The Associated Students 76th Senate met with campus and community representatives and discussed a potential increase in student fees at its Nov. 19 meeting.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs answered questions from the Senate. Shengyu Zhang / Daily Nexus
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life Suzanne Perkin and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Miles Ashlock Burke answered questions from the Senate.
Senator and fourth-year political science major Caleb Claro questioned if federal financial cuts to education are directly impacting students, to which Burke responded that impacts haven’t affected students yet, as they’re at the “bottom line” of the financial position of the University. While Burke clarified that these cuts affect research opportunities, he said cuts as a result of the “current political environment” aren’t “affecting student services directly.” However, he clarified that rising operational costs are affecting the University as a whole.
Next, Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) President Spencer Brandt gave a presentation regarding the IVCSD’s role in Isla Vista as well as the proposed noise ordinance on Deltopia, as the IVCSD was still deliberating their endorsement of the ordinance before the meeting. As of Dec. 1, the IVCSD opposes the ordinance.
Brandt also spoke about the IVCSD’s new $600,000 parking compliance program, which will enforce statewide parking regulations. Senator and fourth-year political science major Natalia Pascher argued against the program, citing her concerns for those who work in I.V. and do not have assigned parking spots.
“Students that drive late at night or have jobs are going to be the most impacted by this,” Pascher said.“And so I’m just a little concerned about why there isn’t $600,000 being poured, and maybe there is, into finding a solution rather than enforcement.”
Brandt said the program was created based on weekly meetings where the community discussed how they wanted to tackle different issues in I.V., with parking being the biggest priority. He said that since there has never been a Santa Barbara County agency dedicated to parking enforcement, there isn’t an issue with “supplanting any services.”
During public comment, fourth-year computer science major Aryaman Singh spoke about his artificial intelligence tool Apache, which is a resource for students to get proper information about how the campus works and how Associated Students (A.S.) can make the “best use of resources.”
Internal Vice President and fourth-year global studies and history double major Enri Lala spoke during the public forum “as a student and a neighbor,” as his ceiling began leaking with no communication from his landlord. Lala believes the best approach for holding landlords accountable is to “address them with full names” and to “seek justice” when landlords aren’t listening to students.
Lala also mentioned A.S.’s “rate my landlord” project, which allows students to leave reviews on I.V. landlords and property managers similar to Rate My Professor. The website is being developed by the Office of the External Vice President for Local Affairs (EVPLA) and is estimated to be launched at the beginning of winter quarter.
Next, the Senate discussed A Bill to Add the Healthcare Initiative Coordinator to the EVPLA’s Office, brought by second-year political science major Evan Sussman. While the position has existed before, it has not existed within A.S. Legal Code. The bill was referred to the A.S. Advocacy Committee.
The Senate then discussed A Bill to Modernize Honoraria, or how members of A.S. are able to be paid, brought forward by Sussman to adopt a “modernized, coherent digital honoraria system” with the goal of strengthening trust and upholding accountability across the Association.
Assistant Director for Government Affairs Holly Dunn said the “main issue” with honoraria is that the Committee on Honoraria is “not able to convene in a timely fashion.” The bill was referred to the A.S. Finance and Business Committee for further discussion.
The Senate also discussed A Bill to Institutionalize Rate My Landlord Developers Within the A.S. Office of the EVPLA, brought by Senators Noah Luken and Xander Hepburn. The bill currently hasn’t accounted for the fiscal impact of this change, and whether or not the developers will receive honoraria has yet to be confirmed. The bill was referred to the A.S. Outreach Committee.
A.S. Committee on Committees Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator and second-year engineering major Yeshua Valdez Rodriguez requested $6,000 in funding, as the committee is currently $200 in debt from paying for honoraria.
Tyler Ho, the student fee advisory commissioner for the Office of the IVP and fourth-year economics major, informed the Senate on the Campus Elections Committee’s proposed “Sustaining our Services” fee. If passed, the fee will increase 18 student fees to adjust for inflation and cost of living expenses.
According to Ho, many of the student fees have not been adjusted for inflation for over 20 years, leading to this “big” inflationary increase of $40 — an approximate 10% increase in undergraduate student fees. After the initial increase, inflation adjustments will be applied to fees annually.
Ho expressed concerns over the committee not analyzing each fee increase individually by passing “blanket approval” for all 18 fee increases. The proposal passed six in favor and one opposed, Ho being the singular opposing vote, which allows the party to start collecting signatures in support of the fee increase.
Next, Oseinou Diagne, the public relations coordinator for the Office of the IVP and fourth-year English major, consulted senators over ongoing association media campaigns. Diagne stressed that the Senate’s Instagram account can serve as a resource to “let students know what’s happening on campus” and to build trust due to “years of distrust and unreliability.”
Diagne expressed disappointment that only 12 senators showed up to the first quarterly State of the Association on Nov. 18. The Senate-approved event was mandatory for all Boards, Committees and Units with the consequence of honoraria deductions for absences. He stressed that attendance at these events impacts their credibility with the student body.
The Senate then referred the A.S. Executive Director Job Description Final Draft to the A.S. Liaison Committee as the search to fill the position continues.
Next, the Senate adopted third-year economics and philosophy double major Luken’s proposed Resolution Calling on UC President James Milliken to Reinstate Recurring Meetings with Student Leaders. This resolution is in response to Milliken reportedly not upholding the longstanding tradition of the UC president’s quarterly meetings with undergraduate student leaders.
Senator and second-year political science major Erica Sherkin reported that the A.S. Advocacy Committee has discussed ways to increase protections for undocumented students beyond “know your rights campaigns.” The committee’s ideas included creating an emergency text system to notify students of Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence on campus and making public spaces private so that federal agents must have a warrant to enter a building.
The meeting concluded by going into a closed session to discuss “A.S. delegated authority with the Attorney General.” The Nexus was not able to confirm the details of the conversation.
