INTRODUCTION

Student Lobby Mission Statement:

Associated Students Student Lobby is an organization that strives to unite activism, professionalism, and strategic action planning while implementing local, statewide, and national campaigns. We initiate, develop, and implement campaigns that progressively alter the current position of underrepresented students and all students striving to get a higher education. Student Lobby fights to instigate change within our current political reality, focusing on empowering students to reverse the trend of escalating student costs and declining accessibility and quality in higher education.

Student Lobby further builds strong coalitions with other on campus, statewide, and national grassroots organizations, while utilizing hands on activist and organizing training modules towards strategic implementation of our goals, all the while giving back to those communities in greatest need. Student Lobby acts as the official avenue in which students train to be effective lobbyists, working with state and federal legislators, political officials, the media, and various UC staff members, administrators, and organizations. Through Student Lobby, students develop a thorough knowledge of the governing structure of the state, including the California State Assembly, Senate, various committees, current elected representatives, and current legislative policies regarding the status of Higher Education and most significantly, the state budget. Members of Student Lobby take upon themselves primary ownership of the implementation process of all campaigns, which further develops their skills, knowledge, and passion needed to pursue a career in public policy and political/legislative affairs.”

CAMPAIGNS

This past year Student Lobby promoted several campaigns:

TUITION TAKEBACK

Tuition Takeback is a campaign aimed at combatting the proposed 27% tuition hike that was proposed in Janet Napolitano’s “5 Year Stability Plan”.

UCONSENT

UConsent is a UCSA campaign that is attempting to challenge the stigma around sexual assault and domestic violence. Lobby Corps wants to promote a culture of consent and improve campus resources for survivors.

IGNITE (Invest in Graduation Not Incarceration, Transform Education)

IGNITE is a UCSA campaign that focuses on the school to prison pipeline for students of color. Currently, more money is spent on prisons instead of education and students of color aren’t recruited to higher education but more often are funneled into prisons, considering the retention rate for students of color in higher education is extremely low.

MEMBERS

Co-Director for State and National Affairs: Mohsin Mirza
Co-Director for Local Affairs: Mathew Burciaga
Lobby Trainer: Stevan Abdalmalik
Internal Director: Katia Stern
Labor Director: Benjamin Shin
Communications Director: Lacy Wright
Legislative Assistant: Varshini Satish