[Gsaucr] GSA News (Elections Week)

[GSA Public Relations]

Dear Grads,

In this week's newsletter, you'll find information regarding:

*1.  GSA Elections for the 2008-2009 School Year!* *
**2.  GSA Ice Cream Social- Friday 4/18
**3.  Students for California's Future-Day of Action April 21st, 2008!*
*4.  Apply to be a UC System-Wide Committee Representative!**
**5.  UC Regents Meeting May 13-15th –Voting on STUDENT FEES
**6.  GSA Research Awards
**7.  Grad Athletic Tournament(s) Spring*
*8.  Whiteline at the May Regents Meeting! Application Due: Wednesday, April
30 by **10PM*
*9.  Grad and Professional Students Testimonials about Financial Aid-Fill
out one Today!
**10.  UC, CSU, CCC Sustainability Conference@ CalPoly San Luis Obispo
**11.  Building a Grassroots Coalition between UC Students and the UC Office
of the President (UCOP)*

Please read below for more information.

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*1.  GSA Elections for the 2008-2009 School Year!*

VOTE!!! April 14th, 8am to April 18th, 5pm

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*2.  GSA Ice Cream Social- Friday 4/18*

The GSA Party Committee will be hosting an Ice Cream Sundae Social on
Friday, April 18th from 3pm until 5pm in the GSA Office (203 Commons). Come
socialize with your fellow grad students and make your own ice cream sundae!


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*3.  Students for California's Future-Day of Action April 21st, 2008!*

Reclaiming the Promise for California's Future

Students across the University of California, California State University,
and California Community College are organizing a Day of Action across
California. Join UCSA and GSAUCR for the UCLA action! GSA will pay for
travel, lodging and food for participants! For more information or to
attend, please contact the GSA Campus Organizing Director Ching-In Chen at
echen014 at student.ucr.edu

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*4.  Apply to be a UC System-Wide Committee Representative!*

As the official voice of the UC students, UCSA needs YOU to represent over
200,000 students on important decision-making committees for the UC system.
These committees deal with critical policy issues that affect every student
in the UC system (e.g. admissions policy, budget priorities, sustainability
practices, diversity issues and technology investments). It is vital that UC
students have strong representatives on these committees. There are over 20
different committees with over 30 student representative positions that need
to be filled for the 2008-09 school year.  Applications are due Friday,
April 18th. Notifications of appointment will be made by May 9th.  Apply
online at http://www.ucsa.org/involved/syscomm.php.

Representative Expectations:

* Serve at least a one year term
* Attend and actively participate in committee meetings (transportation is
reimbursed by the UC Office of the President)
* Maintain communication with UCSA and provide recommendations to the UCSA
Board on policy stances
* Articulate UCSA stances to their committee

For more information about the different committees check out the website:
http://www.ucsa.org/involved/syscomm.php

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* 5.  UC Regents Meeting May 13-15th –Voting on STUDENT FEES*

Care about the rising cost of your UC education?  Don't want to be in debt?
Join GSAUCR & UCSA for an action to let the regents know how we feel about
possible fee increases on Wednesday, May 14th when the UC regents will be
voting on whether or not to increase our student fees!  GSA will pay for
travel, lodging and food for participants!  Please let GSA Campus Organizing
Director Ching-In Chen know if you are interested in attending at
echen014 at student.ucr.edu

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*6.  GSA Research Awards*

Applications for the GSA Research Awards will be available now.  Please send
us your abstract (no longer than 1000 words) at gsaucr at ucr.edu Attn: GSA
Research Awards.  The application for will be sent to you upon receipt of
your abstract.  Applications and one letter of support from a faculty member
familiar with your work will be due by April 25th.

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*7.  Grad Athletic Tournament(s) Spring*

 LETS GET PHYSICAL!!!!  We are in the process of setting up a series of
athletic tournaments, both traditional and non-traditional sports.  The
events will include a picnic and giveaways, complete with trophies/cups and
your team's name on the commemorative plaque at the GSA office.  The focus
this quarter will be on Softball and Soccer your team can have outside
members but the teams have to be at least 2/3 grads. So sign up your miniGSA
or form your own team.  If you would like to participate or would like more
information please contact Alex Cortez at gsaucr at ucr.edu Attn: GATs.

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*8.  Whiteline at the May Regents Meeting! Application Due: Wednesday, April
30 by **10PM*

A. General Information about Whitelining.

 There are four UCSA-affiliated whiteliners at each day of the Regents
meeting. Whiteliners are provided direct access to the Regents - they get to
go past the line that separates the approved guest from the audience that
must sit in back. Whiteliners therefore have the opportunity to speak
directly with the Regents and meet with them in informal situations such as
breaks and meals.

The responsibility of a UCSA whiteliner is to advocate UCSA's positions on
issues the Regents will be considering and to build relationships for UCSA
with as many of the Regents as possible. This is also one of the few times
students have the opportunity to tell the Regents about our priorities and
our action agenda.

Funding for travel and meals is provided by the UC Office of the President
for the day you are whitelining. Students are generally only appointed to
whiteline on one day of the two- or three-day Regents meeting.

 B. Specifics about the May Regents meeting.

 The May Regents meeting is on May 13, 14, and 15 at UCLA. The Regents will
be voting on the 2008-2009 Undergraduate and Graduate student Registration
and Educational Fees at this meeting.  The Financial Office at the Office of
the President has recommended a 7% to 10% Educational Fee and 10%
Registration Fee increase for 2008-2009 school year at all UC campuses.
Other budget recommendations include cuts to proposed increases for student
mental health services and graduate student support. Whiteliners will have
the unique possibility of convincing "swing" voters on student fee increases
(there are some!) to vote against them. If you have personal stories about
how fee increases have impacted you or how high fees deter you or family
members from succeeding at the UC, we encourage you to apply.

If you are interested in whitelining on behalf of UCSA, please provide us
with the following information to gsavpexternal at sa.ucsb.edu by April 30,
2008 at 10:00 PM (PDT).

Name:
Campus:
Year/Major:
Organization (if any):
Please indicate which days you can participate (Participants usually only
Whiteline for one day): May 13, May 14, or May 15
Why do you want to be a UCSA Whiteliner for the January Regents meeting? How
can you address the issues brought up in "Specifics about the May Regents
meeting" (see above)?

If you have any questions, please contact Ray Austin at
uadirector at ucsa.orgor 510.834.8272.

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*9.  Grad and Professional Students Testimonials about Financial Aid-Fill
out one Today!*

Are you a grad student greatly impacted by student debt?  Do you pay your
own fees or take out loans to pay for grad school?  Do you care about how
your financial aid package is administered?  GSA is collecting surveys from
grad and professional students about how they would prefer their financial
aid packages to be administered!  Fill out a loan testimonial at a GSA
event, at the GSA office or online at the GSA website:
http://www.gsa.ucr.edu/UCSA.html    Make sure your voice and your experience
is heard!

For more information please contact the GSA Campus Organizing Director
Ching-In Chen at echen014 at student.ucr.edu

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*10.  UC, CSU, CCC Sustainability Conference@ CalPoly **San Luis Obispo*

Have you been working to make your campus environmentally or socially
sustainable? We would like to hear your story!

The Seventh Annual UC, CSU, CCC Sustainability Conference at CalPoly San
Luis Obispo is looking for student leaders who are reducing their campuses
and their own environmental impact and working towards a more
environmentally, socially and economically equitable world.

Deadlines:
Poster proposals due June 1, 2008.
Registration opens in March 2008.
Conference dates July 31-Aug 3, 2008.

For more information, visit the GSA Website at
http://www.gsa.ucr.edu/UCSA.html or visit the conference website at:
http://sustainability.calpoly.edu and click on the Call for Proposals

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*11.  Building a Grassroots Coalition between UC Students and the UC Office
of the President (UCOP)*

UCOP recently met with UC Students in an effort to build a grassroots
coalition and to establish more lines of communication between UC students
and UCOP.  UCOP wants to register as many students as possible at
www.ucforcalifornia.org. Please sign up, so you can let UCOP know what
issues are of importance to you, how you feel about rising fees, and
anything else you want them to know about. Pass the link on to your friends,
parents, and fellow students.  In addition, as more students get involved, a
blog will be created so that students can comment directly to UCOP about how
they feel regarding rising tuition costs, etc.  There is also a Facebook
page…so again…sign up!

www.ucforcalifornia.org
http://uci.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6756592601
www.universityofcalifornia.edu/advocacy

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If you would like more information, please go to the GSA website or contact
the GSA at gsaucr at yahoo.com.

Graduate Student Association
203 Commons
University of California Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
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