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Dear Collegian,

I had the honor of being sworn in as the first ever Associated Students of Colorado State University Speaker of the Senate. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make ASCSU the best it can be. Thank you for entrusting me with this position. I am committed to working tirelessly to deliver on the promises I made during the election.

Throughout my campaign, I promised Senate leadership that prioritizes process, transparency and diversity within the ASCSU. Senate has big plans for the 2017-2018 academic year to ensure that we act as the strongest representatives of the CSU community.

One of the first priorities is to ensure that all new and returning senators are provided with training and mentors to ensure a seamless start to the new year of your student government. All senators will now be thoroughly equipped with the tools of parliamentary procedure, the process which the Senate is run. This will ensure efficiency during our meetings and create an unbiased venue receptive to all ideas. Senate members will also receive further training centered around writing a bill or resolution, job requirements and professional development throughout the year. Through strengthening our process, a strong and accountable group of senators will thrive.

Senate is responsible for a wide array of important elements that define the CSU experience– from the Transfort bus system, to Holocaust Awareness Week. In fact, this last year, the ASCSU Senate helped manage millions of dollars in student fees. ASCSU has previously been criticized for being a closed-off, out-of-touch organization not interested in hearing what the student body has to say. Beginning today, you will see that is not the case. I will be sharing weekly information with the Rams community in an easy-to-understand format, through campus news sources and social media. Be sure to watch for regular updates from myself and the newly elected Senate Leadership team on upcoming legislation via the Collegian and ASCSU website/social media. We are looking forward to being a more transparent organization and hearing more of what you have to say!

Finally, diversity is at the forefront of importance this year in Senate. I strongly believe that any student government should be as diverse as the population that it represents.  With a student body filled with over 33,000 students from all walks of life, we should constantly be seeking out new ways to represent the entire Ram population. Our Senate will grow as our population grows, and be designed to represent all views. I will be encouraging senators to return to our roots of student representation and avoid personal political agendas by ensuring more collaboration with students, academic colleges, student diversity programs and service offices and student organizations across campus. Only through doing everything we can to share the diversity of thought shared between our student body will we be able to adequately represent the Rams community.

To the students who chose to cast their vote for me during the ASCSU elections–thank you for your confidence in me. You always have an open and ongoing invitation to see me personally in the Senate office as well as attend the Senate meetings on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. Your voice is important to me and your senators. Under my Senate leadership, your voice will be heard.

Here is to the start of something new and promising, and I look forward to serving you during the 2017-2018 academic year!

Isabel Brown

ASCSU Speaker of the Senate

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