Associated Students is opening up a new position for a CSU Student Trustee.

Last Tuesday, Senator Marty Block proposed legislation that would give sophomores at California State University campuses the opportunity to serve as student trustees on the CSU Board of Trustees. According to Block’s press release, SB 325 is sponsored by the California State Student Association and would take effect Jan. 1, 2014.

The CSU system is governed by a 25-member Board of Trustees, two of whom are students. The CSU Board of Trustees is the highest policy-making body and is responsible for adopting all the rules, regulations and policies that govern the entire system.

“This bill allows more students a greater opportunity to serve in a trustee position,” Block said.

A.S. Vice President of External Affairs Tom Rivera said the student trustee position is the highest and most powerful office a student can hold within the CSU system. Student trustees have the opportunity to shape the education policies for CSU’s system, the largest public university system in the U.S.

The process of choosing the student trustee is precise.

CSSA Board of Directors collects and reviews the trustee applications and conducts interviews with the applicants, then recommends up to five students to be interviewed by the governors. The governor will then appoint one student to serve on the Board of Trustees for a two-year term. The student is a non-voting member of the board the first year and a voting member in the second year.

This position was added to the Board of Trustees to give students a voice at the highest policy-making level in the CSU system—an opportunity, that wasn’t possible for students before 1975. Since then, the role of student trustee has represented CSU students and has played a key role on the board.

“There are many important decisions made by the Board of Trustees regarding tuition, degree requirements, inclusivity, access and academic policy that affect students, so it’s important for students to be represented,” Rivera said.

To those interested in representing students across the CSU system, CSSA is currently accepting applications for the student trustee position. Applications can be found on the CSSA website csustudents.org and are due by 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 29.