RoseAnne Gutierrez, a fifth-year Asian American studies student,
is an ideal candidate for Academic Affairs Commissioner. She has
the experience, knowledge and ideas to get the job done in an
important office that sorely needs her leadership.
She also has the calm, collected demeanor that is necessary to
be a USAC officer, surely gained from already working with many
groups in productive ways. Gutierrez has worked in the External
Vice President’s and President’s office, served as a
member of the Academic Senate’s Committee on Undergraduate
Admissions and Relations with Schools and as a committee member for
the Community Enrichment and Resource Centers.
Gutierrez knows the UC admissions policy and what she can do to
help change it. She also understands the importance of outreach and
the vital involvement of students in this critical effort to
improve public education in this state.
Though Gutierrez has a deep understanding of the more political
aspects of the job, she also understands what’s necessary to
facilitate the day-to-day operations of the Academic Affairs
Commission itself, including working with the Academic Senate
committees and building on the Student Departmental Senate
program.
Gutierrez’s ideas and dedication stand in stark contrast
to her opponent, Viable Alternative candidate Tova Fuller. In fact
the two cannot even be compared.
Fuller’s enthusiasm is overshadowed by the fact that she
has little to no knowledge of the position she’s running for.
Her research of the job seems based entirely on limited Internet
surfing; she has no experience or breadth of knowledge that
prepares in any way to lead what is arguably USAC’s most
important commission.
Especially disturbing is her confusion about what exactly the
Academic Senate is, and what it does.
Her lack of experience working with diverse student groups came
through during The Bruin’s endorsement hearings when she was
unable to pronounce many groups’ names correctly.
During the hearings, Fuller also ignored the issues of repealing
SP-1 and working on outreach, instead focusing on making USAC more
accessible ““ a laudable goal that has nothing to do with the
position she is running for.
It is critical the Academic Affairs Commissioner know what
student concerns are and how to take care of them. While Fuller
doesn’t seem to have a clue, Gutierrez seems to have it all
figured out. Clearly, she is the only candidate who can handle the
job.