This year the UCLA Graduate Students Association is lobbying to fight graduate student fee increases, sponsoring programs for graduate students, and working on the Graduate Student Resource Center.
Protesting fee hikes at the regents’ meeting and state legislature are ways the GSA plans to fight increases in graduate student fees.
“The regents annually increase fees for graduate students,” said Monica Sanchez, GSA Vice President of External Affairs. “We need to let them know they can’t only rely on that.”
The GSA has planned a trip to Sacramento and also plans to send four or five UC graduate students to address the UC Regents about their concerns about annual fee increases.
“Every year we’re not seeing an increase in aid,” Sanchez said. “Because students are working so much, it’s hard for them to find time to lobby. This situation has really hurt us.”
The main hurdle for the GSA has been getting students out to the regents meetings and the legislature to lobby.
“Graduate students are an overworked, underpaid, tired lot,” said GSA President Nurit Katz. “They’re hard to get out, but they’re getting into it.”
Katz has had an easier time getting students to come to social events.
To spur participation within the graduate student community, the association has hosted Melnitz Movie Nights and speed dating events.
“The GSA exists to bring graduate students together,” Katz said. “Grad students tend to be isolated.”
The GSA is also planning a large Graduate Student mixer at Cal Tech. It will involve students from Southern California universities, including UCLA and USC.
Organizing the mixer, other events and serving as an officer takes time on top of studies.
Due to the demanding workloads and time constraints of graduate students, planning these events has taken its toll on the Graduate Student Association officers.
Earlier this year the Director of Communications was forced to resign due to an unmanageable workload.
“We try to hire people with a lot of energy,” Katz said. “There were two instances where people new to UCLA were brought on. They had a lot of energy, but they were overwhelmed by the work.”
Aside from funding and event planning, the GSA focus has been with the Graduate Student Resource Center.
“One of my goals ”“ and I think every officer in GSA will agree with me ““ is the Graduate Student Resource Center,” said Arpi Siyahian, GSA Vice President of Internal Affairs. “We’re trying to make sure the GSRC prospers and we’re trying to secure some permanent funding.”
“As part of my responsibility as Vice President of Internal Affiars,” Siyahian said. “I also chair the GSRC oversight committee. We’ve been working on our strategic planning process. That’s something we’ll report maybe before the end of this quarter. We’re getting the Graduate Writing Center going as well.”