Understaffed ASG Has Trouble Keeping Office Hours, Seeks New Members

The Associated Student Government doesn’t have the staff to keep its doors open on a consistent basis, according to DeRon Walker, ASG president.

Armando Garcia, vice president of ASG said that the office has received numerous complaints from students because the office is often locked during hours that it should be open. Standard ASG office hours are 8 a.m to 5 p.m., but the office remains locked at sporadic hours.

Garcia said the problem is because the student government does not have enough members.

“You are required to do at least three hours a week,” Walker said. Although members like VP Garcia are putting in10 hours a week dedicated to the ASG office, not all members are able to put in more than the minimum hours.

“We’re in the growing stages and the reason for us not being able to be there in the ASG office is because we don’t have enough people,” Walker said. “And as soon as we grow to a good amount, then we can get more office hours.”

Walker also said that even if the association gets more people involved, there is still no guarantee that they will cover all office hours.

“If students really want the ASG office to be open all the time, then they should just get involved,” Walker said.

After the club rush on Oct. 2, the ASG booth had four to six people interested in joining student government, Walker said. “We’ve been working so hard to get people to join,” Garcia said.

In the last two ASG meetings, two students–Noemi Nava and Carrie Garcia–have been adopted as senators. Four others are attempting to join.

Senator Nava has offered to put in more than the required three hours at the ASG office to avoid any further student complaints.

Garcia also said that office hours should be covered as a team.

Walker said that ASG members will continue to promote the student government and recruit more people to join and create a better experience for students which would in turn lead to longer office hours.