Matthew J. Plocki and J. Benjamin Faulds have formally announced their intent to run for Council of Commonwealth Student Governments coordinator and vice coordinator on April 8.

The first candidates to make public their campaign, Plocki, CCSG's activities committee director and Northwest regional director, and Faulds, Altoona Campus Student Government Association president, announced their intentions at the council meeting Saturday.

PIocki and Faulds said they had sent copies of their platform and resumes to CCSG voting members before the meeting.

In addition to his positions as activities and Northwest regional director this year, Plocki was CCSG's chairman for the 1995 Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon. While attending the New Kensington Campus, he was SGA special events coordinator.

In addition to his position as SGA president, Faulds served on the Altoona Campus budget planning committee and served as an Altoona Campus Faculty Senate representative. Faulds also served as the chairman of the dance marathon held at the Altoona Campus last month. He currently attends Altoona Campus.

One part of their platform is to implement a change of assignment program for students transferring to University Park from a Commonwealth Campus, Plocki said.

The program will be different from the change of assignment program held last fall and will work in conjunction with transfer students and the Freshman Testing, Counseling and Advising Program, he said.

Plocki and Faulds also plan to focus on multicultural issues, citing the problem of minority students transferring out of the University system instead of coming to University Park.

"It is our duty to rank this as a top priority," Plocki said. "We need to do research and find out why minority students are leaving the CES."

Both said they believe they represent the typical Commonwealth Campus student and they plan to reinforce the positive aspects of the CES.

"One thing that's driving me for this job is that CES has a stigma as second-rate schools. This is absolutely not true. CES accepts this role and it is ludicrous. I couldn't have done as much of what I have done if I hadn't attended the Altoona Campus," Faulds said.

Plocki and Faulds said their leadership styles and different viewpoints will benefit them in accomplishing their goal to advance the CES.