This A.S. Council Brief is for Weeks 9 and 10 of Winter Quarter 2021.

Week 9

The Associated Students Senate held its Winter Quarter Week 9 meeting on Wednesday, March 3. Senators heard special presentations from Transportation Safety and A.S.-Supported Safety Programs as well as the announcement of an upcoming Student Lobby Conference.

Associated Vice President of Transportation & Transformation Manu Agni conducted a presentation on A.S.-Supported Safety Programs on Transportation Safety. He discussed two programs: Helmet Benefits and the Slow Streets project.

Helmet Benefits is a program in the planning stages that would seek to promote and de-stigmatize the practice of wearing helmets and reduce micro-mobility accidents across campus by encouraging students to register their personal rides, such as scooters and bicycles, with Transportation Services. Once students have registered, they could receive a discount sticker.

No discounts have been fully negotiated or finalized. Agni noted examples of other cities’ discount-sticker programs offering benefits such as a 10-percent discount on markets and vendors as well as free perks, including a free ounce of frozen yogurt or a free coffee.

The Slow Streets project is a campaign to reduce vehicle speeds to ensure the safety of pedestrians. The program would entail creating more pedestrian zones to open safe spaces for individuals walking on the UC San Diego campus, and slowing the speed of cars passing by will promote a safer campus that is more walker-friendly and contains cleaner air.

Micro-mobility regulations have been ongoing, especially on the UCSD campus, as many regulations have been placed to limit the number of accidents that can occur for individuals using these methods of transportation. To protect pedestrians and individuals using micro-mobility as a mode of transportation, both programs seek to provide additional protection and safety for residents.

First Year Information released its first episode on Friday, March 5. FYI is a podcast centered towards freshman UCSD students to provide information about ways to become involved around campus and learn about additional opportunities that exist for students. Host Ella McLaren conversed with the podcast’s first panelists, which included A.S. President Kimberly Giangtran and Center of Student Involvement Student Organizations Advisor and Program Manager Kristen Berg. The podcast can be found on Spotify.

The Student Lobby Conference will be taking place on March 20–22 and is centered on educating students on how to lobby, featuring workshops and the ability to hear from notable UC alumni who have worked in policy and advocacy. 

Week 10

At its Week 10 meeting on Wednesday, March 10, the A.S. Senate provided an update on remote instruction for Fall 2021 and the Find Your Fit event.

Associated Students will be hosting Find Your Fit on April 12, Monday evening of Week 3 of Spring Quarter — the event is an opportunity to meet current members of AS and learn more about your resources on campus as a student at UCSD. Additionally, those interested in holding positions in the A.S. Council are encouraged to attend the event to learn more information as to how to get involved. 

Next, the A.S. Senate noted that there has not been an official approval of remote instruction for Fall Quarter 2021 because it must go through the Academic Senate, which has caused a delay in posting a list of classes. The enrollment date for the Fall might be pushed back, but to prevent inaccuracies, the process cannot be rushed.

A.S. President Kimberly Giangtran announced that students with high needs should have begun to receive the CARES Act Grant, which translates to $900 in their student accounts; there is a seven-to-10-day period in which students will either receive a check or a direct deposit. 

The UCSD web page on financial aid and scholarships states, “undergraduates who receive Pell, Cal, or UC Grant aid during the academic year and are enrolled in 6 or more units for spring will automatically receive spring awards of $900 to assist with COVID-19 related expenses.”

 Students are encouraged to reach out to Financial Aid if they have any questions. There is an A.S. Dining Dollar donation project in progress for those who are in need. President Giangtran said that, generally, at the end of each year, students may find that they will have additional Dining Dollars and tend to spend that money elsewhere — now, this program will be asking students to donate their extra Dining Dollars to those who are in need of donations. New updates are to come at the next A.S. meeting.

Artwork courtesy of Yui Kita for The UCSD Guardian.

This article was updated on 4/5/21 at 8:26PM to clarify information about the programs discussed in Week 9.