- Profile of Phillip Humphreys
- Plaudits
- Service Awards
- Colleague to Colleague: Caitlin Roberts reports on the rich history of Greek life at The Beach
- Spotlight on Beach Pride Center
- Unit Activities
- A CLASS Act
- Students Participate in Internships at The Washington Center
- Meet Erin Swetland
- Student Nuggets
- Alternative Spring Break 2009
- Facts About The Beach
- Target Case Study Competition Held
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Meet Erin Swetland
Erin Swetland
What characteristics would you expect to find in a CSULB President’s Scholar? Good grades and a great GPA, of course, but with Erin Swetland you also get a warm, sensitive and dynamic person.
In 2006, the Antelope Valley native became a part of Associated Students, Inc., as a senator-at-large. By her third month as senator, she knew most of her constituents by name and was hard at work writing resolutions and serving on committees. It was a natural move for her to run for the office of student body president.
From the moment she decided to run for office, Swetland ran a clean, organized and fun campaign. Early each day, she could be found in front of the College of Business, or in front of the Library or Brotman Hall, greeting students with a smile and a “good morning,” as her boom box played in the background. Swetland’s efforts were successful and she won the election with 65 percent of the votes, an historic accomplishment.
Coming into office as ASI president, it was important for her to make good on the promises made during her campaign. She wanted to create an engaging community and enhance the level of communication between students, the ASI and the university. She and her executive team got to work immediately. At the top of her agenda was U-Pass, which allows students, faculty and staff to ride Long Beach Transit free of charge. After intense negotiations and a pilot run, U-Pass was implemented. It was a major success, resulting in less traffic on campus and assisting students financially. Ridership skyrocketed by 110 percent. Before she left office, Swetland was instrumental in re-negotiating the program for a second year.
Another legacy of Swetland and her team was creating “The Beach Front,” an e-newsletter that informs the entire student body about ASI events, opportunities, scholarships and projects. Students gave Swetland very positive feedback about these monthly updates.
From the time she took office, Swetland relied on her strong sense of faith, ethics and judgment to be the voice of students. She took time to solicit feedback from students via email, focus groups or simply talking to students around campus. Swetland says, “This year helped me realize the importance of treating others with respect and being inclusive with decision making. Something that helped me through challenging times was a Bible verse that guides me to lead with integrity, ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.’ (Philippians 2:3)”
Swetland’s leadership style allowed her to learn from others and for her peers to learn from her. She was organized, punctual and followed through on given tasks. One of her most memorable moments came while speaking before the California Senate Committee on Education in support of Senate Bill 386’s provisions to control textbook costs. The bill requires faculty at California Community Colleges and CSU campuses to perform a cost-benefit analysis to justify new editions of textbooks. Swetland felt that she was the voice of students as she spoke eloquently on the need for fair prices for textbooks.
“Throughout my year as ASI president, I grew intellectually, professionally and personally,” Swetland says. “I learned about the intricate workings of higher education, the fiscal budget crisis in California, the state government structure, the legislative process and about sound business practices. Working with the ASI was an incredible supplemental education that complemented my major in communication studies and minor in entrepreneurship.”
Swetland was accepted to the Navigators program and accepted a summer internship with Congressman Kevin McCarthy in Washington D.C. During 2009-10, she will participate in the California Executive Fellowship Program in Sacramento.
While Swetland aspires to work in public relations or marketing, or even to start her own business, don’t be surprised if you someday see her name on the ballot running for local or state office.