A delegation of 35 UCSD students will join hundreds of other UC students in lobbying state legislators for a five-year fixed tuition plan at the University of California Student Association’s annual Student Lobby Conference in Sacramento from Feb. 28 to March 2.
Students will urge legislators to include the College Affordability Act ‘mdash; also known as the tuition-freeze ballot initiative ‘mdash; in the November 2009 general election. The measure would freeze tuition for undergraduate students at the University of California and California State University for five years by allocating 60 percent of a 1 percent tax on incomes exceeding $1 million to both university systems. The plan would require roughly $2 billion in total tax revenue.
In addition to offering students an opportunity to speak with legislators, the conference will include workshops and lectures addressing a number of current higher-education issues.
While UCSA’s full-time staff organized the logistics of the conference ‘mdash; from the guest-speaker list to catering and living arrangements ‘mdash; each UC campus was responsible for selecting student delegates through an application process that began in January.
UCSD Legislative Liaison of External Affairs Facundo Ramos said that he and other delegation leaders chose students who would ‘benefit the most’ from the experience and ‘bring the knowledge they receive back to UCSD.’
‘[Students attending the conference] hope to learn about the legislative process, about the many issues that affect California today ‘mdash; such as the budget crisis and the rising student fees ‘mdash; and to be able to get experience actually talking to legislators,’ Ramos said.
In an effort to attract politically active students, delegation leaders primarily advertised the conference at the meetings of political organizations on campus, as well as over their listservs.
Ramos said that organizers have historically struggled to attract conference participants, but this year was an exception, with 46 applicants for 35 spots.
‘Maybe we advertised it better, but we believe that the fact that we had such a historic presidential election this past November got students interested in politics and the legislative system,’ Ramos said. ‘After this election, students feel like they have a newfound voice in politics, and they, too, can make change happen.’
Ramos added that he expects state legislators to appreciate this year’s increase in student participation.
‘I think the Legislature will be greatly responsive to students lobbying,’ he said. ‘They always like that students go and share their issues, specifically this year, after UCSA registered over 40,000 students statewide.’
Camille Anderson, deputy press secretary for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said that funding for higher education remains a top priority for the governor.
‘Right now, the governor and legislative leaders are negotiating the state’s $42 billion budget deficit, including how to best help preserve higher-education funding in this national economic downturn,’ Anderson said.
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