The A.S. Council unanimously approved a charter on Jan. 15 for the Associated Students All-Campus Transfer Association, an umbrella organization which will encompass individual college transfer student associations at UCSD. The A.S. ACTA will immediately replace the current Student Organizations and Leadership Opportunities-sponsored All-Campus Transfer Association as the primary representative body for transfer students at UCSD.

According to the charter, the A.S. ACTA will strive to “”increase and initiate programming for transfer students, increase representation and advocacy for transfer students, increase awareness among the faculty, staff and student population at UCSD of the increasing number of transfer students [and their] individual and collective needs, [and] create and maintain a Web page to inform transfer students of events … geared directly toward their needs and interests.””

Specifically, the A.S. ACTA will plan and coordinate Transfer Admit Day, Preview Day, Transfer Orientations and Welcome Week Festivities for transfer students.

According to A.S. President Jenn Brown, who submitted the charter, the A.S. ACTA will tackle transfer concerns like housing and campus involvement.

“”There are over 4,000 transfer students at UCSD,”” Brown said. “”With no housing and [with the six-college system], which transfer students aren’t told about before they apply or accept, there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed.””

Membership in the A.S. ACTA will be open to all UCSD transfer students. New members will acquire voting rights in the association “”upon attendance at their third subsequent meeting.”” In addition, A.S. ACTA members will elect a president/director, vice president, secretary, treasurer, public relations coordinator, outreach coordinator, Web administrator and activities coordinator. College representatives will also be appointed by their respective college transfer association.

The A.S. ACTA will act as a self-determining organization, voting on its own platforms, issues and agenda. It will also reserve the right to “”officially endorse any slate, candidate or party for A.S., local, state or national elections with a two-thirds vote of voting members.””

The A.S. ACTA’s budget will be determined as a line item in the A.S. Council’s Executive Budget.

“”We’ve been trying to bring transfer issues to light for years, and this is the first big step,”” Brown said.

According to the S.O.L.O. student organization database, ACTA has served UCSD transfer students since 2000. Its stated purpose has been “”to help transfer students assimilate to the UCSD community.””

Associated Students’ involvement in ACTA, according to current ACTA Chair David Young, will help the association gain credibility in such endeavors as Transfer Admission Guarantee and Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum certification at UCSD.