Event allows students to lobby legislators directly on campus issues

On Friday, students called for legislators and legislative staff to lobby Gov. Jerry Brown to address campus issues, including increasing funding for the University of California.

The Undergraduate Students Association Council External Vice President’s office and the UCLA Office of Government and Community Relations hosted the first-ever Campus Climate Legislative Day. About 80 people signed in to the event, said Aurelia Friedman, a third-year political science student and an intern at the Office of Government and Community Relations. Many of the attendees were from USAC offices.

The event organizers sought to connect students to legislators, Friedman said.

Assemblyman Richard Bloom, who represents a district that includes Santa Monica and West Hollywood, and four legislative staffers attended the event. Legislative staffers could not comment for this article because it is against policy.

Bloom said he has been hearing from many students who have been advocating for funding reform, especially against the UC’s proposal to increase tuition by up to 5 percent annually for the next five years.

“We are seeing a particular engagement over University of California funding issues and it’s very clear that advocacy of students are being heard,” he said.

Conrad Contreras, USAC external vice president, said his office reached out to more legislators than those who attended, but some backed out of the event because of scheduling problems.

District directors for state Sen. Ben Allen and Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, who both represent districts that include Westwood, attended the event.

Organizers from the Fund the UC campaign led the first presentation, saying they plan to consistently lobby and hold direct actions to push Brown to prioritize higher education in his budget.

Denea Joseph, UCLA campus coordinating director for the UC Student Association and a fourth-year political science student, called for long-term state funding reform, including changes to Proposition 13, which limits taxes for homeowners and business owners. She argued that the proposition has hurt California’s revenue stream and led to less funding for the UC.

Seeking to find alternative revenue streams for education, students lobbied for the Invest in Graduation Not Incarceration, Transform Education campaign, which seeks to steer state funding away from the correctional system and expand retention and recruitment efforts in higher education.

They called for recruitment and retention centers on campus for academic support, as well as passage of Senate Constitutional Amendment 5, which seeks to allow affirmative action at California public universities.

“(The) UC system, founded on principles of equality, accessibility and affordable education, has failed to uphold its mission statement,” said Kevin Casasola, a second-year bioengineering student and a campus organizing director for the External Vice President’s office.

Students argued for the university to include mental health and sexual violence resources on class syllabi, as well as implement or increase trauma-informed training for all professors in contact with survivors of sexual assault.

Raja Bhattar, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Campus Resource Center, called for increased funding for the center.

Bloom proposed that his office help fund the center, although he doesn’t represent Westwood. He said he thinks the increased funding would help not just UCLA students, but other neighboring communities as well.

Friedman said there are no plans to hold a similar event this year, and that it is ideal for now for her office to work with student groups on relevant issues as they arise.

Contributing reports by Emeizni Mandagi, Bruin contributor.