Senate considers student referendum on UCSB academic system

Disclaimer: The writer of this story works for Basic Needs. 

The Associated Students 77th Senate considered a resolution at its Oct. 28 meeting that would poll students on whether UC Santa Barbara should transition from a quarter-based system to a semester-based system. 

The resolution proposes placing a nonbinding referendum on the Associated Students (A.S.) election ballot to gauge student opinions on the University’s current academic calendar. 

The Senate does not have the authority to affect UCSB’s academic calendar; the results would be used to communicate student preferences to the University for consideration in future discussions. 

Legislation proposed

Senator and second-year physics major Alec GeoSimonian said he introduced the resolution to counteract the lack of opportunities for UCSB students to voice their opinions about the academic system. 

Senator and third-year computer science and sociology double major Kyara Vivanco Cortes said she supports the referendum despite personally preferring the quarter system. She also said that placing the resolution on the ballot may indirectly increase A.S. voter turnout. 

However, Senator and second-year communication major Jake Horvitz questioned how much influence the results of the referendum would have on the University’s decision-making process. He urged the Senate to consider whether the resolution would be worthwhile for students to participate in. 

“I don’t know the endgame of this because — okay, we get this information, where does it go from there?” Horvitz said. 

GeoSimonian responded by stating that the referendum could provide evidence that could be presented to University officials. He added that even if the results did not lead to a change, the data would still be valuable. 

Senator and fourth-year economics and accounting major Faizaan Chunawala said that he believes the resolution should take faculty perspectives into consideration. Cortes acknowledged that professor opinions could also be researched, but emphasized that the purpose of the resolution was to provide students with an opportunity to express their preferences.

The Senate also discussed the possible financial implications of transitioning to the semester system, specifically the change to cost of attendance and time required to graduate for students. 

The resolution was referred to the Outreach Committee for further discussion. 

The Senate also introduced a bill aimed to clarify the responsibilities of the A.S. Solicitor General. The bill proposes removing the position’s responsibility to act as the Association’s public defender, citing a conflict of interest. The bill was referred to the Liaison Committee. 

In addition, the Senate referred an omnibus bill to the Liaison Committee, which proposes changing the internal structure of the Environmental Affairs Board (EAB) and Community Financial Fund (CFF). The bill would add two environmental justice director positions to EAB and add a co-chair position to CFF. 

Public forum 

Fourth-year mechanical engineering major Eddie Barajas requested support from the Senate in an ongoing expansion of the dining hall meal plans. The expansion is aimed at allowing students to use their meal plans at retail locations on campus, such as Panda Express and Subway.

Barajas explained that after three years of advocacy and discussion with UCSB Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises (HDAE), the University agreed to implement an expanded meal plan beginning in fall 2027.

Barajas requested the Senate’s assistance in publicizing the initiative and maintaining involvement throughout its implementation process. He explained that student involvement would ensure the expanded meal plans reflect student preferences.

“If we disappear, maybe the HDAE says, ‘Okay [the meal plan can be used] only for the [University Center],” Barajas said. “But if students are vocal, then maybe we can get everything on campus.”

Third-year statistics and data science major Sreeja Vadlamudi addressed the Senate regarding funding shortages affecting Basic Needs resources across the UC system. 

She acknowledged a $20 million California state allocation for student support services. However, she said “the fight for basic needs is not finished” because campuses have yet to receive it. Vadlamudi emphasized that a one-time funding allocation would not provide a permanent solution to growing student needs and rising cost of living. 

“We have a fundamental mismatch,” Vadlamudi said. “More students need support, students need more support but campuses have fewer resources per student to provide that support.”

Vadlamudi requested the Senate’s support in advocating for the $20 million and pushing for sustainable, permanent solutions for funding Basic Needs resources. 

Fourth-year electrical engineering major Natalie Buzzini requested funding for UCSB Engineers Without Borders’ ongoing water infrastructure project in Rwanda. The project aims to improve water accessibility for a school in Rwanda by expanding the existing rainwater filtration system and installing solar-powered pumps. 

Buzzini explained that the organization would oversee the project remotely due to travel restrictions and emphasized the educational experience it would provide to participating UCSB students.

During financial allocations, the Senate rejected the funding motion due to the organization being affiliated with a religious organization. 

A version of this article appeared on p. 4 of the Nov. 5 print edition of the Daily Nexus.