GSA Recap – Nov. 6

The 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 5:30 p.m. in the Bruin Viewpoint Room in Ackerman Union.

Agenda:

• A representative from the California Public Interest Research Group, a student-directed advocacy group, gave a presentation about the group’s plans to promote student voter turnout for the 2020 elections by institutionalizing voting and creating a culture of voting on campus.

• A representative from the UCLA Health for Bruins student clinic gave a presentation about the clinic’s goal to provide greater access to primary and urgent care to students, specifically after-hours access since UCLA’s Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center closes at 5 p.m., while the Health for Bruins clinic closes at 7 p.m. The representative asked GSA members to help spread awareness about the clinic to their respective departments.

• The association passed a resolution to support the Undergraduate Students Association Council’s efforts to improve conditions for students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, and to continue having discussions about how to help students who don’t have homes.

Officer Reports:

1. GSA President Zak Fisher said he spoke with Skye Parral, the president of USC’s Graduate Student Government, about USC’s practice of giving out grants from student government to subsidize student housing and tuition. He said he wants to institute a similar program at UCLA. Fisher added he emailed the UCLA vice provost of graduate education, Robin Garrell, about a request for a list of student emails but she has yet to approve or deny the request.

2. Vice president of external affairs JP Santos said his office worked over the summer on the UCLA Graduate Student Resource Center’s website, an online resource center for graduate students, and encouraged council members to spread awareness about the website. He added that he met with USAC External Vice President Johana Guerra Martinez and hopes to coordinate with USAC on issues that both undergraduate students and graduate students face. He also added his office is working on mental health legislation.

3. Vice President of Academic Affairs Shrinidhi Balasubramanian said her office had its first legislative assembly meeting which included updates from Academic Senate meetings.