WHO WE SERVE

The California State Student Association, also known as the Cal State Student Association, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit student organization founded by California State University (CSU) student body presidents in 1959. CSSA is led by, funded by, and represents the over 482,000 students of the CSU.

AVENUES OF ADVOCACY

Recognized by the California State University (CSU) Trustees and the California legislature as the official voice of CSU students, CSSA has long advocated for access to an affordable and high-quality CSU education. It is by CSSA’s work that student voices are included when it comes to decisions made by the CSU Chancellor, CSU Trustees, and the state legislature. CSSA works to ensure that the students are at the forefront of higher education policy in California.

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

The Cal State Student Organization (CSSA) is a student-led organization featuring five executive officers, three special officers, 7 committees, and a board of directors. The board includes one representative from the student government of each of the 23 CSU campuses, collectively known as Associated Students, Inc. (ASI). Representation on the committees and the board of directors is determined throught the democratic processes carried out by the ASI on each campus.

CSSA employs eight full-time professional staff members who support and advise student leadership and manage the daily operations of the organization. The CSSA staff are distributed between two locations: the headquarters in Long Beach, CA and the Office of Governmental Relations in Sacramento, CA. They are contracted through the Office of the Chancellor and adhere to the employment policies of the CSU system.

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT & REPRESENTATION FEE (SIRF)

CSSA is funded by a $2 fee, assessed twice a year to all CSU students, called the Student Involvement & Representation Fee or SIRF. Initiated and developed by the CSSA, SIRF creates a more independent and effective statewide student association with the main objective of expanding CSSA’s efforts to serve all CSU students. The fee creates direct accountability of CSSA to the students it serves by giving students a choice to participate (or not) in SIRF and support the organization that represents their interests.