The 2017/18 Associated Students of Washington State University (ASWSU) president, Jordan Frost, first visited the WSU Vancouver campus at a conference last summer.
In May, he graduated from the WSU Pullman campus with a with a history degree and sights set on pursuing a Masters in Teaching from WSU Spokane. Before the month ended, Frost was also chosen by Gov. Jay Inslee to graduate to a higher level of WSU student representation. Frost was chosen to replace Alyssa Norris for a one year assignment as the sole student regent and equal member on WSU’s 10-person board of regents.
Frost’s second visit to the Vancouver campus came on Sept. 19 for a ‘student engagement’ session in the Firstenburg Student Commons conference room. This day also marked the first time the board of regents held their first meeting of the year on the WSU Vancouver campus.
“My job is to help the board [of regents] hold [WSU] President Schulz accountable,” Frost said. Frost first asked students in the room for positive comments about the campus. Attendees praised the internship and research program opportunities for creating a challenging and opportunity-rich environment. Some of the attendees agreed that campus financial services were plentiful and well communicated.
Conversation of the campus’ physical facilities quickly steered the topic to lack of space in areas like the Veteran Center, the student commons room and the Student Diversity Center.
Manuel Avalos, a junior public affairs major talked about the lack of space in classrooms.
“Classrooms too,” Avalos said. “I have classes where literally people are hanging off the edge of the table because there’s no space and when you ask ‘Is there any other classroom we can get into?’ They’re all full.”
“It sounds like, overall there’s just a need for space in every sense of student life,” Frost said in response to student concerns.
Frost said a lack of student space was a common topic between student engagement session and the board of regent meetings.
“[The board] discussed an updated master plan for the Vancouver campus that aims to increase student space, mainly through the building of a student union,” Frost said.
Emily Elder, a junior public affairs major and Associated Students of Washington State University Vancouver senator voiced her concern.
“I feel like we’re talking about dorms but we’re not talking about everything that goes along with the dorms,” Elder said, advocating for bringing external food vendors onto campus.
Others expressed concerns about the current Cafeteria service being the other side of the problem, explaining that the hours did not align with typical class and student-worker schedule hours.
Frost said he knew little of the recent ASWSUV student government impeachment proceedings, walk-outs and resignations and was given a recap.
Travis Toth, a senior DTC major and former interim vice president of ASWSUV said to Frost, “Our governing documents failed us. The senators are working on recommendations