Six years ago, the Graduate Students Association forum voted to withdraw from the University of California Student Association. At the time, GSA had sent a request letter to UCSA addressing several concerns that we had regarding our involvement as graduate students. Specifically, we requested that every year one of the two issues taken up by UCSA be specifically related to graduate students. We also wanted a dedicated staff member for the graduate student associations throughout the UC. Neither demand was met and GSA decided that our due money ($1.30 per student) would be more effectively spent on other projects, so we withdrew.
Organizations like UCSA work most effectively when all potential members – in this case, all student associations at the UC campuses – pool their resources and work together. We have been allowed to attend UCSA meetings without the right to vote, and while that access to activism has been beneficial, we have been missing out on considerable advantages that come with active membership. With the institutional support UCSA offers, we will have access to studies, surveys and reports that we would not be able to develop on our own. UCSA also serves as an effective facilitator of communication between campuses, identifying common issues and difficulties that we may feel affect us alone. The current Jobs! campaign is working to establish the best practices for career development for graduate and professional students, and while UCLA is a leader in initiating these programs, we are not currently involved in the campaign.
In January, I met with Louise Hendrickson, the interim executive director of UCSA, to talk about the changes to UCSA’s bylaws and our joint vision of future collaboration. Specifically, we discussed the fact that UCSA recently modified its bylaws so that at least one graduate issue campaign will be addressed every year. The different GSAs now also have the support of Paul Escobar, director of graduate and professional student advocacy. It was a slow process, but our demands have been met, and now it is time for GSA to rejoin UCSA.
In February, I presented these updates to forum and asked that the representatives talk to their constituents about rejoining UCSA. At my invitation, Escobar also came to forum to present his role within the organization and offer his support in our advocacy efforts.
I have done my due diligence as president researching the reasons we withdrew, including reaching out to the GSA officers that oversaw the transition six years ago. I believe that our grievances have been addressed and that we stand to benefit enormously from collaboration with UCSA. At the April 16 forum meeting, I will call for a vote for the forum to decide if we will rejoin UCSA for a trial period of one year.
It is time for us to take advantage of the resources UCSA can offer and contribute to the overall strength of the organization. As due-paying members, UCLA’s GSA will have the right to vote on policy decisions year to year, as well as on student regent appointments. The UCLA GSA is one of the strongest graduate associations in the entire country, and we are one of the largest within the University of California. Our budget surplus can easily absorb the cost of dues for the upcoming trial-year membership, and I will work to find permanent funds to cover dues if we decide to continue in UCSA after our trial period expires. I encourage all students to contact their forum representatives and let them know you support GSA rejoining UCSA.
As the current president of GSA, I am in the fortunate position of entering next year with considerable institutional knowledge that will aid me in determining if UCLA’s needs are being adequately met by USCA. I am currently running on the Diversity in Action slate with Hope McCoy, the current vice president of external affairs. Between the two of us, we’ve held six different student government positions at UCLA. Together, we are uniquely suited to oversee this transition, and I look forward to seeing the benefits of our collaboration come to fruition next year.
I have been collaborating throughout the year with USAC, and look forward to increased interaction between our offices next year. Especially with regard to UCSA, graduate-undergraduate collaboration is of paramount importance if we are going to achieve our ambitious goals. As GSA negotiates its reentry into UCSA, I am the most qualified candidate to ensure that our investment in the organization continues to benefit graduate students. I encourage all graduate students to vote Diversity in Action in the upcoming GSA election on MyUCLA from Tuesday to Monday.
Robinson is a graduate student in the UCLA Department of Italian and the current GSA president.