Commuter Senators FAQ
Hello there commuters! We, your commuter senators, have decided to make an FAQ for questions we tend to get asked regarding who we are and what exactly we do for you. We hope you are pleased with the responses given and we hope you leave feedback in the comments if you have any further questions or clarifications needed for our answers.
What are “Commuter Senators”?
According to the AS Directory: The AS Senators are to serve as representatives of their assigned constituents (Commuter Students in our Case). Senators primarily communicate the needs and opinions of students to the administration through the weekly Senate meeting as well as lobbying to the Administration. Senators are to keep their constituents informed of Administrative and AS news.
The best ways we can keep you informed on news that effects you is through this website as well as through our personal interaction with you at various events. Be sure to continually check the commuter section of this site for lists of upcoming events and information about how you can get involved with AS.
That’s great, but what does that really mean?
So far this year we have put on several commuter events which can be viewed in detail in the ‘events’ section of this site, and we have started a new tradition called “Good Morning Commuters” which is a bi-weekly event held near the bell towers where commuter students can receive free coffee and donuts as well as information regarding upcoming events brought to you by AS. Look for more information about the “Good Morning Commuters” program in the events section too.
Besides putting on events, we have been voicing your opinions in the weekly senate meetings in which we help vote on how your student fees are used to improve the university as a whole. This money is distributed to various clubs, ministries and students on campus who propose for funding for their various needs. If you have any ideas to improve Biola that might need some funding to get done, then email us at senator.commuter@biola.edu and we will be glad to help you set up a proposal to the senate. You can learn more about this in the questions below.
We also serve on specific committees to help change specific aspects of the school that are in more need then other areas. For instance, Galen is on a committee to improve the outside SUB patio (near the fountain) and Andrew is on a committee to improve the General Education classes offered at Biola.
One final area we are serving you is by working with the Commuter Life department as well as by speaking with those of you who are often in the Collegium. Both of us strive to make weekly appearances in the Collegium to answer and and all of your question that you might have about events occurring on campus, question regarding AS in general or just if you need someone to talk to. We work closely with the Commuter Life staff to bring events to the commuters that are appealing to what you want and we also work with them to help you feel more welcomed at Biola. You can always find out more information about their program over at their website: Commuter Life Website
Who are the Commuter Senators?
As you have probably notice on the first page of the commuter section of this site, there are two people who are pictured in the section (Yes, they’re not the best pictures, but you get the idea): Cynthia Pimentel adn Justin De Vesta. Both of us are your Commuter Senators and it is our privilege to serve you this year in Biola’s student government.
Quick Facts about us – Cynthia Pimentel is from Bell, CA (which is just west of Downey). She is currently an English Major with and emphasis in Secondary Education. Justin De Vesta is from Norwalk, CA. He is a Psychology major. Feel free to contact us through BUBBS or Facebook.
What can we do for you?
As we have mentioned and alluded to in previous answers, we are your voice and opinion to the senate in the weekly senate meetings. If there happens to be a proposal we are voting on that you feel strongly for or against we want to hear your opinion on the matter so we can share your thoughts and feelings with our fellow senators.
Besides being your voice in the senate, we are also the people you can come to with ideas for events. Maybe you and a group of friends have stated at one point “Man it would be so awesome if Biola…” well let us know what that thing is and we can see what we can do.
In a similar manner, you can also come to us with ideas for improvements to the university. Whether your idea is small or large, we want to hear it and want to make the changes you want!
We hope these questions have answered some burning questions you’ve had about your commuter senators, if not feel free to leave your questions in the comments below. We will make sure to add new questions and answers as soon as we receive them. God Bless!