Tracy Davis reflects on year as student regent

By Robert Salonga
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
[email protected]

  EDWARD LIN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Student Regent Tracy Davis attends the 2002 Letters &
Science Graduation ceremony held on June 14. Her term as regent
ends July 1.

On her last day as student regent, Tracy Davis wished she cut
herself more slack earlier in her term.

“You’re basically a politician by the way people
view you, and see you as someone they can beat up,” she said.
“I would try not to take things so personally.”

The past year for the student representative to the UC Board of
Regents had its share of accomplishments. As the lone student on a
board representing 180,000 students, Davis took part in sweeping
admissions reforms and equal opportunity policies for the UC.

And though she served the longest term as student regent ““
she was the first to serve a year-long designate period before
officially taking the post ““ she said she can’t believe
her term is up.

“In some ways it doesn’t feel long enough,”
Davis said.

She also wishes that the realities of being a student
didn’t take away from her time as a regent.

“You almost wish you didn’t have to take classes or
be thinking about how you’re going to pay rent,” Davis
said.

“You’re always going to wonder what more you could
have done,” she added.

Her fellow regents remain baffled at how she handled her
already-full schedule as a UCLA doctoral student in higher
education, regent and alumni association board member.

“I wondered if she ever slept,” said outgoing alumni
regent Jeff Seymour.

He added that as a five-year admissions reader and coordinator
at UCLA, Davis brought a different perspective of admissions to the
board.

“Her background had a big impact on providing information
about admissions policies,” Seymour said.

The November approval of comprehensive review showed a new way
of evaluating undergraduate applicants, and Davis’ influence
was integral to the policy’s approval. Admissions readers now
heavily consider personal experiences and life challenges in
addition to academics.

But the year contained its fair share of problems. When
comprehensive review was under consideration by the board, Davis
said she and other regents were under an enormous amount of
pressure from the state Legislature.

“I was upset and taken aback by the stepping over the line
that happened,” Davis said.

Dexter Ligot-Gordon, who officially assumes the post of student
regent today, said Davis was important to his transition to the
board.

“Rarely have I had the responsibility to work with people
like the regents,” he said. “She helped me to
understand their context and how to approach them.”

 

Looking back, Davis has taken a lion’s share of lessons
from her experience, especially during her first six months as the
student regent-designate.

“You get beat up by different groups and people, and there
were days when it was unbearable,” she said. “I
(should) have tried to develop relationships with different groups
early on.”

As she steps down, Davis will continue her Ph.D. dissertation
and plans to complete her doctorate by June 2003.

She will also work as a special assistant to Regents’
Chair John Moores ““ serving primarily as a research analyst
involved with board issues ““ allowing her to “live on
in the world of the regents.”

Visit http://www.ucop.edu/regents/ for more information
regarding the UC regents.