Accomplishments and Activities
Update coming soon...
Below is a list of various accomplishments and activities of the GSA. This list spans approximately the past five years. We will continue to expand this list as we get more information.
The accomplishments are organized into these categories:
Student Services
- Continuation of BruinGO program
- GSA regularly meets with Student Service providers to increase focus on graduate students
- Works closely with Student Health to target graduate student concerns
- GSA works closely with Graduate Division and Housing to increase housing options for students
- GSA actively worked on the upcoming new Graduate Student Housing Complex
- Graduate Student Resource Center:
- Opened its doors as a full-time operation on January 3, 2005.
- Assisted graduate and professional school students in getting answers to questions about housing, registered student groups, meeting room space, funding, student health insurance, tax questions, emergency loans, computing resources, and more.
- Developed (and continuing to develop) a resource library that includes information about students and academic services on campus and will soon have a comprehensive graduate student resource guide on-line.
- Made 2 computers available for graduate students in the Graduate Student Resource Center, with up to 20 pages of free printing.
- Worked with a graduate student majority committee to develop a strategic plan that will guide our activities and assist in planning for our first full academic year of operation in 2005-2006.
- Provided a new, comfortable, and friendly place for graduate and professional school students to meet, talk, get information, study, or just hang-out.
- Currently collaborating with the Ashe Center, Student Psychological Services, Graduate Division, Student Affairs, the Career Center, UCLA faculty and other parts of the campus community to plan a full schedule of spring workshops and programs for graduate and professional school students.
Political Issues
- Currently have a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 3412) that would make scholarships and fellowships exempt from taxation.
- Lobbying in Sacramento and Washington DC for graduate student issues including visa reform for international students and halting the enormous tuition and fee increases.
- GSA was a Friend of the Court for the Chris Brown vs. Li with regards to first amendment rights of a graduate student's dissertation.
- GSA was active in rescinding SP1 and SP2
- GSA has increased its connections with state and federal lawmakers
- Environmental Coalition:
- Hosts a weekly Sustainable Lecture Series designed to promote sustainable behaviors on campus and in the community.
- Offers field trips to Los Angeles area locations that are supporting urban sustainability.
- Developed the Environmental Resource Center in 160 Kerckoff Hall.
- Sits on the Chancellors Advisory Committee for Sustainability where we are developing long term plan for the campus and beginning short term educational campaigns.
- Sits on the ASUCLA Energy Committee where we promote resource conservation in ASUCLA facilities.
- Raised hundreds of dollars for tsunami victims by selling tacos on campus.
- Participated in the Darfur week of action.
- Offering human rights & eastern philosophy workshop.
- Hoping to spearhead a campus-wide sustainability audit in the Spring quarter 2005.
Academic Issues
- Currently pursuing the Academic Rights and Responsibilities.
- Currently pursuing increase in number of quarters to clear up an Incomplete
- GSA regularly works with students on individual basis dealing with Academic Conduct cases
GSA Services
- GSA actively organizes and funds events like GradBar (400+ students usually attend), joint UCLA/USC outings, rock climbing, art exhibits, outdoor hiking, and various sporting events.
- GSA has funded approximately 26 academic journals every year, and created a state-of-the-art Publications Lab with equipment for graduate students to create and publish their own journals.
- GSA Publications has held workshops to cover basic publishing guidelines, on-line journal presentations, and information about available publishing software.
- GSA has funded approximately 40 graduate student groups each year
- Through the academic councils, GSA routinely funds departmental events .
- GSA provides free movie screenings twice a week in Melnitz Hall:
- The films are usually independent, arthouse, and foreign films, with a commitment to eclectic and stimulating programming.
- We have been very fortunate this year, and have been able to host many extraordinary screenings, sneak previews, and panels, some with Director/Screenwriter Q&As, including "Sideways," "Eulogy," "Kinsey," "A Very Long Engagement," "The Assassination of Richard Nixon," "National Treasure," and "Millions." We also do many advance screenings, including "Finding Neverland," "Bad Education," "Stage Beauty," "The Machinist," "Primer," "Undertow," "Closer" and many others.
- GSA's new Community Service Commission has been collaborating with graduate student groups performing community service activities and is planning a kick-off event for all graduate students for the Spring Quarter implementing a bi-weekly tutoring program with a charter high school in South Central Los Angeles.
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