UCSA recap – Feb. 6-7

The University of California Student Association, comprised of representatives from the UC student governments, held its monthly board meeting on Feb. 6 and 7 at UC Santa Barbara.

• The board reviewed its quarterly meeting with Janet Napolitano, in which she gave further details about the UC housing initiative, which is designed to ensure sufficient housing for students, said UCSA president Kevin Sabo.
• Sabo added the board also discussed the recent increase in the number of graduate students who struggle to complete their doctoral programs.
• The board announced an initiative between the UC and the secretary of state’s office that would automatically register UC students to vote when they register for classes, rather than redirecting students and hoping they vote, Sabo said.
• The board discussed cost-of-living surveys and asked the UC Office of the President to conduct a survey of graduate students on the costs of living beyond tuition and other fees, he added.
• Sabo said the board also discussed funding proposals and priorities for the Student Advocacy, Governance and Engagement proposal, or SAGE proposal.
• The board also discussed insourcing for UC employees but postponed the resolution until March to fine-tune details about proposals for insourcing, he added.
• Sabo said the board decided to support a bill that would mandate campus climate reports. The bill was amended to include information on food and housing security.
• The board also decided to support a bill mandating Electronic Benefit Transfer, or EBT, disbursements to be accepted on campus, Sabo said. He added the board has been focusing on food and housing security, and the bill would create a food pantry grant program that would aim to assist campus food pantries.
• The board took a neutral position on a bill that would cap non-resident enrollment, Sabo said. He added there was not enough support for or against the bill because the board felt the bill was the wrong solution to the problem. Sabo said he thinks some of the more selective campuses accept more out-of-state students and push California residents to campuses that may not be their first choices, but capping enrollment is not the right solution. He added the board did not feel students should be used as a mechanism to balance the budget.

Compiled by Meghan Hodges, Bruin reporter.