In 2006, ASUCD chose to no longer be a part of the University of California Student Association (UCSA). UCSA is a coalition that unites UC campuses to lobby for higher education.
One of ASUCD’s main issues with UCSA is the cost. The minimum dues to the association is $1.30 per student. This cost is huge in a time when tuition is constantly increasing and more and more students are having financial problems.
However, being unified with other UC campuses is incredibly important right now. The UC system is systematically falling apart, and now more than ever it is important to explain to the legislature the importance of higher education.
Being a part of UCSA would also be beneficial because individual UC Davis students would have the opportunity to have leadership positions within UCSA. If UC Davis rejoined UCSA, they would be able to make more informed decisions when issues arise that relate to our campus.
While UC Davis may reap the benefits of the work of UCSA without being a part of the association, it would be more effective if UCSA could officially represent ALL UC campuses, not just nine out of 10. Furthermore, the UC Davis Law Student Association recently joined UCSA, showing some UC Davis students believe it’s beneficial.
ASUCD also has a Lobby Corps, that lobbies the legislature in many of the same ways that UCSA does. This may be sufficient for ASUCD, but joining forces with UCSA might increase our achievements at the Capitol. Many of the other campuses who are a part of UCSA also have their own Lobby Corps — which means they have double the amount of lobbying power.
The cost-benefit outcome of a relationship with UCSA is hard to see, and it’s understandable that raising student fees, even by $1.30, doesn’t seem like a good idea.
At this point, ASUCD has not found that the cost of joining the association is worth the benefits for UC Davis. However, our campus should continue to consider the idea of working as a united front with other UCs. Whether this involves rejoining UCSA or not, it is important that students make use of the fact that we are 20 minutes from the Capitol, and continue to tell the state government that higher education needs more funding.
