Student Regent-designate Tracy Davis visited UCSD Thursday to talk to potential student regent candidates at a luncheon concerning the application process.

The luncheon took place in the Faculty Club Thursday morning. Davis spoke to six applicants and a few other spectators about the difficulties of the application process and the responsibilities of student regent.

Applications for the position are due in the chancellor’s office Feb. 23 by 5 p.m. These applications are for the position of student regent-designate for 2001-2002 and student regent for 2002-2003.

Davis is the student regent-designate for 2000-2001 and will be student regent next year.

Students from all UC campuses are eligible to apply. Student regents in the past have been undergraduate and graduate students alike.

Davis is a graduate student at UCLA. She received her bachelor’s degree in 1995 from UCLA. She moved to New York City and worked for CNN in the investigative documentary department before moving back and becoming an undergraduate adviser at UCLA. She then began her graduate studies and ran for the student regent position.

Davis is the first student regent to be elected to a two-year term. Previously, the term was only one year. The year as designate was added to allow student regents to become more involved and versed in the issues.

“”Even though you only have two years, you have things to learn, networking,”” Davis said. “”Those don’t take hours, they take months.””

The students present at the luncheon asked questions regarding the position and the application process. Davis informed them of different steps of the process.

The first interview for the position is with the UC Student Association. Her advice for this step of the process is to go to the UCSA Web site and find out where the association stands on issues.

“”A lot of it is figuring out what you can accomplish and what you can’t accomplish and talking to a lot of people to find out what they think a student regent should be doing,”” Davis said.

Davis will not be able to vote until her second year.

“”[Next year] I do all the same things as a regular regent does,”” she said. The year as student regent-designate is a nonvoting year.

The last interview for the position is with the regents themselves. Only three candidates in the UC system make it to this step. Davis again told applicants to prepare by knowing their audience. She talked about how she prepared by talking things out and realizing where she stood on issues.

“”The regents want someone they can spend hours and hours on buses and planes and in meetings with, as well as someone they can work with,”” she said.

Davis said she found the second interview intimidating because it was with 24 interviewers and just her as the interviewee.

“”[The luncheon] broadened my mind as to the specifics of the job and what role I could have in it and the advantages I would bring to the position,”” said student regent applicant and Warren junior Fady Mikhael.

The position of student regent takes up a lot of time, Davis emphasized. She said she is used to working 12 to 14 hours in a day and up to 30 hours a week in addition to her graduate work.

“”I’m in my office doing ‘regental’ things between 10 and 20 hours a week,”” she said. She has an assistant who works 10 hours a week, but she does more research, according to Davis.

Davis summed up her job by simply saying “”It is to direct people to correct information.””

Revelle junior Seth Silvernail attended the luncheon to obtain more information about the position. “”I’m looking at all the implications of it,”” he said.

During the luncheon, Silver-nail asked Davis about the personal impact of her job.

“”I think you need to love what you’re doing,”” she said. “”You need to be willing and prepared that your friends and the things you’re doing will be a part of this.””

The duties of a student regent include keeping well-informed of issues affecting education in California, being prepared to represent all students in the system and understanding how the system actually operates.

Applications for the position of student regent can be obtained at the A.S. offices on the third floor of the Price Center.

Davis urged students to apply for the position. “”It’s learning an amazing internship,”” she said. “”You learn so much about the way things really work.””