The California Faculty Association (CFA) at CSUSM has been working closely with interns on campus in hopes of building a partnership between students and faculty.

The interns, Karen GuzmXn and Emilee Ramirez, are working to create a bridge between students and faculty with the goal of keeping both groups informed on important issues.

“One of the chief roles of the CFA Student Interns is to serve as a conduit between faculty and students so that each group can be informed about the other’s concerns and how the two affect each other,” said CFA chapter president, Darel Engen.

The connection between students and faculty through the interns allows for better communication and understanding by both parties. The interns progressively advocate for the increase in faculty pay and, in turn, the increase in the quality of student’s education.

“In the particular case of the faculty’s effort to be paid a fair wage for the work we do, we hope the CFA Student Interns will help to inform students about the issues and make the connection between faculty’s pay and faculty’s ability to deliver a quality education,” said Engen. “By the same token, where students have issues that they need to have faculty understand, the CFA Student Interns can serve to relay the student concerns to the faculty.”

Through the correct and fair treatment of faculty, the interns are fighting for student success and the best possible quality of education.

“How do we make sure that we all have quality education and how do we make sure that it is affordable for everybody?” said GuzmXn about her role as an intern.

The interns are working to combat many financial issues that reside on the CSUSM campus. Currently, they are working to roll back the mandatory $200 student success fee and they will also be looking into the 2 percent tuition increase that the Board of Trustees will be discussing on Nov. 17.

Other issues, such as the lifting of the current tuition freeze, student funding for new buildings and parking concerns are all under evaluation.