ASI looking into student Bill of Rights

By Terran Odell
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer

Associated Student Inc. Vice President Erik Jolliff is currently spearheading a project to create a Student Bill of Rights at Cal State Long Beach.

Although the project is still in the early stages of development, Jolliff is confident that the project will yield the greatest results for the students at Long Beach. "I am trying to get a better sense of what students want," Jolliff said.

He hopes to find out what students want through the ASI Senators reports of constituent desires. Right now Jolliff feels that a Bill of Rights would better serve the students. "It's something that is lacking that should be there," Jolliff said.

Jolliff said the Bill of Rights would serve to balance the existence of rules and regulations on campus. Jolliff would like to focus not only on what can't be done, but also on what can be done. A bill of rights is something that some other schools in the CSU system already have or are considering having. If it were to be modeled after other campus' bills of rights, it would contain 10 items just as the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the United States.

Jolliff noted the numerous organizations and services on campus, and said that the Bill of Rights would help to point these out. "I think it might highlight a lot of opportunities … the resources that we have on this campus," Jolliff said. He also said that it is important that students know their rights. "It reinforces that they have options," Jolliff said.

Jolliff has received input as to what the Student Bill of Rights should include, and one faculty member on campus doing a survey of students to see what they think. There is some decision making needed on whether the bill should include more specific classroom rights, such as certain days of notice before an exam, or if it should be worded on a broader scale.

Due to the fact that this project is just now being set in motion, there is speculation as to the workings and final product. Jolliff said the project would most likely be completed by the end of the academic year. Once finished, the Student Bill of Rights would possibly be posted on Beachboard, MyCSULB, printed in the Schedule of Classes or posted somewhere in a high traffic area on. So even though the project is just getting started, Jolliff has great expectations that it will better serve the students and that it will "open the dialog," between students and student government.