Matthew FitzGerald’s concerning lack of vision for the office and vague, almost nonexistent platforms are a detriment to his candidacy and would be a detriment to his tenure as a member of the Graduate Students Association.
For that reason, this board does not endorse FitzGerald for vice president of external affairs.
FitzGerald presented numerous platforms to the board, some of which are reasonably worthy goals to pursue – his commitment to rejoining the University of California Student Association and increasing communication and collaboration with the undergraduate student government, for example.
But many others, in their wide scope, were troublingly vague: “advocating on the plight of the graduate and professional student” and “doing more on the alumni side and UC Academic Senate issues,” to name two.
More concerning than the vagueness of his platforms, however, was his inability to articulate with any specificity how he would accomplish any of his goals. When pressed for details about how he would go about effecting change in any of the areas that concerned him, FitzGerald provided some rough suggestions that clearly had not been thought out in advance. His central plan seemed to be improving communication, but beyond simply asking people to do what he wanted, he offered few solutions.
It should be noted that advocacy and communication are large parts of the office of the vice president of external affairs, and those strategies should not be discounted. FitzGerald has a fair amount of experience with student government as an active member of the Drug-Free Schools Committee and a former member of the student government at the University of Washington, where he helped implement a universal transportation pass for students. He has also clearly been closely following GSA’s activity and was able to suggest some sensible improvements, such as keeping the GSA calendar and website updated with all current events.
But FitzGerald lacked any specific strategy for his advocacy and, for that reason, emerged as a weaker candidate than his opponent Andres Schneider, who, despite his imperfections, has proven his ability to navigate the office and implement his goals as the vice president for external affairs.
Dear Daily Bruin,
I have spent a year thinking about how to properly get things done with the greatest amount of impact. I take the words I say very seriously, and measure my actions according to hoped-for impact.
In our interview, I spoke with you on over 8 platform points. The primary of which was developing alternative streams of revenue to fund rejoining GSA to the UCSA (fund-raising topped the list), and reconnecting GSA with USAC (through proposing Representatives or the like on our respective bodies).
You addressed my two broadest points and painted me in the light of a dilettante, but on those points I did go into some depth during our meeting, such as facilitation of collaboration between existing efforts of departments, or working to create new programs in departments that do not have significant mentorship, networking or career advancement opportunities.
For the UC Academic Senate issues, I stated that I do not have a firm strategy because it requires querying Councils/the student body and presenting advocacy goals to Forum in order to have a firm plan of action. It would be remiss on me as an advocate to make claims on issues I do not have adequate information on, and it would detriment the power and credibility of the office were I do the same were I to be elected.
On the plight of the graduate and professional student -> I brought this to attention because there is a rift in the GSA constituency. Graduate students do not suffer in the same way as professional students. Many graduate students have funded programs, and engage in teaching assistantships or otherwise (therefore earning an income). The others (I estimate around 50% of the population) must mostly pay out of pocket or find other avenues to fund their education (e.g. most law students take out significant loans). With debt loads over $100,000 upon graduation (and rising), graduate students make up a larger proportion than their percentage of the population for the trillion dollars+ in student debt. In 2013 the interest rates rose and interest subsidy was removed, and I noted that I would seek to coordinate action with other organizations on a national level, particularly by getting GSA to rejoin UCSA, and seek to move advocacy forward. There is great strength alone in speaking about issues and raising awareness.
My fellow graduate and professional students, please know that I have thought out a plan of action over the past year I’ve been involved in GSA. I have been engaged in advocacy work for over half a decade, and were I to be elected I would be ready, from day 1, to continue my advocacy efforts on the larger stage.
Best,
Matthew
Law student debt loads are a national issue, not an issue stemming from UCLA. It also neglects an obvious point: you should not be pursing a graduate/professional education without being aware of the financial implications beforehand. Find a way to cover the costs of education, or plan on taking loans and then aggressively pursue whatever path is necessary to have a reasonable repayment plan.
Your platform is still exceedingly vague. How can you advocate for students when you post things on Facebook saying “I know many of you may not agree with my methods, but I get results, and that is what matters most to me.” That’s a major flaw. If people don’t agree with you’re methods, you’re essentially saying that you’ll force your “advocacy” down their throats in pursuit of what matters most to you. That’s not what I want in any elected leader.
Dear Michael,
Well thank you for that response. I am running for the position that ADVOCATES on national issues for the GSA. Graduate and professional students are aware of the issue, but we suffer through it because the alternative is not pursuing that education at all, and that is simply not one that people are willing to take. We know this, Michael, but that does not mean we should stop discussing the problem of high interest rates (7% on loans that are gotten for very low interest by banks, that is a huge profit margin), and unsubsidized accumulated interest during the deferral period. These are concerns that can and should be raised by students.
I would never force “advocacy” down anyone’s throats. What matters most to me is representing constituents, which is what I would hope you would want in an elected leader. When people raise issues to me, I do my very best to facilitate action, to put them in touch with those who can actually do something about their concern. I would do my best to present issues, and seek to have Forum weigh in on whether the GSA should or should not take a stance, since that is the purview of that institution.
ANY politician must engage with methods that some will agree with and others will not. That is the very core of political engagement. No politician in the history of mankind has been able to engage by absolute fiat with no discussion or dissent on their ways and means. And no, I am not saying that at all. What I am saying is that I engage in my methods to get results, but please do not put words in my mouth that are not there. The greatest strengths I have seen in advocacy are through collaboration, and fact-based discussion. Advancing a position takes concerted effort and passion. Initiative, and drive. if someone says it can’t be done one way, then it is impediment to figure out another – rather than abandon the franchise altogether. Creativity goes a very long way.
What I mean by what I said is that I engage in direct advocacy, going to the core of the matter as opposed to jumping in circles around an issue without getting anything done. I have discovered that wading through bureaucracy and building coalitions is the way to do it. There is nothing quite so powerful as entire student bodies taking positions on issues and staking a claim.
I revised the statement and provided a better explanation. I am only human, as it is said, and to be human is to err. But I believe one of the strengths a leader can have is to listen to constructive criticism and adapt to it, if it is apt, as yours is.
Best,
Matthew
What activities or experiences led you to “discover that wading through bureaucracy and building coalitions is the way to do it.”? That seems like just a bunch of vague fluff words that lack meaningful and substantial value or promise. Same thing with “jumping in circles around an issue without getting anything done”.
Experience improves ability to see avenues that others may not intuitively think of. My lobbying experience is substantial. I have led aspects of successful school-wide campaigns (like working to build a universal transportation pass, which was an effort that had many moving parts, but I played a role in helping to get done – the Student Transportation Taskforce engaged in a multi-year converted campaign of negotiation, Legislature lobbying, Administration balancing and more to build a sustainable transportation regime to help UW students, Faculty and Staff, most of whom commute), and our coalitions saw success through implementation of the strategies I describe. In the ASUW Student Senate, which is the Legislative Branch of an Institution which is not only the “undergraduate” student government – it is technically the student government for the entire University of Washington system (multi-campus). We engaged with 2-3 hour meetings weekly of the ASUW Student Senate, which attracted such notables as the University President, Board of Regents members, our Student Regent, high level Administrators of all sorts (Provosts, Deans etc) …building legislation and getting things done. Also, the time spent outside of the Senate, gathering facts and building support for the legislation. Being on the governing Boards of multiple medium cap non-profit organizations. Ideas are great, but an action plan off of those ideas and a sound, means-tested and experience-tested strategy for success generally provide greater possibility for achieving it. My pkatform cam out of a year of observation of GSA and comparing it to ASUW, an Institution that is not perfect, but works more efficiently and I posit more effectively than GSA does at the moment. However, If I am elected I can do my best to put my experience in organizational governance to the task of repairing the GSA into the grand Institution it is meant to be. Mind you, GSA does its best, and everyone involved is a great person, but I know we can do more.
What those words mean is…there are ways to get things done in a timeframe that is not forever. Taking initiative to contact and follow up with movers and shakers keeps the ball rolling. There are always channels to do so.Talking once, or twice, writing some letters, and waiting for a response idling thumbs…this type of action does not make for an effective long-term campaign. It takes concerted efforts. Modelling activity around the most successful campaigns in history is one way to do it.
This is way too long.
Dear Mr. Matthews,
I am deeply passionate about the GSA and student advocacy in general – you questioned my experiences, so I listed some of them for you. It is important to ask questions, and I am confused why you would challenge the length of the answer!
You wanted to know my activities. My C.V. is well over 6 pages, good sir. Well the short list is, I have work and financial investment/planning experience, and have been a President, Secretary, Treasurer, Senator, 2-time Senate Committee Chair (Academic and Administrative, Publicity, Outreach and Membership), Board of Trustees member (think Board of Directors for a corporation), Public Relations Officer, Alumni Chair, Co-Chair of a group, Fundraiser, Volunteer Lobbyist, attended many conferences (Model UN, Model EU)…
I have a giant pile of experience, and the Daily Bruin dismissed it and minimized it to a few lines. Which are inaccurate, to boot. The ASUW is the student government, and the Student Senate is the Senate, for the entire 40,000+ student body at the University of Washington, not just the undergrads, and it has direct linked powers with the rest of the Association (e.g. recall and other). While there is a Graduate and Professional Student Senate at UW, it does not play an equivalent role to the GSA, and the ASUW is the official government for all students. Senate meetings attract the UW President, Regents, Student Regents and more. It is also a place to present ideas and issue advocacy for the broader community, and craft highly impactful Legislation.
Another inaccuracy – the “transportation pass” is for ALL individuals involved in the UW community. Students, Faculty, Staff. 60,000+ people – UW is one of the largest employers in the state of Washington, and the U-Pass played an important role in keeping public transportation strong when the Recession caused funding difficulties.
For my platform positions, I presented well-thought out strategies on how I would achieve them. The Bruin printed none of them, reducing them to “rough suggestions which had clearly not been thought out ahead of time” – I provided a memo, afterwards, listing out, in clearer words, what I could only briefly expand upon in a 30 minute interview. This system is far different the one at the University of Washington, where there is a public forum where candidates can expand upon their platforms and the public can hear the candidates speak, instead of two individuals bringing back interview material to an Editorial Board to slant the information however they see fit with no public scrutiny.
I am in Law School, a not-so-simple achievement. I care deeply about the GSA and UCLA, and it is most disturbing to me to have had my words painted in a manner than that in which they were originally conveyed. I’ve been thinking of running for a GSA position for the entire past year, am currently a GSA Representative to a school-wide Committee, ran for Vice President Internal in the fall to better educate myself (after only a month or two at the school), due to a vacancy (it was a selection process by the Forum, not a campus-wide vote), and also was on the list of candidates for Director of Discretionary Funding. I have been working to educate myself on this Institution and I run because I want to improve it, and by improving it, improve the experiences of our fellow graduate and professional students, and undergraduates, if we can get more association going between GSA and USAC.
Best,
Matthew
Sorry for questioning the length, i was reading it on my phone at the moment and was having trouble because I have poor eye sight.
Is the organization you support as extremist as other candidates purport? I cannot fathom voting for a divisive anti-Israel candidate. But I may be able to consider the candidacy if that is not the case.
Dear Mr. Matthews,
I do not believe GSA has actually addressed the BDS issue. If it were to do so, it would be by having a Forum delegate or Officer bring to the table an agenda item, and I do not believe there are plans to do so at this time.
I personally have no stance on the matter, and if elected, would defer to Forum, which is the proper venue for GSA Legislation and discussion.
Best,
Matthew