" as governing boards are only as effective as their individual members. One thing I would like the board to consider is the question, "What exactly is the role of the Student and Faculty member?"

Distinguished Speakers Series Spring 2011
The 2010-2011 Distinguished Speakers Series at Colorado State University-Pueblo will return in February with a former WWE wrestler, the former Mayor of New Orleans, and participants in the famous Brown vs. Board of Education lawsuit. The series will conclude in March with the daughter of former presidential candidate and current Arizona Senator John McCain. All events are free and open to the public.

Our Spring Series includes:

February 2, 2011, Chris Nowinski, Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis, 7 p.m., Occhiato University Ballroom
February 9,2011, Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, New Orleans Revival: Rainbow After the Storm, 7 p.m., OUC Ballroom
February 16, 2011, Cheryl Brown and John Stokes, Students on Strike: Brown v. Board of Education, 7 p.m., OUC Ballroom
March 2, 2011, Meghan McCain, Redefining Republican: No Labels. No Boxes. No Stereotypes

All Board Members are welcome to attend any and all of these events. More information about times of the event and VIP meet and greets will be forthcoming.

Course and Program Fees
The Student Fee Governing Board sent a memorandum to President Frank regarding the current allocation and expenditures of Course and Program Fees and the disapproval of the process. More information on this will be forthcoming.

I would like to thank all Board members, the Chancellor and the staff of the Colorado State University System for your continued time and support of the students of CSU-Pueblo.

Have a great holiday season!

Respectfully submitted,

Steve Titus

CSU-Pueblo Student Representative

A quick note from ASG President Steve Titus

2010-11-11T11:18:00.001-08:00

Fellow Students,

I hope the fall semester is treating you all well. I still cannot believe it is almost Thanksgiving Break. As I promised last year the university is undergoing significant security and safety upgrades including new lighting throughout campus, a safety and security audit commencing next month as well as various initiatives currently in process. My main priority (besides safety) is to have semi-monthly pay initiated as soon as possible. By the time I leave office in May we will have new Call Boxes located throughout campus, a new entrance to our campus (via Bonforte), a new Library (Academic Resources Building) and a new addition to the Student Recreation Center. These projects in some way, shape or form are possible by all of you and your student fees. Student Fees are annoying to pay, I agree, but help contribute to a campus community that is contributing in making CSU-Pueblo the most diverse and fastest growing university in Colorado. So THANK YOU!!!

As I am sure many of you are aware we are about to undergo a change in leadership at our university. President Garcia served the students magnificently and now will be serving the citizens of the State of Colorado within his new capacity as the Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. In the last few months the CSU-Pueblo community has had the privilege of being guided by CSU Fort Collins President, Dr. Tony Frank. Dr. Frank has brought to our university new ideas and a breath of fresh air and for that we are grateful.

The University is about to begin the process to choose our new President and I need your help! Students will have one seat on the Presidential Search Committee and I will be putting forward four nominees to the Board of Governors for their selection of the student representative. If you are interested in this commitment that will forever change the face of our university I would like you to send me a copy of your resume and we will be in contact. This search committee will be the face of the search and will be the brains of the selection of our next president. Please forward your resume or any questions to me at sj.titus.se@colostate-pueblo.edu

I wish you all well over the next few weeks for a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving Break!

-steve

Steve Titus
President
Associated Students' Government
Colorado State University-Pueblo

www.colostate-pueblo.edu/asg

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

-Steve Jobs

My Board of Governors Report for this past meeting.

2010-10-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

Board of Governors of the
Colorado State University System
Meeting Date: October 6, 2010
Report Item

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE’S REPORT

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY-PUEBLO

New ASG Constitution and Policy Manual
          In early September the newly elected Associated Students’ Government Senate passed a new Constitution and Policy Manual to replace the former outdated, contradictory and honestly pathetic document that has governed our student associated for the last thirty-two years. The new document is divided into a 15 page Constitution and a 60 page Policy Manual. The documents better clarify roles and responsibilities of all ASG members, the Student Fee Governing Board, and other departments that have a direct relationship with the CSU-Pueblo Associated Students’ Government. These documents have been forwarded to the Office of General Counsel for review.

ASG and ASCSU to attend National Coalition of Student Regents and Trustees
          ASCSU President Anderson and I will be attending the 3rd annual National Coalition of Student Regents and Trustees in Tempe, Arizona from October 15th to October 17th. I know I am excited for any opportunity to network with follow student board members (both voting and non-voting) from all across the country and discuss the dynamics and politics at work within various systems, how to overcome them and ultimately how to best effectively advocate for students we are elected to represent.

CSU-Pueblo Chief Information Officer retires
            Throughout the last nine months I have reported to the Board of Governors the numerous issues that the students have had with campus technology. On Monday, September 27, 2010 the Chief Information (Technology) officer notified the campus of his impending retirement. Even though he and I have not seen eye-to-eye on many issues regarding campus technology, I appreciate the years of service he has dedicated to our campus.

            Moving on with replacing the CIO I hope that a nation-wide search begins as soon as fiscally possible and that there is adequate ASG representation on that search committee. ASG represents a nearly $700,000 allocation to IT and should be represented appropriately.

University vs. Student Center Debate
          The purpose and mission of the university center is coming to the forefront and will be one of the main topics for discussion and debate in the near future. The likely impending issuance of debt for the renovation of the university center raises much concern about what exactly the new building will consist of. Some of the issues that have arisen include:

·        The Name of the Building

Under President Joe Garcia a commitment from the students to the administration for a name change was put forward to seemingly no objection. Now that President Garcia is on leave the Vice President for Finance and Administration claims that no such agreement was accepted and that the title Occhiato University Center will remain in place. The name change would have been Occhiato                                     Student Center.

·        Students have voiced their objection to the current building being operated as a mere conference facility for the community and have expressed their strong interest in having a true student center at our university. The last four ASG administrations have played varying roles in opposing the current operating philosophy. Students want and desire a student center where they can hang out, relax, meet their friends, sit and talk with groups, network with faculty members, study, have formal meetings, eat at a variety of branded food service outlets and take advantage of games and recreational opportunities.

·        The BOG has already approved a Program Plan in 2007 and a committee has been formed (consisting of the Director of Facilities, the Director of Campus Architecture, the Director of Auxiliary Services, the Dean of Student Affairs and myself) to audit that outdated Plan. I have pushed for an external party to come in and review this process to which has been denied by the Vice President for Finance and Administration. The unfortunate aspect of the current plan is that I firmly believe that it focuses more on conference facilities then student-purposed facilities.

·        I have asked for financial information concerning the amount of monies that conference services brings in and what type of economic impact would take place if conferences didn’t take place while school is in session (Fall & Spring). This information still is neither clear nor available and I am hoping it is taken into account when final space allocations are made.

ASG Senate to Oppose Amendments 60, 61 & Proposition 101
          The ASG Senate has proposed a resolution to oppose Amendments 60, 61 & Proposition 101. I am expecting its passage and for the ASG to begin to notify the students of its potential harm to higher education and the State of Colorado as a whole.

Campus Life is Vibrant
Once again there is a noticeable change in the look and feel of our campus. Since I began at the university four years ago the dynamics and mindsets of students have change tremendously. The university has truly turned into a destination rather then a obligation. We see more students spending more time on campus, participating in more better quality extra-curricular activities.

Vietnam War Memorial

From September 30^th to October 3^rd CSU-Pueblo hosted the Vietnam Traveling Wall on campus. Over 7,000 students, staff, faculty and community members visited the wall while it was there. Among the emotions felt by those that visited the wall were deep emotions, historical curiosity and remembrance of the nearly 52,000 names on the wall.

5-0, CSU-Pueblo is home to a Nationally Ranked Football Team

For the first time in the history of our university, CSU-Pueblo has a nationally ranked football team. In an exciting triple-overtime homecoming game #25 CSU-Pueblo defeated former RMAC Powerhouse Chadron State 33-30. CSU-Pueblo next plays the Colorado School of Mines in Golden.

Safety, Security on the CSU-Pueblo campus

Some events transpired on our campus last weekend that leave students feeling worried, unsafe and unsecure. Acting President Frank ordered that a notification be sent to campus nearly immediately after the events transpired. This is the first time in this history of my time at the university that notification like this took place. Acting President Frank then met with the Associated Students’ Government the next day to assure us that our campus was safe and he would do what it took to keep it that way.

Respectfully submitted,

Steve Titus

CSU-Pueblo Student Representative

Students First

2010-07-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

This is a great article from the Chancellor of the University of Arkansas concerning Shared Governance w/ Students:

Students First

Students First: A Definition.

Students first. What does this mean?

On a somewhat superficial level, it simply means projecting a welcoming and friendly attitude to each and every student. It means being more helpful when they ask for assistance or come to faculty and staff with concerns. It means reaching out to students and creating an environment in which they feel valued.

It only takes one careless comment or one example of red tape to turn off a student to our university—particularly prospective students. Unfortunately, we have too many examples of red tape and bureaucracy across campus.

We need to break down those barriers.

As an institution, we need to be courteous, patient, and positive whenever we deal with students. We need to send a consistent and insistent message that they come first. Merely being friendly, though, will only get us so far.

If we have made the decision to accept a student into the university, we should do everything in our power to keep that student here, and to make that student successful. One of the major roadblocks students face is the ability to afford a University of Arkansas education. The cost of higher education has been on the rise nationwide since the mid 1960s, increasing in the past two decades at a pace that far exceeds that of inflation. This is a problem all across the country, as higher education increasingly prices itself out of reach for those who would benefit the most from it: low-income students.

Toward this end, I always want to keep these students in mind when balancing our need for resources and future development. We do not, and will not, take tuition and fee increases lightly. I want to be able to say that no student will be denied a University of Arkansas education because of his or her pocketbook. I’ll do everything in my power to keep it that way.

Finances, though, are not the only reason students drop out or transfer. We also have to respect our students enough to invite them into a challenging and exciting academic environment while at the same time providing them with the support they need to succeed. The quality of student-faculty interaction must be high, involving opportunities for students to participate in active and collaborative learning. They also need access to meaningful educational experiences, such as conducting research or studying abroad. While we offer this learning environment, it can always be strengthened and improved.

If they come here, we need to keep them here. Since 1997, our six-year graduation rate has risen more than 17 percent—currently around 59 percent. Statewide, the number is around 46 percent. As both an institution and a state, we can and must do better. Arkansas is second to last in the country in the number of adults who hold bachelor’s degrees, at 19 percent.

How do we increase our graduation and retention rates?

We do it by closely monitoring year-to-year changes and studying the impact of different interventions on student outcomes; by examining the graduations rates of different student populations; and by continuously asking ourselves what can be improved. This goes for high income, low income, minority, or majority students. We can’t act as though every student comes from the same background and has the same needs, the same preparation, and the same expectations and understandings.

They don’t.

This may also require more ‘intrusive’ counseling, which requires counselors to be more actively watching over students, rather than simply waiting for them to ask for help. It means identifying and engaging students who are at risk of dropping out. It may also mean putting more freshmen in learning communities where they receive more individual instruction and more academic support from their peers.

In short, whatever it takes, that’s what we must do.

That’s what it means to put students first.

G. David Gearhart

Chancellor

University of Arkansas

Board of Governors Report for August 2010

2010-07-19T16:09:00.001-07:00

Student Representative's Report

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY - PUEBLO

Technology Woes Continue

After conducting a "Vote of No Confidence" on campus technology at the January 18^th, 2010 ASG Senate meeting, neither the leadership of the Provost's Office nor the leadership of Information Technology Services (ITS) have reached out to ASG leadership to contemplate what it takes to restore confidence in this fundamental department of our campus.

The Student Fee Governing Board, which allocates nearly $750,000 a year to ITS, issued a stipulation to ITS & the Provost's Office in May which stated that IT needed to complete a strategic plan for campus technology. A plan has not been completed since the 2002-2007 plan was approved. The Student Fee Governing Board recognizes that any institution (private or public) which depends on technology to the extent it could cripple an infrastructure, should have a strategic plan which encumbers current and future trends and needs in the realm of technology. The Provost's Office has said via e-mail that, David (Niccoli) (Chief Information Officer) and his staff are engaged in several important projects right now, and I want them to keep their focus on those projects so they can be completed in a timely manner. Furthermore, "there is no Technology Master Plan; we (ITS) abandoned working that way several years ago in favor of developing strategic directions for ITS which fit both the University's Strategic Plan and the needs of the colleges and other units. Because ITS is a support unit, all of its activities should be tied to the University's larger needs."

ITS instead relies on a year-by-year Strategic Initiatives document which according to the Provost's Office " is a working document and is subject to change at any time; it's really an internal document for ITS and any posted copy could very quickly go out of date. Unlike the Strategic Plan, it is not meant to be a long-term guide or even a description of what ITS is currently doing.:" This Strategic Initiatives document is a document that neither ITS nor the Provost's Office posts online or allow the campus community to contribute feedback on.

I would ask that the Board consider mandating a Strategic Plan for Technology be developed at the CSU-Pueblo campus.

Furthermore, CSU-Pueblo failed to submit a Technology Fee (Charges for Technology) Report and an overall Technology Fee Report as required by Appendix K.

Semi-Monthly Pay an Essential to the CSU-Pueblo Student

We are currently in talks with the Controller's Office, Student and Business Financial Services and Informational Technology Services to change the pay structure for Student Employees at the CSU-Pueblo campus. Currently students are paid on the 15^th of every month. This creates a problem at the beginning of the Fall semester. As the calendar below shows students are expected to live on essentially one week's pay for well over a month until October 15^th.

Fall Classes Begin à August 23^rd

August pay period à August 23^rd-30^th (7 working days)

August Paychecks cutà September 15^th

September pay period à September 1^st-30^th

September Paychecks cutà October 15^th

CSU-Pueblo is not the trendsetter when it comes to pay periods for students:

Western State- 25th of every month
CSU- Every other Friday
UCCS- Every other Friday
Metro State- Every other week
Adams State- 15th of every month
Mesa State- 5th and 20th of every month
UCD- Bi-Weekly
PCC- Every other Friday
PPCC- Every other Friday
UNC- 15th and 30th of every month

CSU-Pueblo- 15^th of every month

ITS has said that it will charge the Associated Students' Government, $21,000 to implement and develop such a service for the hours it will take for programming. Unfortunately, I disagree with this, as this kind of service should be covered by IT's Education & General (E&G) Funding.

After meeting with President Garcia, I am hoping that a temporary fix be put into place as soon as possible and that semi-monthly pay be tested and ready no later than Fall 2011.

Course and Program Fees

Student Fee Governing Board will be taking a closer look at Course and Program Fees as we enter the FY 2012 budgeting cycle. These fees usually do not have to go through an enduring process and the accountability standards (to the students) are really not in place. These fees which are typically "hidden" to the students are for various high cost programs or for extra equipment not covered by tuition for such things as exercise balls to lab beakers.

In July 2009, I had met with representatives from the Registrar's Office and Informational Technology Services to look at how we could go about better informing the student about these types of fees. We all came to a consensus about a pop-up notification that would notify the student registering for the given course and any course or program fee(s) that may apply. A goal launch date of October 2009 was given in time for registration for the Spring 2010 semester. Unfortunately, this has been left on the backburner and as of this report, no completion date is scheduled.

Occhiato (Student) Center Program Plan

As we enter the phase of possibly allowing debt to be issued on the Occhiato (Student) Center I would ask that the board ensure that the program plan for the building is updated. It is over three years old and is not-in-touch, at all, whatsoever with the dramatic and positive change in our campus.

Fall Concert 2010

The Associated Students' Government in collaboration with the Office of Student Activities with funding secured by the Student Fee Governing Board is pleased to announce the 2010 Fall Concert at the Colorado State Fair featuring Sean Kingston and the Gym Class Heroes.

This new annual event connecting the CSU-Pueblo student body to the Pueblo community will take place on Monday, September 6th at 8pm at the Colorado State Fair Grounds.

Replica Vietnam War Memorial

Stay True to the Red and Blue is a four-day event that features various events for the whole family and The Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall. The Cost of Freedom Tribute displays are nine large memorials to remember and honor all who died in service since Vietnam, including 9/11.

American Veterans Traveling Tribute (AVTT) is a group of veteran owners who are committed to travel the U.S.A. to honor, respect, and remember those who served, and pay specific tribute to those who gave all. Performance of this mission also insures that all will honor and respect those who have served our country and those who serve now.

This event will take place on campus from September 29^th- October 3^rd, 2010.

New Residence Hall Completion

The New Residence Halls are nearly completed. I am excited to say that I will be the first resident in one of the new halls, Greenhorn Hall. The views are to die for and are much better than most of the seven figure homes in that area. I am excited that our students will enjoy some of the best living commodities in all of higher education!

NIMS Training

The Office of Student Life and Development and representatives from the Physical Plant participated in a daylong NIMS Certification training. The National Incident Management Training System was designed after 9/11 for public agencies to utilize in case of an incident. Our campus is better prepared and more open to the numerous types of incidents that can occur that could damage our reputation or more importantly hurt our students.

Respectfully submitted,

Steve Titus

CSU-Pueblo Student Representative

* News Web site * Opinion * Ideas Candidates for governor must focus on education

2010-06-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

Published in the Pueblo Chieftain on June 20, 2010

By STEVE TITUS | CSU-PUEBLO STUDENT BODY | 0 comments

I had the privilege of attending the Action 22 luncheon last Tuesday and listening to the three governor candidates (John Hickenlooper, Scott McInnis and Dan Maes) speak about what they would do and how they would alter the political landscape of Colorado. One of the recurring themes mentioned throughout the hour-plus long forum was jobs, mainly how to keep them and grow them.

One of the absent themes from the conversation was education.

I was appalled. I hope they know that education is a fundamental steppingstone to a productive jobs market. As we all know our K-12 education is in constant flux. We continually hear about teachers losing their jobs and about larger classroom sizes. Larger classrooms will ultimately equal lower graduation rates across the state.

The gubernatorial candidates need to get with it and talk about a viable solution to higher education issues. Constant raising of tuition 9 percent here and 9 percent there is not a realistic solution. Colorado is ranked 49th in the nation for higher education funding to our colleges and universities.

With the passage and signing of this year's Senate Bill 3, allowing unlimited tuition increases with approval of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, it may not be uncommon to hear of schools raising tuition 20 percent a year if the state does not prioritize the importance of college and university funding.

The candidates for governor need to realize that Colorado’s dedication to higher education is key to bringing high-tech, high-paying industries to the state. But for this to happen, they must first find a viable solution. Without it, Colorado higher education most likely will be privatized in the next 10 years.

I openly challenge all three candidates to start to address education, both K-12 and higher education, and get with the program, or the future of Colorado is in flux.

CSU-Pueblo State of the Students

2010-03-08T16:44:00.001-08:00

State of the Student Body

Monday, March 08, 2010

5:44 PM

Subject	State of the Student Body
From	Titus, Steven J. (Student Employee)
To	Titus, Steven J. (Student Employee)
Sent	Monday, March 08, 2010 5:42 PM

To: CSU-Pueblo Community

From: Steve Titus, President, Associated Students' Government

Re: Spring 2010 State of the Students Address

March 8, 2010

It is with great enthusiasm that I present my second "State of the Students" address to the CSU-Pueblo community via email. I have been honored and privileged to serve the most diverse and fastest growing student body in the state of Colorado these last ten months.

ASG has accomplished several firsts and key accomplishments in the last ten months. The general philosophy presented throughout the year include,

continually soliciting student input,
bigger and better services,
lower costs (tuition, room and meal plan rates),
embracing of campus-wide diversity initiatives,
and more 21^st century style communication methods (LED boards, email upgrades, electronic submission of forms, etc;)

Pizza with the Presidents

This year President Garcia and I teamed up for our monthly "Pizza with the Presidents" meetings. This was the first time in the last five years these meetings occurred. Throughout the year there were nearly a thousand students that trekked in and out of these meetings. Various topics of importance were discussed including Technology, Weapons Control, Student Financial Services, Parking, Campus Safety, Tuition, Fees and more. I was excited last week when a memo was released regarding Student Financial Services' current hiring practices and noted that this topic became apparent at a Pizza with the Presidents meeting in late last Fall. The issue of hiring and posting positions through Student Financial Services is in process of being reevaluated and more information should be available in the near future and resolved before the Fall 2010 semester.

Campus Technology

For over a year ASG has sought your input and represented your concerns. This Spring ASG issued its first "Vote of No Confidence" in the last thirty years after realizing nearly every student had problems that weren't being alleviated and the most drastic measure was the only option. We are in negotiations with the Department of Information Technology on what actions can be taken to ensure that student satisfaction with all aspects of technology is their number one priority!

The ASG advocated heavily and became the first institution of Higher Education in Colorado to offer a school-sponsored I-Phone/I-Pod Touch and mobile phone (mobile.colostate-pueblo.edu) application. This application is widely popular throughout the state and schools are starting to follow our lead.

ASG also lobbied heavily for the upgrade of Blackboard. We are expecting, to a degree of certainty, that come Fall 2010 the Blackboard outages that we are currently experiences will be merely obsolete.

Campus Safety

Next Monday, ASG Members will be taking a campus safety walk to explore where new lighting should be installed. The Student Facility Fee approved an initial allocation of $200,000 to replace lighting around campus with more environmentally friendly and fully functional lighting. Furthermore, ASG will be advocating in the next year for a complete new Campus Safety system to be installed. More details of this are forthcoming.

Campus Beautification

Also, the Student Facility Fee (that is comprised of ASG Appointments) approved funding for:

new sidewalk on the east side of campus,
lights for the Soccer complex, a
new entrance to campus via Bonforte Boulevard which will expand parking on the South Side of campus.
upgrades to Fountain Plaza
an expansion to the Student Recreation Center (paid for by Student Recreation Fee).

Most of this should formally be announced by University Administration in the near future.

Funding for Diversity Resource Center

In late last Spring, CSU-Pueblo, due to a lack of funding, closed the Multi-Cultural Center. For six months the Multi-Cultural Center remained lifeless and staff-less. This Fall, through the new Student Affairs Fee Funded the operations resumed under the new title of The Diversity Resource Center. This office encumbers the diversity that our campus is so lucky to garner and embraces all students and their diverse backgrounds. Without the fee monies and priorities set by the Associated Students' Government, The Diversity Resource Center may not be open today. Also, the Student Technology Fee, with ASG Appointees have approved the replacement of the computers in the Diversity Resource Center.

Meal Plans Advocacy

ASG listened to your concerns and acted promptly. There are now more meal plans for students and some of these meal plans are 75% lower in cost then last fall. Also throughout the last semester ASG Staff had numerous meetings with Chartwells Staff on the topic of meal plan transferability between the Columbine Café and La Cantina. Obviously ASG succeeded on this topic as well because students with meal plans can now use a meal swipe at La Cantina for the first time in roughly five years.

Campus Housing Rates

One of the biggest complaints about Crestone Hall is the prices. ASG appointments on the Future Housing Committee have persuaded University Administration to lower the costs of housing next year in the new Residence Halls. This is a major victory for students, who want high quality, low cost housing. This would not have been possible without ASG support.

Student Voting Rights Bill HB 1206

For roughly the last 30 years the students of CSU-Fort Collins have pushed for a student voting member on the (then) State Board of Agriculture. Last year the bill was proposed and failed. For the first time the CSU-Pueblo student government took on the issue full force and for the first time it has been approved by a legislative body. Last Thursday it passed through the House Education committee and this last week passed 3rd and final reading within the Colorado House of Representatives. The bill, HB 1206, would give the student members of the CSU System Board of Governors full voting rights. This will guarantee an increased transparency between the Board and the students, which at times is murky at best.

Policy Committees

Throughout the year issues you were concerned with become our student government action items. We acted upon these quickly through specific policy committees. ASG realized that although we may have our preconceived notions they must be put aside and that we need to meet with students to truly grasp a true understanding of the issue and why underlying factors, that were previously unexplored have potential to effect the outcome.

Student Organizations

I had the privilege to have lunch and meet with Student Organizations throughout the last year and listen to their comments and concerns with the current policies for funding and registration that are in place. I will be meeting with the Director of Student Activities in the coming week to further address the issues. We have very vibrant and noted student organizations on campus. I can only hope that these organizations develop more collaborative working relationships and create more quality and higher attended events. It would be a dream come true to see no less than 100 students involved in every student organization.

ASG, through the Student Technology Fee, has also secured initial funding for the replacing of all computers in the Student Organization Office. These computers will be replaced in the Fall 2010 semester and will help in the success of all of our student organizations.

Student Discount Program

ASG with assistance from other organizations on campus revived the Student Discount Program. More information can be found at: http://www.colostate-pueblo.edu/ASG/Pages/StudentDiscountProgram.aspx

Annual Concert: YES! Plus Much More

After seeing your input we organized a fall concert and invited the popular Top-40 group, "3oh!3" to Pueblo. With 7,000 in attendance this was the largest concert in CSU-Pueblo history and also the most inexpensive. In addition we initiated a Distinguished Speakers Series with national figures such as Robin Givens and Danny Glover.

Extended Hours for Library and Student Recreation Center

I am very appreciative that both the Dean of the Library, Rhonda Gonzales and the Director of the Student Recreation Center, Jack Krider were able to extend the hours of their departments so that the students of CSU-Pueblo could better utilize the services offered by their respective departments.

Campus Sustainability

For the first time in five years the President's Cabinet included a Director of Sustainable Initiatives. I appointed Crestone Hall RA Richie Cahill as the Director of Sustainable Initiatives. Richie has taken on the task of researching various programs and grants throughout the state and nation that CSU-Pueblo could be eligible for. I have also signed on to the RE-ENERGYSE initiative that is currently making its way through the US Congress. RE-ENERGYSE would invest tens of millions of dollars in energy education fellowships and programs – including the potential for such a program here at CSU-Pueblo. I look forward to talking to United States Senator Michael Bennet about this initiative this weekend and trying to guarantee money to be allocated to CSU-Pueblo for this program. Finally, this summer there is preliminary approval for a Campus Master Plan to be drafted on future sustainable efforts.

Other Key Accomplishments:

Advocated for Transferability of meal plans from Columbine Café to La Cantina.
Funding for the Diversity Resource Center (with new computers to arrive in Fall 2010)
Advocating for Electronic (Direct) Deposit for all financial institutions.
Advocated for lower on-campus housing prices next academic year.
Campus Safety via Campus Safe walk and allocation of $200,000 for replacement of lights.
First ever Distinguished Speakers Series
Ensuring that Parking Appeals are heard fair
Continue to successful lobby in favor of keeping student tuition low to ensure access and affordability for the students at our university.
In closing, The Associated Students' Government is recognized on this campus as being a true student advocate. We have not failed on one issue we have taken up this year and are willing to expand our horizons continually. All ASG Members try to make ourselves as assessable as possible and help students in any way shape or form. It goes without saying that the ASG is as powerful and as influential as it has ever been before. I was elected as the Vice-Chair of the Associated Students of Colorado and Pueblo hosted student leaders across the state here last month as final preparations were made on the 2010 Colorado Students Strategic Plan for Higher Ed Advocacy. Even though I will admit things aren't perfect they are as close to the best they have ever been and can only hope we continue on that path.
ASG would not be in the successful position we are in without several key administrators, faculty and staff members who continually solicit our input and guidance in making the CSU-Pueblo experience as enjoyable as possible.

Thank you all for your continued support and have a successful and enjoyable remainder of the semester.

Have a great evening,

Steve

Steve Titus

President

Associated Students' Government

Colorado State University-Pueblo

www.colostate-pueblo.edu/asg

"Whether you prevail or fail, endure or die, depends more on what you do to yourself than on what the world does to you."

-Jim Collins

CSU-PUEBLO STUDENTS TO TESTIFY FOR HOUSE BILL #10-1206 CONCERNING THE GRANTING OF VOTING RIGHTS TO STUDENT MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE CO

2010-02-24T17:08:00.001-08:00

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY-PUEBLO
ASSOCIATED STUDENTS' GOVERNMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: / Steve Titus (ASG President)
Brena Davis (Director of Public Relations)
Email: sj.titus.se@cololstate-pueblo.edu

CSU-PUEBLO STUDENTS TO TESTIFY FOR HOUSE BILL #10-1206 CONCERNING THE GRANTING OF VOTING RIGHTS TO STUDENT MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.

Testimony will take place tomorrow, February 25th, 2010 at 1:30p.m.
Colorado State Capitol—Hearing Room 0112

CSU-Pueblo Associated Students' Government President Steve Titus and Assistant Director of the CSU-Pueblo Higher Education Leadership Project (HELP) Sara Crowe will testify concerning House Bill #10-1206.
President Steve Titus and Assistant Director Sara Crowe plan to testify in favor of student voting rights on the CSU systems Board of Governors. Currently there are 13 members including nine voting members and four non-voting members. The faculty and student representatives’ members from both CSU-Pueblo and CSU-Fort Collins are non-voting. Titus and Crowe are to testify that student’s (the primary Shareholder in the CSU-System) voices should be heard on the board in order to guarantee transparency and integrity in all Board of Governors actions.

For a copy of HB 1206 as currently proposed please visit: http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2010A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/98A0D307DD865DE9872576A80026B575?Open&file=1206_01.pdf

###

For more information, contact either Steve Titus or Brena Davis email at sj.titus.se@colostate-pueblo.edu .

Pizza with the Presidents Coming Up on Monday...

2010-02-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

CSU-Pueblo Community:

Just a reminder that Pizza with the Presidents with CSU-Pueblo President, Joe Garcia and ASG President Steve Titus will be having their monthly "town hall" meeting on the topic of Campus Technology this next Monday. Also in attendance will be the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Russ Meyer and possibly Chief Information Officer David Niccoli.

When: Monday, February 15th from 11:30am-1:00pm (You don't have to stay the whole time)
Where: Hearthwell Lounge, OUC
Free Pizza, Brownies and Beverages will be provided.

If you can't attend but would like to have your questions asked and answered please reply to this email or anonymously email them through the ASG Feedback Form located at www.colostate-pueblo.edu/asg

February Board of Governors Report

2010-02-05T12:06:00.000-08:00

Board of Governors of the
Colorado State University System
Meeting Date: February 23, 2010
Report Item

Student Representative’s Report

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY- PUEBLO

Students’ View Campus Concealed Carry Policy

On January 18th, 2010 the Associated Students’ Government Senate opposed the draft policy of the CSU-Pueblo Weapons Policy. The policy was defeated on an 8-1 vote which to me was very surprising. On Monday, February 1st, 2010 CSU-Pueblo President Joe Garcia and I hosted our monthly “Pizza with the Presidents” meeting and around 70 students, staff and faculty attended and voiced both their support and opposition to the proposed policy. I firmly believe that after the 90 minute discussion all parties departed with the consensus they understand the University must do whatever it feels is in the best interest for all members of our community. The proposed policy may not be favorable to the vocal few in the interim but in the long term will be the best policy for CSU-Pueblo.

ASG Takes Action Concerning Campus Technology

The students stood up and voiced their severe concern. In no issue I have ever encountered in my four years here at CSU-Pueblo have I ever seen a response like I did to this topic. The responses were horrifying and thus need to be addressed. On January 18th, 2 010 the Associated Students’ Government Senate voted unanimously to withhold Confidence that our Department of Informational Technology is working in the best interests of the students. Various reasons for this vote include undependability of CSU-Pueblo Email, Blackboard (Course Management Software), Network accessibility and the overall assumption that ITS is not working with nationwide trends in the realm of Higher Education Technology. For example in five days (January 28th- February 1st) there were approximately five Blackboard outages. We are hoping that IT will work with the students in the future and clarify their concerns instead of making excuses.

CSU-Pueblo launching IPhone Application

At the time of this report CSU-Pueblo’s IPhone Application is going through final review by Apple and should be announced publically by the February 23rd meeting. The first version of this application will include applications such as a Faculty/Staff Directory, Athletics, Events, Courses, Maps, Videos, News and Images. I am hoping that our university continues to expand this concept to such things as viewing grades and registering courses such as Stanford University does. It goes without saying that the Apple IPhone is part of the wave of the future and we should not be sitting around twiddling our thumbs ten years from now and saying would of, could of, should of..

Student Fee Governing Board Announces Timeline for FY 11 Application Process

On January 25th the Student Fee Governing Board announced the timeline for the Spring fee approval process. This timeline includes specific fee allocation within a Mandatory Student Fee as well as a separate process to request Fee Increases.

House Bill 10-1206

Representative Randy Fischer (D-Fort Collins) introduced House Bill 1206 which announced Voting Rights for Students of the Colorado State University System. This bill for the first time has bi-partisan support and I am personally expecting its passage. Students invest over 60% of the monies for the system and thus should be adequately represented through their vote. The primary grievance of the American colonists was “No Taxation without Representation”. Students feel the same way.

Higher Education Rally Planned: “I am Higher Education”

On Wednesday, March 3rd, the Associated Students of Colorado have planned to have their annual march at the Capitol at the Capitol to emphasize the necessity of Higher Education funding in Colorado. To further organize these activities I have appointed two cabinet positions to lead Team HELP: (Higher Education Leadership Project). Both appointees to this team were leaders of the higher education efforts last year and were instrumental to the success that the rally had.

Dinesh D’Souza speaks at CSU-Pueblo

Conservative author, lecturer and policy maker Dinesh D’Souza enlightened a full house of over 500 at the fourth event of this year’s Distinguished Lecturer Series. Dinesh presented his own “State of the Union” Address and critiqued President Obama’s first year in office in the his lecture titled: “What’s So Good About America?” The Distinguished Lecturer Series is brought to CSU-Pueblo courtesy of Student Fees.

Student Leadership Retreat

From January 7-9, 2010 was the first annual Student Leadership Retreat, which was held in Estes Park, CO. Over 100 students returned to school a few days early to engage in this leadership experience, which was held at the infamous Stanley Hotel. Students voiced their opinions on how to make their campus better. Most of the ideas revolved around better forms of communication between the university and the students as well as improved customer relations in Student Financial Services.

Haiti Aid

2010-01-16T09:39:00.000-08:00

CSU-Pueblo Community,
As most of you have probably heard a devastating earthquake has hit the most poverty stricken country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti. In times like these I am hoping that the CSU-Pueblo community can unite and help the Haitians through a variety of efforts. I have received numerous emails from students urging that we do whatever we can to help the Haitians. There will be an organizational meeting next Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 9:30am in the ASG Chambers (OUC 201) to brainstorm and form an action plan to see what will be practical in order to help the relief efforts.

If you cannot attend the meeting but are interested in aiding in the relief efforts please feel free to let me know.

Steve

Welcome Back!!

2010-01-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

Fellow Students,
I just wanted to welcome you all back to campus for the Spring 2010 semester. I hope you all have enjoyed a safe and well deserved break. As you all have probably noticed, by trying to find a parking spot this morning, this campus continues to grow and is quickly transforming into a campus where students from across the country are proud to call their own. Also, I would like to take a second and congratulate the graduating class of Fall 2009, you all have served this institution well and please commit yourself by taking advantage of your degree to better the advancement of society.
I wanted to remind all of you that the Associated Students’ Government is here to listen and help you with any and all questions, comments or concerns you may have while being a student at CSU-Pueblo. Please take advantage of all the amenities our campus offers through events offered by various campus entities such as: The Office of Student Activities, The Distinguished Speakers Series, our Nationally Ranked Athletic Programs as well as events held by various Student Organizations. These events can be located on the Campus Calendar on the CSU-Pueblo website as well as the Weekly ThunderWolf Howl located throughout campus.

I look forward to meeting you all and seeing you active in our campus in the near future.

Good Luck this Semester!!

Steve

Steve Titus
President
Associated Students' Government
Colorado State University-Pueblo

My viewpoint on Technology currently at the University

2009-12-01T05:10:00.001-08:00

Senior Leadership Team Members,
At yesterday’s ASG Senate Meeting the members discussed and debated on a Resolution which included a Vote of No Confidence on the Institutional Technology Department. At this time I advised them the best course of action would be to take a straw vote on if the votes were available to pass the resolution (it would of passed unanimously) but to table it until the first meeting in the Spring Semester to see if any progress is made in the areas of their concerns. The resolution would of put vast restrictions on additional monies being granted to IT through Student Fee Governing Board.

Ironically enough, yet again, a major outage hit campus yesterday evening and we are still in the midst of it at 5:51 Tuesday Morning as I write this email. Enough is simply enough. I almost regret asking the Senate to table the resolution. This is absurd. We cannot deal with these poor technological services any longer. If and when this resolution passes this will be the first time such a statement has been made by the Student Senate in years and will be much supported by students all across campus. I ask the Senior Leadership Team to really take a look at our IT Department and what changes need to be made in order to guarantee these outages not occur EVER again.

I have received no less then 15 text messages along the lines of, “not helping that the printer at school Isn’t working, and I cannot get into my school email where my project I emailed myself is.” In some regards we are our own worse enemy. We have seen complete website outages which ensures that any potential student will most likely not be attending our university because there is no website for them to go to get an application as well as affecting retention because students get easily fed-up with technology because in the year 2009 the trusting of technology is taken for granted.

Thanks,
Steve

December Board of Governors Report

2009-11-10T16:16:00.001-08:00

Board of Governors of the

Colorado State University System

Meeting Date: December 4^th, 2009

Report Item

Student Representative's Report

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY - PUEBLO

ASG Tobacco Research and Recommendation Committee

On October 26^th, 2009 the ASG Tobacco Research and Recommendation Committee presented its final findings to the ASG Senate for approval. The committee made several recommendations to improve the current policy. For example, enforcement of the tobacco policy, and extension of the distance away from buildings from 20 feet away of academic buildings and 40 feet away from residence halls.

Student Fee Governing Board Update

The Student Fee Governing Board has begun its task of reviewing fee expenditure compliance for the previous fiscal year as well as beginning the process for accepting applications for fee increases for the next fiscal year. In a time when state monies are dismal, at best, it is the unfortunate truth that fees will naturally go up to help offset the burden of minimal tuition increases by the university. I will bring the board updates on how the process is evolving at the February meeting.

ASG Safety Committee

In the beginning of October, the ASG Safety Committee took a "night tour" of campus. The purpose of the night walk was to test the effectiveness of call boxes, scout lighting around campus as well as to test the effectiveness of the motion sensors on the light poles around campus. The findings were ultimately good: The lighting around campus is very strategically placed and working great. Some lights were not functional and some of the motion sensors had problems but overall they were satisfactory. One major issue did come up during this walk: The issue of the call boxes. The first call box that the Safety Committee tested, the response time was well over unacceptable norms -- It took the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office 70 seconds to respond to the individual pressing the call button on the box. This instance was further investigated by the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office and they are still trying to determine what happened on that night. I am confident that this problem will soon be resolved.

Lincoln Bicentennial Conference: The Morrill Act and the Future of Higher Education

I was honored to attend this conference in Urbana-Champagne, Illinois. At this conference some very discouraging statistics and issues for actions were presented that will are jeopardizing the future of Higher Education in America:

In China 50% of "young people" hold post-secondary degrees. (Projected to be 55% in 2025.)
United States 41% (Projected will be under 30% by 2025).
The United States currently ranked 23^rd out of all industrialized countries for per capita number of college degrees.
A 3 year old that is raised in poverty knows roughly 1,500 words. (1/10 will get college degree)
That same 3 year old that was raised in a "middle class" family knows roughly 2,500 words. (4/5 will get college degree).
Discussion of true need for better connection between 8à9 grade, 12àCollege
30% of students take remedial classes in college.
- In Texas, a study shows, that if a student takes 2 remedial course, essentially NO CHANCE of graduating.
Question becomes: "Does Higher Ed quit giving Merit Based Financial Aid"? Or at least a refocus? The cream of the crop will always go to college. But how about the lower income individuals?

Distinguished Speaker Series

The Associated Students' Government and Student Fee Governing Board is proud to co-sponsor CSU-Pueblo's 1^st annual "Distinguished Speakers Series" Our series will feature actors Robins Givens (November 17^th, 2009) and Danny Glover (February 10^th, 2010) , the daughter of Desmond Tutu (February 17^th, 2010), social justice activist Dolores Huerta (January 20^th, 2010), renowned attorney and women's rights advocate Sarah Weddington (February 18^th, 2010), and conservative thinker Dinesh D'Souza (January 27^th, 2010).

ASG Constitution Revamp

The Associated Students' Government Document Review Committee is currently finalizing a complete rewrite of our governing documents. This is mainly due to inadequate changing of rules and statues over the last several years that has resulted in several conflicts between the documents. We are hoping to have this done in time for the upcoming ASG Election in March.

Occhiato University Center: Name Change and Plans for Renovation

Throughout my time attending CSU-Pueblo, I have always been curious why the name of the building doesn't refer to the name of the individuals that use the building the most, the students. For example we have the Lory Student Center, the University of Colorado-Boulder Student
Union, the Tivoli Student Union, Western State is in the final phases of building a brand new Student Center and we still have a University Center. The students want a place to feel at home and a place to hang out. Currently the University Center is not offering those services. We are hoping that the name change to the Occhiato Student Center will be the first step in changing the direction of the student engagement and student involvement in one of the most important buildings on campus. Reexamine the plans for remodeling the buildings is the next critical step. These plans are now three (3) years old and with the surge in student enrollment and n new campus life programs these plans may need to reviewed and updated.

Tobacco Policy Findings

2009-10-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

CSU-Pueblo Community,
I wanted to first off thank all of those who contributed their input to this process. Without this input it would have been impossible to reach a coconscious that is seemingly best to all members of the CSU-Pueblo community. This was a very controversial topic that received a fair amount of attention in the Southern Colorado region. I am proud to announce that the Associated Students’ Government passed a resolution last evening on our recommendation that has been forwarded to University Administration. This resolution is available, in its entirety online at, http://www.colostate-pueblo.edu/ASG/Documents/Resolution1003.PDF I believe this resolution is common ground for all members of the CSU-Pueblo community. Also, I would like to thank Senator Ryan Encinias who was chairman of this committee. He and his committee put a great deal of hard work, research, and enthusiasm into this resolution.

Changes To Tobacco Use At CSU-Pueblo Possible

2009-10-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

From KKTV:

Tobacco users attending Colorado State University Pueblo could be hit with stricter guidelines on where they can and can’t smoke.

Currently, a committee made up of members from the student government are putting the final touches on a recommendation they plan to give to the student senate that could alter where students, faculty, and visitors to the university can light up. The recommendation follows research into how students and faculty feel about current regulations. One study conducted in March of 2009 states 70 percent of the faculty would support a smoking ban, while only about 50 percent of students would do the same.

Student-body President Steve Titus says, the situation is contentious but not unsalvageable. "We have to find some kind of common ground. I think a complete smoking ban is altogether out of the question, but leaving the current policy in place is also out of the question," says Titus.

The current policy prohibits smoking within 20 feet of doorways, but some smoking stations have been placed inside that no-smoking zone. "I know in front of the psychology building it's just horrible; when you walk up there is just smoke everywhere," says Britni Huebschman, a senior majoring in Psychology. Even some smokers agree that no one should be smoking within 20 feet of the doors, but they say to do away with it altogether would be a bad idea. "It's very stressful out here," says Joe Bleichrodt a graduate student working towards his MBA.

The committee will finalize their recommendation on Wednesday and present it to the student senate on Monday. "The committee is looking more towards extending the distance away from buildings, correcting the current smoke outlets that are within the 20 feet distance," says Titus. This has both non-smokers and smokers alike breathing easy. "I wouldn't have a problem with that," says Huebschman. "That wouldn't be a problem with me, as long as there's designated smoking areas in certain places," says Bleichrodt

If the senate votes for the recommendation and it is not vetoed by the Student-body President, it will then go to the University President. If he approves it, the new policies could go into effect starting next semester.

VIDEO ONLINE: http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/64848437.html

Titus representing CSU System at national higher education conference

2009-10-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

Posted by Brittney Whatley (CSU-Pueblo Today) on 10/19/09 • Categorized as News

A Colorado State University-Pueblo student plans to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday at a higher education conference in Illinois.

President of CSU-Pueblo’s Associated Student Government, Steve Titus, said he plans on attending the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in Champaign, Ill., Oct. 23-25.

“It’s a celebration of Lincoln’s 200th birthday,” Titus said. “This will be the one and only time it happens.”

The conference is one of several national events, and is expected to explore the details of the Moral Act that was passed by Congress in 2000, he said. The act establishes land grant institutions like Colorado State University-Fort Collins.

Discussions on how Lincoln impacted higher education while in office and how higher education has evolved are anticipated, Titus said. Additional deliberations are expected to include how post-secondary schools have dealt with federal funding and how they intend to move forward.

The Lincoln Bicentennial Commission will also address how higher education institutions intend to incorporate low costs and high quality in future funding, Titus said.

As well as attending the event, Titus said he plans to speak on the panel for student leaders. He said he intends to address costs and funding for post-secondary schools in Colorado.

“Higher education should be a right, not a privilege,” Titus said.“The country needs to focus on providing higher education at a very low cost, if at no cost.”

Titus said he plans to speak about the issue of higher education being viewed only as a luxury for individuals who can afford it. He said he believes education should be a type of add-on to K-12 education.

Currently tertiary education is devalued, Titus said. It is especially true for Colorado, he said, since Colorado puts so much money toward K-12 funding, it is unable to focus on funding higher education.

He referred to the situation as the Colorado Paradigm and said he believes this model will increase tuition and may drive students to attend higher education institutions out of state.

No other students from CSU-Pueblo or Colorado are planning to attend the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission that Titus is aware of, he said, and he plans on representing CSU-Pueblo as well as representing the Colorado State University System.

A representative from the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission contacted the CSU System Office for the board of governors in Denver, Titus said. They informed the board that “they were interested in inviting me,” he said. Currently, Titus is also a member of the board of governors as a CSU-Pueblo student representative.

Titus said he plans on making a presentation regarding the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission at an associate student governement meeting, to classes and groups on campus after he returns and posting conference information on his blog, which can be accessed through a link on the ASG Web site.

An Editorial I Co-Authored for the Pueblo Chieftain

2009-10-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Economy can work for all generations of Americans
By STEVE TITUS and MIKE CERBO

Steve Titus is the student body president at Colorado State University-Pueblo. Mike Cerbo of Denver is the executive director of the Colorado AFL-CIO.

This labor day, nearly one in three young Americans were working and indicators point to the harsh reality that this may be the first generation worse off than their parents. A recent nationwide survey of 1,156 people conducted in July by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the AFL-CIO and Working America paints a darker story: Employment, income and benefits have fallen sharply for young workers over the past decade. One of the most stunning findings of this survey reveals that more than one in three young workers currently lives at home with the parents.

It’s time that we created an economy that works for everyone - not just the few. We can start with passage of the Employee Free Choice Act which will give the 60 million workers who want to join a union a democratic and fair shot, so they can earn better wages, have access to health care, protect their job security and achieve the American dream.

We also need to support President Obama in passing meaningful health care reform that provides a guarantee of quality, affordable health coverage for all Americans - young and old.

Today, almost half of young workers are more worried than ever about their future compared with being hopeful - a 22-point drop from 1999 when three-quarters of young workers expressed more hope than concern. With higher unemployment rates in 2009 than young workers faced in 1999, it’s hard to find a job. But it’s even harder to find a good job.

Young workers are having more trouble than ever getting ahead financially. Times are even tougher for young workers of color, workers without college degrees and many women.

Compared with older workers, workers younger than 35 are significantly less likely to be covered by health insurance or have retirement plans at their jobs, and are more likely to be unemployed. Today, 31 percent of young workers report being uninsured, up from 24 percent 10 years ago. Only 47 percent have retirement plans at work, down 6 percentage points from 1999.

Despite serious setbacks, workers younger than 35 are still more hopeful than older workers about meeting their financial goals and have a clear vision for reshaping the U.S. economy to better serve working people.

Young workers are ready to make this vision a reality at the polls and through greater involvement in civic affairs. When their voices are heard, they - and all of America’s workers - will have a better chance at economic prosperity and reason to reclaim their optimism.

Let us reject the “trickle-down” economic theories that led to this recession and create an economy that works for everyone - not just the few - by passing the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform.

We simply cannot abandon our younger Americans. Our future depends upon them.

Pueblo Chieftain, Sunday October 11, 2009

Campus Safety??

2009-10-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

October Board of Governors Report

2009-09-11T11:59:00.001-07:00

Board of Governors of the

Colorado State University System

Meeting Date: October 2, 2009

Report Item

Student Representative's Report

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY - PUEBLO

ASG Members Attending Southwest Leadership Conference

Selected members of the Associated Students' Government will be participating in the 5^th annual Southwest Leadership Conference at the University of Arizona, in Tucson, Arizona. The leadership conference will last from October 9-11, 2009 and will discuss issues pivotal to the advancement of Higher Education nationally especially those in the Southwest region of the United States.

Concert in Collaboration with the Colorado State Fair a SUCCESS

Previous to this year the students of CSU-Pueblo have always enjoyed the privilege of a spring concert by a major named act courtesy of the Special Events Fee. With the Board's approval at the June 2009 meeting, the Special Events Fee was abandoned and merged with the newly formed Student Affairs Fee. With the new Student Affairs Fee brought forth a new business plan for new major acts.

This year the Associated Students' Government in collaboration with the Colorado State Fair, established a Labor Day concert in which 2,000 "comp" tickets would be given to CSU-Pueblo as long as CSU-Pueblo paid for the base price of the act. In return the Colorado State Fair would promote the named act and sell the tickets through Ticketmaster. Any tickets sold through Ticketmaster would be taken off of the base price.

This Labor Day, the alternative group, 3oh!3 was our choice for this new type of concert. Ticket Sales sky rocketed. This group ended up having the biggest turnout for any concert this year through the Colorado State Fair at roughly 6,000 people and therefore CSU-Pueblo will profit from a concert, the first time in nearly 15 years. The University spent roughly $65,000 for last year's concert (paid from Special Events Fee). This year, early estimates are showing a PROFIT of close to $15,000, an $80,000 swing.

I can only hope that future individuals consider this business model. It seemingly has worked and I would consider the 2009 concert a SUCCESS.

Students Interested in Student Recreation Center expansion

Students are growingly increasingly curious about the future plans for our one-year old Student Recreation Center (SRC). The current project plan looks at the eventual expansion to connect the SRC to the Sam Jones complex and add another full multi-use court. With the campus growing at the rate it is, I am urging university officials to develop a plan to expedite this expansion and if possible look at dividing this expansion into phases.

Lincoln Bicentennial Conference: The Morrill Act and the Future of Higher Education

I feel very honored and privileged to have been invited to this conference at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from October 23-25, 2009. Even though the Title of this conference indicates its emphasis on The Morrill Act (which CSU-Pueblo is not a land grant institution) the majority of the conference addresses the topic of Higher Education federal funding and the future of it. More information can be found online at: http://morrillact.illinois.edu/

Blackboard Ventures Continue

My campaign to offer the best and most technologically advanced access to students of CSU-Pueblo continues. I am pleased to announce that CSU-Pueblo will be upgrading to the current platform of Course Management Software, Blackboard 9.0, as our current version, Blackboard 6.3, is over four years old. Unfortunately, we will not be updating to the Enterprise version of Blackboard (which CSU-Global uses) and students will not be able to enjoy the luxury of having their instructors send them text (SMS) messages (via Blackboard interface) if their classes are cancelled or via the social-networking site Facebook. Also, this interface does not allow for students to access their BlackBoard account via the special, Blackboard Learn, iPhone application. I can only hope that CSU-Pueblo continues to advance into 21^st century technology and hopefully be a leader in technological conquests.

Week 1.. What a Crazy and Fun Week!!

2009-09-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to CSU-Pueblo everyone!!
This first week was very enjoyable... After working everyday this summer (I did take one day off) it is great to see all the successes that we will enjoy this year because of all the hard work and dedication everyone put into the mix these last four months!!

Throughout the week, the Office of Student Activities, put on many events.. Some of which succeeded greatly and some of which weren't so hot... For the first week, it was very impressive and only look forward to students becoming more engaged in the university.

The New Website (colostate-pueblo.edu) has launched... A couple of issues I have seen with the website and complaints I have heard. The T-Wolf Portal is no where as comprehensive as it used to be. It really doesn't fit the definition of Portal. Also, it is seemingly unorganized within departments. What will be a VERY GREAT disadvantage for students this year will be the fact that departments cannot update their information directly. They have to go through the Office of External Affairs for any kinds of updates until Spring (or so I'm told). This will mean that last minute information will not be as readily available as we would like.. Therefore, the question remains, were we actually ready to launch.. We will see what happens, I am confident that things will work out for the best interest of the students.

Also, I write a bi-weekly editorial for The Pueblo Chieftain's "Beyond the Fold" you can see my first editorial @ http://www.chieftain.com/beyondthefold/BTF/Beyond_The_Fold.html.

ASG wise, we ran a mock meeting for the first week, to ensure all the screws are tight into place. I look forward to a very successful year.

The Football Game was very intense, it is great seeing everyone out and showing massive school spirit... It is a great time to be a CSU-Pueblo student.

3oh!3 Ticket Distribution Details

2009-08-20T16:02:00.001-07:00

WELCOME BACK CSU-PUEBLO!!!!

I just wanted to quickly inform the campus community about the 3oh!3 Ticket Distribution!

2,000 Student Tickets will be available, on a first come, first serve basis, beginning this Monday, August 24, 2009. A valid I.D. will be required for tickets as well as a Fall course load of 6+ credit hours.. A $3.03 service charge will also be required to offset Transportation Costs. Transportation for this event will begin on Monday, September 7th at 1pm until Tuesday, September 8th at 1am. We will provide non-stop service from the Occhiato University Center to the Colorado State Fair Grounds. Every 3oh!3 ticket also includes free Gate Admission to the Colorado State Fair.

At this point, I am also disappointed to note, that 3oh!3 management and the Colorado State Fair, without consultation of the University, have required us to have assigned seating areas due to Season Ticket Holders and Major Corporate sponsors. We are working feverishly to clear up this hopeful misunderstanding and allow the students to enjoy the best possible 3oh!3 experience. When you arrive at the ticket distribution location to get your ticket, please arrive with your friends or the people you want to sit with. Just to note, we are saving significant amounts of money (close to $100,000) by partnering with the Colorado State Fair on this project. Statewide ticket sales for 3oh!3, are very healthy, and are closing the losing revenue stream that CSU-Pueblo concerts have had the last couple of years.

Ticket Distribution will take place:

Monday, August 24, 2009 8am-2:30pm, Occhiato University Center
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 8am-2:30pm, Occhiato University Center
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 10am- 2pm, Student Involvement Fair
Thursday, August 27, 2009 10am-2pm, Occhiato University Center
Friday, August 28, 2009 10am-2pm, Occhiato University Center

If tickets are still available after the Friday date I will let the campus community know the times and places of the next round of ticket distribution. Once again, I apologize for this hopeful, temporary inconvenience and if any of you have any questions please let me know.

My Speech at Staff/Faculty Convocation. Also at the Grand Opening of Crestone Hall

2009-08-18T15:10:00.001-07:00

My take on the Former Transit Service funded by CSU-Pueblo

2009-07-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

Great piece by C.M. Gray with the CSU-Pueblo Today

August Board of Governors Report

2009-07-24T15:17:00.001-07:00

Chancellor Blake Visit

I was very pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Chancellor Blake a few weeks ago on our campus. Chancellor Blake and I had the opportunity to talk about a variety of issues pertaining to CSU-Pueblo and about statewide funding for higher education. I made sure to assure our Chancellor that I will be available to do whatever I can to help the CSU-Pueblo and our students.

Meeting with Regional Vice President of BlackBoard,Inc.

ASG Vice President for Finance, Chris Smith, and I met with BlackBoard Regional Vice President, Kurt Ackman. Kurt has been in the innovative technology arena for years, previously working for the Apple Higher Education division. It was an optimistic yet realistic meeting in conversation about our current outdated BlackBoard system. BlackBoard has many applications and programs that our students can harness to create a powerful online learning opportunity and build a stronger sense of community on campus. I hope to keep these conversations ongoing so CSU-Pueblo students can enjoy the best technological services and online academic environment that is possible.

New Business Plan for Major Concerts

The Associated Students’ Government, in collaboration with the Colorado State Fair and the Office of Student Activities has developed a new business plan for major concerts. Historically, CSU-Pueblo put on a big name spring concert subsidized by the Special Events Fee. Effective in AY 10, the Special Events Fee that funded these extravaganzas has been discontinued. The new model is based on sales to the general Pueblo community and a nominal fee to our University students., thereby minimizing overall student fee subsidy.

Institutional Student Fee Plan Review

Last Spring, the Student Fee Governing Board (SFGB) worked collaboratively with University Administration to update the SFGB bylaws to ensure maximal student participation in the allocation and review process of fees. Vice President of Finance and Administration has mentioned that this new SFGB Bylaw does not reflect the current Institutional Fee Plan for Student Fees and Charges. The students have asked that the Institutional Fee Plan be revised. The students the Plan needs to be reviewed and revised to include students in all aspects of the fee process, including the reserves.

Direct Deposit

The Associated Students’ Government in collaboration with Business Financial Services is proud to announce the new Electronic Deposit program for Students at CSU-Pueblo! Direct Deposit to any domestic bank is now available for excess financial aid funds and student payroll checks. Previously, only one banking option was offered. With this new safe and convenient process, students can have money electronically transferred to the bank they choose.

ASG Senator named Colorado State Fair Fiesta Queen

Associated Students’ Government Senator, Daisy Mendoza, has been named the 2009 Colorado State Fair Fiesta Queen. An Aurora native, Daisy is a sophomore Spanish and Biology major. She was crowned the 2009 State Fair Fiesta queen on June 13 and will reign over Fiesta Day activities during the Colorado State Fair in August.

Soccer Stadium Lights

The Student Facility Fee approved funding for lights to be added to our current Soccer field. This addition now gives all sports the opportunity to play night games at home. Previously, soccer was the only sport that really did not have the opportunity to play at night for their hometown fans. We are hopeful that these lights will be in place by the end of the fall soccer season.

Respectfully Submitted,

Steve Titus

President

Associated Students’ Government

Colorado State University-Pueblo

3oh!3 Concert Announcement

2009-07-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

The Associated Students’ Government of Colorado State University-Pueblo, in conjunction with the Colorado State Fair and the Office of Student Activities, presents billboard top-10 artist, 3oh!3, at the State Fair Events Center on Monday, Sept. 7 at 7 pm.Tickets are currently on sale at the State Fair box office or online through ticket master. CSU-Pueblo students will also be able to receive one of 2,000 student tickets that will be available at the school during wolf pack welcome week. Those tickets will be distributed in the University Center, and students will need to show proof that they are enrolled full time in fall classes for 2009-2010 academic year.The Chain Gang of 1974 will open for 3oh!3.

Electronic Deposit Program

2009-07-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

The Associated Students’ Government in collaboration with Business Financial Services is proud to announce the new Electronic Deposit program for Students at CSU-Pueblo!

Direct Deposit to any domestic bank is now available for excess financial aid funds and student payroll checks. Previously, only one banking option was offered. With this new safe and convenient process, students can have money electronically transferred to the bank they choose.

Benefits Include

· No more waiting in line to pick up a check

· Funds are electronically transferred to your account, even if you are out of town, sick, or unable to make it to the bank.

· Money is available for immediate use.

· There are no checks to be lost or stolen.

· Help the environment! Direct Deposit is electronic and paperless.

Please complete the Direct Deposit from available online at www.colostate-pueblo.edu/asg , at the Cashier’s Cage in the Administration building or in Student Financial Services. A VOIDED CHECK MUST BE ATTACHED TO THE FORM SO THAT BANKING INFORMATION CAN BE VERIFIED. Please contact Student Financial Services at (719) 549-2753 for more information.

Bad News for Higher Education in Colorado

2009-07-12T17:30:00.001-07:00

Higher ed budget back in play
Thursday, July 09, 2009
By Todd Engdahl

Colorado will seek a waiver from federal stimulus rules that require a minimum level of state support for higher education, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education learned Thursday.Approval of such a waiver would allow the legislature to reduce the amount of state funding that goes to colleges, but the intention is to cover the loss with stimulus dollars that haven’t yet been allocated, said David Skaggs, director of the Department of Higher Education.“That’s certainly what everyone is intending,” Skaggs said.Such a reduction of state support would give lawmakers a bit more wiggle room as they try to cover a $384 million shortfall in the 2009-10 budget.While overall higher ed spending would be held level if the plan works, it would leave colleges and universities with a lower base of state support when the stimulus ends in 2011.The commission Thursday also unanimously approved a resolution to convene a Sept. 21 higher ed “summit,” a meeting intended to kick off a 15-month project to create a new master plan for the state’s postsecondary system.Higher education’s financial pinch is a key impetus behind the master plan, which is being pushed by Gov. Bill Ritter and Skaggs despite hesitation by some college presidents.Recession-driven revenue declines forced the 2009 legislature to cover about $1.4 billion in shortfalls in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 budgets.Higher education was in the crosshairs during that process, and one proposal called for cutting state support of colleges by $300 million in 2009-10.That was averted by a plan under which state support of higher ed was cut back to 2005-06 levels (a deeper cut would have made Colorado ineligible for education stimulus funds). Then, $150 million of stimulus money was used to bring college support back to 2008-09 levels. The legislature has intended to use the same formula for 2010-11, meaning higher ed would be frozen at the same level for three budget years.This year and next, higher is to receive about $555 million in state funds and $150 million from the stimulus. Cutting the $555 million and replacing the cut with stimulus funds would keep higher ed stable, but leave colleges with a big hole to fill when the stimulus ends. (Colleges receive additional funds from tuition and fees, federal grants and private donations.)That plan (and a lot of other proposed state spending) is threatened by a continued decline in state revenues, highlighted in an updated state forecast released late last month.State economists now estimate the state will have to cover an additional $384 million shortfall in 2009-10.The Joint Budget Committee will start tackling the problem next fall and the full legislature in January, but Ritter already has asked state departments to come up with 10 percent cuts.“We are very optimistic the waiver will be granted,” Skaggs said, adding he believes the federal Department of Education will act quickly. “We’re not going to be the only state in this predicament.”Earlier, discussing the master plan, Skaggs said, “This is a hugely ambitious undertaking, and a lot of questions have been raised, especially by institution presidents.”But, Skaggs added, “It is at least the governor’s view … that this is even more necessary than before” because the state will need to show “the people of the state will be getting for their money” if there’s a ballot proposal in 2011 to raises taxes for higher education or other state programs.The commissioners spent a fair amount of time discussing how college presidents view the idea.Commissioner Greg Stevinson asked more than once if the college presidents “are all on board on this?”“It’s fair to say all the CEOs are not on board,” Skaggs said.Nancy McCallin, president of the community college system, said, “I think there was a great deal of concern on a couple of fronts.” (McCallin hosted the meeting at the system’s Lowry headquarters.)First, some presidents are concerned that a master plan might come up with new duties for higher ed but no funding, and second, presidents are focused on the current financial crisis.As currently envisioned, the master plan process would examine student access and success, the role of higher ed in academic growth and innovation, how to improve institutional efficiency and productivity and adequate funding.The work would be done by a steering committee of educators, policymakers and citizens, assisted by working groups that would focus on the subjects listed above. A final report would be adopted by CCHE in November 2010, with recommendations forwarded to the 2011 legislature.The department already is doing some planning work with a grant from the Lumina Foundation but hopes to receive a $2 million, four-year continuation grant. Skaggs estimated the master plan could cost “several hundred thousand dollars to do it the right way, which means being out in the state” gathering a broad range of views. But, the exact shape of the proposal “is still a work in progress” and will be tweaked up to the Sept. 21 summit, Skaggs stressed.Do your homework

Skaggs memo about the master plan
Detailed draft proposal for the master plan process

Press Release Deciding to Run for City Council

2009-07-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

Steve Titus Campaign Announcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Titus announces candidacy in Pueblo City Council District 1

CSU-Pueblo Student Body President to Run for City Council

Pueblo, CO. Steve Titus, current Colorado State University-Pueblo Student Body President, will announce his candidacy for Pueblo City Council District 1 at a press conference tomorrow, July 3, 2009 at 12:15pm in front of the Pueblo Union Depot.

Titus, a Democrat with long lasting family and business ties to the Pueblo community plans to announce his candidacy for Pueblo City Council District 1 at the Historic Pueblo Union Depot located at 132 West “B” Street in Pueblo. Canvassing to follow.

Titus will run on a campaign based on a Bold, Young and Progressive point of view which he believes has been lacking within the Pueblo City Council.

Titus will graduate in May 2010 with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science then continue his education at the Colorado State University-Pueblo Hasan School of Business for his Masters Degree in Business Administration. Titus plans to continue working for his family’s well established Pueblo based business.

For more information please contact:

Steve Titus at (719) 250-3745 or (719) 510-3328 or at titusforprogress@gmail.com

ASG Office Remodel

2009-06-16T21:59:00.001-07:00

We are in the process of remodeling the ASG office. PAINT. REORGANIZATION. NEW FURNITURE. A mess... Here are some pics.. I will keep updating as the process progresses. Because of this, the office will have very limited office so we can have everything fully operating by July 1. Steve

CSU-Pueblo Student Board Report for June..

2009-06-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

Every regularly scheduled board meeting, the student representative from both CSU-Pueblo and CSU are asked to submit a report regarding the students of their respective institutions here is my first board report for the June meeting:

Board of Governors of the
Colorado State University System
June 24, 2009
CSU-Pueblo Student Report

Establishment of ASG Cabinet

For the first time in nearly six years, the ASG Executive Team has formed a Cabinet to help the President and Vice President maintain a wider array of objectives within their immediate purview. Among the appointments for the various cabinet posts:
Tony Caligaris, Director of Public Relations
Vanessa Rodriguez, Director of Community and Student Outreach
DeMarques Taylor, Director of Marketing
Andrea Shoop, Director of Statewide Legislative Affairs
Joseph Bueno, Director of Academic Affairs
TBD, Director of Sustainable Initiatives

I am very assured by naming these individuals to the Executive Cabinet that the Associated Students’ Government of Colorado State University- Pueblo will be one of the most effective student governments not only for the students of CSU-Pueblo but for the State of Colorado as well.

Out-of-session Meetings with State Legislators

I have been meeting with several state legislators discussing the future of Higher Education in Colorado. After meeting with them I remain fairly optimistic that faucets for funding will need to be changed or vastly reviewed. It is unfortunate that the benefits of In-state tuition fell from $90 per Credit Hour in AY 09 to an estimated $68 per Credit Hour for AY 10. That will impact students about $528 for a full time 24 Credit Hour course load. That increase is also not including the expected increases in tuition and fees. Even though January is six months away, I look forward to a successful 2010 Legislative Session in hopes that Higher Education is no longer seemingly put on the back burner.

ASG Retreats

Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress .Working together is success.” I believe this quote is an inspiration for the teambuilding that needs to take place in order for the Associated Students’ Government to be successful this coming year. We are in progress of hosting numerous retreats not only here in Pueblo but also at the Penrose House in Colorado Springs.

Numerous Beginnings to New Programs to Benefit Students

This summer will be a very hectic summer with the ASG Staff building and maintaining new programs which will ultimately help the Student Body. I look forward to reporting to the Board in my August Board Report all of the accomplishments ASG has made and the new look of the Associated Students’ Government at CSU-Pueblo.

Respectfully Submitted,

Steve Titus
President
Associated Students’ Government
Colorado State University-Pueblo

Student Fees

2009-06-07T17:29:00.000-07:00

In collaboration with the Student Fee Governing Board, the ASG Executive Team issued its approval to fee increases for the next academic year. All of these items are subject to CSU System Board of Governors Approval in late June.

These fee increases are:

$3.30 per Credit Hour for Athletic Scholarships to make us competitive with other D2 RMAC Championship Teams.

$.50 per Credit Hour for Health Services to hire another Nurse Practitioner for longer operating hours besides the normal 5pm time.

$1.30 per Credit Hour (including former Student Activity Fee and Special Events Fee) for a new "Student Affairs Fee" to oversee more organizations within Student Life.

$2.40 per Credit Hour for maintaining the current Computer Labs on campus.

Dissolving of the Current Student Activity Fee and Special Events Fee.

If you have any questions or comments please let me know.

All the best,

Steve

50th Day and Cabinet Appointments

2009-06-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

On June 19th, the ASG Cabinet will present it's accomplishments in the first 50 days in office. The full executive staff is hired and on board with handling the students of CSU-Pueblo and all of it's concerns. Stay tuned for more information.

Cabinet Appointments are:

TBD, Chief of Staff
Tony Caligaris, Director of Public Relations
Vanessa Rodriguez, Director of Community and Student Outreach
DeMarqus Taylor, Director of Marketing
Andrea Shoop, Director of Statewide Legislative Affairs
Joseph Bueno, Director of Academic Affairs

My Statement to Board Members Today

2009-05-27T19:22:00.001-07:00

Governors-
First and foremost, I want to thank all of you for welcoming me whole-heartedly to the Colorado State University System Board of Governors today. I also want to reiterate and thank all of you for your service to the board. I have come to realize that even though Board decisions may not be perceived as the correct thing to do in various scenarios, the Board would never act in such a manner to jeopardize the overall standing of the CSU System. As some of you may know, in some instances, I have been a outspoken critic of board decisions and personally think mainly that was because the system doesn’t necessarily communicate as much information as it should. Just like we mentioned today, we can legitimately clear the perception of others by offering more information without changing the purpose and intent of our message.

Personally, I want to let you all know, I have a strong passion for Higher Education. Every committee either at CSU-Pueblo, statewide or nationwide, within a short period of time, the passion becomes obvious to the leaders and naturally evolve to a leadership role. Being a leader within CSU-Pueblo, I am also on the leadership teams of both the Associated Students of Colorado and the National Coalition of Student Regents and Trustees. The same goes for committees at CSU-Pueblo, as a student member of the Strategic Budget Advisory Committee, and the first student to ever sit on the top budgetary committee at CSU-P, my ideas for the first couple of meetings were good, but they were student ideas, so seemingly taken for granted. But within time, I have developed some of the most clear and concise budgetary plans to help our university excel and within time, I was another legitimate voice at the table. The same will hopefully be said with our CSU System. I will go on a limb and guarantee to this board I will be one of the most productive student representatives to ever sit on the board.

Finally, I look forward to working with each and every one of you in the coming year. We may not always agree at the time, but I will have logic and reasoning for disagreeing, I am not the type of person to disagree for the sake of disagreeing. With Chancellor Blake at our helm, I am quite sure our boundaries are endless and because of his leadership the likelihood of Higher Education prospering in the State of Colorado is looking brighter and brighter each day. I look forward to looking at Higher Education and the CSU System one year and nodding my head and saying, “What a great year it has been, and look how far we have come.”

Thank you all again and see you in Pingree,
Steve

Steve Titus
President
Associated Students' Government
Colorado State University-Pueblo
ASG Office: (719)-549-2773
sj.titus.se@colostate-pueblo.edu

“Truth is universal. Perception of truth is not.”

ANONYMOUS

Conference Call Concerning Student Fees and Cabinet Appts.

2009-05-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

I will be having a conference call regarding Student Fees and Cabinet Appointments this Thursday, May 14th for the CSU-Pueblo Campus Community to call and listen to. I will be mentioning my opinion on the fee increases and how the Students will be impacted with or without them.

The Conference Call # is 605-475-4800
The Participant Code is 123138#

As always if you ever have any questions or concerns, give me a call and let me know.

Steve

sj.titus.se@colostate-pueblo.edu

(719) 549-2733

CSU-FC to turn over budget draft to campus today - News

2009-04-30T22:57:00.000-07:00

CSU-FC to turn over budget draft to campus today - News

Denver-ing it Up

2009-04-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

Today, was my last day not being able to officially represent the students of CSU-Pueblo. I had some errands to run today so while being up in Denver I had the opportunity to find out some things that has the potential to impact students greatly over the next year.

Introduced was Senate Bill 295 which essentially lets colleges and universities across the state raise tuition as much as they want. Currently tuition can only go up by a 9% maximum in the long bill but this piece of legislation overrides that. This obviously has the potential to play a very big change in tuition costs for next year and is something that should be looked at.
I was speaking to Rep. Middleton from Aurora, who I had the opportunity to work with and meet this last year, and over the summer I will be meeting with her and talking about higher ed reform. We really need a leader to stand up and look at Higher Ed and be willing to take it on. We need to be able to consolidate all these Board of Trustees' around the state and streamline most of these schools. I hate to say it but we also need to look at shutting down some of these obsolete schools. There is no reason why they are open except to essentially drain COF money.
COF will go down next year from $92 per CH to $80. Tuition currently is set to go up 9%. CSU-Pueblo net will make $1 per CH more. That is BULL!! The burden should not be put on the school and the students it should be put on the state. Little do we all know that Higher Ed was still cut around $150M this year from FY09

It is time for us all to unite under one common them of advocacy. Whether we are faculty, students, community or what not we need to all join together and fight the fight before it may be too late. We aren't out of the woods yet ladies and gents, the June forecast has to come back and no telling what could happen with that.

Cabinet Positions

2009-04-30T03:21:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder to anyone interested we are still taking ASG Executive Branch Cabinet Positions until tomorrow, May 1st. We have a very experienced pool of candidates and looking like a very top notch cabinet is in the works. We will post Cabinet Appointments on this blog next Friday, May 8th.

Cabinet Information:
http://www.colostate-pueblo.edu/asg/cabinet.asp

If you have any questions just let me know.