UC campuses plan to lobby in Sacramento for higher education funding
By Marcus Torrey
Feb. 24, 2010 9:22 p.m.
On March 1, the University of California Student Association plans to notify Sacramento that funding higher education should be a priority.
In a day that will culminate in students marching and rallying around the capital, UCSA members and students from all 10 UC campuses will wrap up their talks with legislators in an attempt to increase state funding for public higher education, which has been slashed in light of California’s budget crisis.
Representatives from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office chose not to comment.
Christopher Santos, a third-year psychobiology student and member of UCSA, said the November protests led to good talks between student leaders and legislators, but so far that is all.
“What we want to see now is positive action,” he said.
The weekend preceding March 1 will consist of the annual Student Lobby Conference, at which UCSA representatives and students from each of the UCs will meet with lawmakers to advocate for more funding.
UCSA will bring students with them, with 70 to 80 students from UCLA, Santos said. Currently, Santos is trying to find a way to bus more students up to Sacramento.
UC Office of the President spokesman Steve Montiel said their office has been asked to help UCSA members connect with legislators, and they have been happy to facilitate their request.
In addition to help from UCOP, the UC Board of Regents will join students and UCSA members in lobbying legislators.
“We need to represent a unified UC, which means we have to work with the regents,” Santos said, referring to the cooperation between UCSA and the regents.
However, Victor Sanchez, external vice chair, Santa Cruz, said this cooperation does not mean the November vote has been forgotten.
In working with the regents, UCSA has not compromised any of its platform issues, he said.
Instead, it is working with the regents so it can use the regents’ networks, making it easier to meet with the chairs of budget committees.
While Santos said he is positive this march will have an effect, he is aware that there will be more work to do afterwards.
“We’re getting pretty close to the passage of another budget, and every time this happens, there is a lot of drama and a lot of problems when it comes to figuring out what to cut and what not to cut,” he said.
To assure higher education funding is not cut, Santos said they have to make legislators remember that the students of California are invested in higher education funding.
