The ASUCD Internal Affairs Commission Chair explains the possible role of the student advocate
ASUCD is incredibly important to this school. From the CoHo to the Bike Barn to Unitrans, it plays an integral role in students’ everyday lives. Yet ASUCD is virtually unknown. I hope to change that by creating the new position of student advocate in ASUCD. The student advocate would seek to change this perception and transform the way students are protected and helped on this campus.
The main role of the student advocate will be to help students. They will do this by assembling a staff of case workers to defend, provide aid to and advise students on a bevy of issues that are crucial to students’ well-being.
The student advocate would help guide students through the complicated maze of financial aid. They will be able to defend students accused of cheating or who have been kicked out of the dorms. They will act as a safety net for students who are struggling at UC Davis.
This position will be elected during the Winter Elections at the same time as the president and vice president. However, the student advocate will be a wholly non-partisan position. This will allow them to work with all sides and help all students.
Both UC Berkeley and UC San Diego have the position of student advocate in their student governments, and both schools have seen significantly higher voter turnout for their elections than UC Davis.
I have been involved in ASCUD since I was a first year. I have seen four presidents and many different Senate tables. I am an eternal optimist about the potential of ASUCD to help the student body. The student advocate will fulfill that potential and help increase the awareness and importance of ASUCD in the lives of the students at UC Davis. Vote Yes on Constitutional Amendment #58 in this week’s ASUCD Election to create the position of student advocate and to help improve the lives of all students on this campus.
Written by: Jacob Ganz
Ganz is a fourth-year political science and history double major at UC Davis. He is the Internal Affairs Commission Chair in ASUCD and the longest current serving member of the Senate table.
