Reports of malpractice, bullying and exclusionary practices plague the Associated Students Inc. Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 school year. Following a grievance filed against some members of the executive board due to underage drinking on a school sponsored trip, the ASI board has experienced tension among some of the members that is not visible to the outside eye.
According to the official California State University, Bakersfield ASI website, ASI “exists to provide an official voice through which students’ opinions and issues may be expressed regarding university and statewide affairs.”
ASI is meant to serve the students and act as their voice to advocate for them and provide students with resources that they need.
During the open forum for the ASI 2023-24 elections, candidates that were previously in ASI expressed their thoughts of the lack of inclusivity within the student government and the lack of transparency of ASI with the people that they serve—the students.
“I think the current board is agreeable to what the exec’s [executives] say… A lot of directors feel like they’re just going along with what the execs want, rather than being open about how they feel about certain things and topics and that they will be outcast, and I’ve seen it personally,” said Jacob Roper, the current director of Natural Sciences, Math and Engineering.
Furthermore, one of the ASI justices and the candidate for executive vice president, Christian Burgara, followed up Roper’s statement.
“I would like to change the office culture of ASI. I know I haven’t been in ASI for very long, however, it doesn’t take anyone very long to realize that there is a problem given previous fiascos that have happened in the past… I believe ASI should be a team. Directors, justices, and executives’ opinions should be taken into account,” said Burgara.
Following these remarks during the debate, rumors of exclusionary practices within the ASI board swirled, with members feeling ostracized and left out.
The culture in ASI is like a “boys club,” said Roper. He believed that many of the directors were excluded and when they voiced dissenting opinions, they would be ostracized, said directors from ASI. Roper also said that no accountability is taken for certain actions, such as having friends in executives’ offices spaces that are not allowed, and that the blame is placed on the directors.
Both Burgara and Roper said that transparency in ASI is important, and that the current board lacks it.
“ASI needs to be held to a higher conduct,” said Roper.
Roper and Burgara both expressed that they wished all meetings within ASI were public and that complaints were taken more seriously when conflict between ASI members has occurred.
Both Roper and Burgara said that after a complaint was filed against some of the executive board members based on videos that were posted on social media of underage drinking on a trip paid for with ASI funds—funds that come out of the pockets of students each semester— they felt the board excluded them and were biased against them.
Burgara also expressed the bias he felt from the university and ASI against his campaign team for the election, also known as a slate.
“During the election, CSUB essentially endorsed the team I was running against. By posting about them [Runner’s Rise] on their Instagram account which has 13.5 thousand followers. When I saw that I felt betrayed as I was under the impression that the school wasn’t supposed to take sides. Yet there was my school a place I have considered a home stabbing me in the back. CSUB definitely had the opportunity to show off my team. They had plenty of time to do that or at least apologize. They never did,” wrote Burgara.
On the other hand, some members of the ASI executive board believe that the current ASI board are in agreeance, with all members being included and treated as a family.
“We all come from different backgrounds and have different stories, but we all have a shared purpose, helping students. Many of our members do not know each other when coming on to the Board, but they leave as friends. We also strive to ensure everyone is treated fairly,” wrote Carson Vollmer, current ASI president.
