GSA recap – April 16

The UCLA Graduate Students Association is the voice of graduate students on campus. The association meets for forum every three weeks and takes positions on current issues affecting graduate students. Forum meetings are at 7 p.m. in the Ackerman Viewpoint Lounge.

Agenda

• GSA unanimously approved this year’s election results. Mike Hirshman, a student at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, was elected president with a vote of 963-510. Andrés Schneider, a member of the Moving Forward slate and a former GSA discretionary funding director, was elected vice president of external affairs with a vote of 922-450. Hope McCoy, the current GSA vice president of external affairs, and Ivy Onyeader, a psychology student, both ran uncontested. McCoy was elected GSA vice president of internal affairs, and Onyeader was elected vice president of academic affairs.
• GSA unanimously voted to table a discussion about whether it would join the UC Students Association for a trial year in its next meeting.
• GSA unanimously voted to allocate $1,000 from its forum discretionary funding to the UCLA International Institute for the first annual International Institute Graduate Student Conference on May 16.

Officer reports

• GSA President Nicole Robinson said she attended the annual Student Advocates for Graduate Education spring conference with McCoy to discuss issues concerning graduate students, such as student research funding and student debt. Robinson said she was elected to be the SAGE director of communications, and she hopes to voice the opinions of UCLA graduate students in upcoming conferences.
• Vice President of Internal Affairs Nina Drucker was not present during her officer report at the meeting. On behalf of Drucker, McCoy said requisitions for discretionary funds are due on April 25 at 4 p.m.
• Vice President of External Affairs Hope McCoy said that the lastUCLA Alumni Association Board of Directors meeting will be held during the first week of June.
• Vice President of Academic Affairs Cody Trojan was not present at the meeting.

Special presentations

• Robinson encouraged members of GSA to vote in favor of joining the UC Students Association for a trial year. She said membership fees could be covered by GSA’s surplus funds for the trial period and that students would be able to benefit from the UCSA’s campaigns and initiatives.