The Graduate Students Association is the voice of graduate students on campus. The association meets for forum every three weeks and takes positions on current issues affecting graduate students. Forum meetings are at 5:30 p.m. in the Global Viewpoint Lounge in Ackerman Union.
Agenda
- The association approved the GSA’s 2018 election schedule, which will begin on April 11 and last until April 17.
- Several GSA student interest board members said they think funding allocation proposals were being too slowly approved. Discretionary fund director Andres Schneider said he will work to speed up the processing time for funding allocations. GSA President Michael Skiles said the association may consider disciplinary charges against Schneider if the funding allocation process does not improve.
- Robert Gamboa, LGBT affairs co-director, said they plan to host biweekly or monthly forums and quarterly events to help support UCLA’s graduate LGBTQ community.
- Associated Students UCLA graduate representatives said ASUCLA is working to open new food services such as Veggie Grill and remodel the first floor of Ackerman Union.
- Graduate Writing Center director Marilyn Gray proposed plans to increase graduate student quarterly fees by either $5.75 per quarter or $9.00 per quarter to expand services and programs at the Graduate Writing Center.
Officer reports
- Skiles said his office will be reviewing all appointee positions to ensure they are being held accountable for their duties and added he will present the results from their reviews at the next forum meeting.
- Skiles said GSA will be providing free food and drink at the GSA Winter GradBar at Rocco’s Tavern on Friday from 7 to 10 p.m.
- Skiles said GSA is hosting “Interdisci Dinners,” a spin-off of UCLA Alumni Association’s “Dinner for 12 Strangers.” Graduate students will provide dinners in their homes for students with similar interests.
- Alexander Fung, vice president of internal affairs, said his office is working with the UCLA Dashew Center to review and re-evaluate the iSTART orientation fee and improve transparency over what the fee is used for. Fung also said his office is working with the University of California Student Association to reinvest tuition paid by out-of-state and international students back to their education instead of to in-state students.
- Fung said his office is organizing the GradCafe Initiative to combat food insecurity by providing free lunches for graduate students at the Luskin School of Public Affairs during week six and week 10 of winter quarter.
- Fung added his office is planning a Lunar New Year event for graduate students.
- Parshan Khosravi, vice president of external affairs, said his office will be sending a delegation to the UCSA’s Students of Color Conference at UC Riverside this weekend to discuss issues affecting graduate students of color.
- Rebecca Katz, GSA vice president of academic affairs, said her office is looking to improve teaching assistant job search engines by allowing TAs to find job openings narrowed by their field of specialty.