The graduate student government voted to place two referendums on the spring ballot at its meeting Wednesday.
If passed by the graduate student body, the first referendum would increase funding for the financially struggling Graduate Writing Center by raising graduate student quarterly fees $1.50 per quarter – from $4 to $5.50. Additionally, the referendum will tie future quarterly fees to inflation.
The center’s expenses have surpassed its fixed, yearly revenue for the past three years in response to a rise in student demand for its services and the inflating cost of its operations. This is the last year the center can make up for its deficit by using funds gathered from previous surpluses.
Last spring, GSA placed a fee referendum on the spring ballot to raise graduate student quarterly fees by $5 to increase funding for the writing center. But the referendum failed to pass or win majority support from the near 8 percent of the graduate student body who voted.
The other referendum on this year’s ballot will ask graduate students to weigh in on the recent changes to UCLA’s leave of absence and in absentia policies. Responses to the referendum will serve as an official statement of the graduate student body’s opinion on the policy changes.
UCLA administrators altered UCLA’s leave of absence policy in fall 2012 to reflect UC system-wide policies. The changes cut the number of quarters graduate students can take time off from six to three quarters and removed dissertation writing and exam preparation from the reasons that justify taking a leave of absence. “(The advisory referendum aims) to find out what students think in the grand scheme of things,” said Nicole Robinson, GSA vice president of academic affairs. “The language, all the options, are all dialed back from the advocacy position we’ve been taking before this point.”
The council approved both referendums with votes of 15-3. The opposing votes came from representatives from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
“I think (GSA’s votes) show that they’re completely out of touch with the student body’s opinion,” said Patrick Smith, vice president of financial development for the Anderson Student Association. “Students don’t want to pay more fees.”
Graduate students will be able vote on the referendums in April.
“I hope that (GSA’s) votes are in line with what students want,” Robinson said. Voter turnout is going to be very important to the passing of the referendums in the upcoming elections, she added.
Contributing reports by Stephen Stewart, Bruin senior staff.