By Robert Salonga
Daily Bruin Staff
One student can help shape the future of the entire University
of California system ““ but they have to take action soon.
Applications to serve as the 2003-04 student regent ““ a
voting member of the UC Board of Regents which oversees the
university ““ is due in the chancellor’s office by 5
p.m. Thursday.
Of the nearly 180,000 students in the nine operating UC campuses
““ the 10th campus, UC Merced, is slated to open in 2005
““ only the student regent has a say on issues ranging from
admissions policy to student fee increases.
“Not only do you provide a student voice at meetings, you
also remind the regents how difficult it is to be a student,”
said Student Regent Tracy Davis, who represents a youthful
injection into a predominantly middle-aged board.
The student regent position requires no specific qualifications
other than being a registered UC student in good standing.
Perks to the two-year position ““ the first year as
regent-designate and the second as a voting regent ““ include
having tuition paid for by the university and receiving a parking
pass that is honored at every UC campus.
Most of the 26-member board consists of leaders in education,
business and even entertainment fields.
The list of notable names includes Sherry Lansing, chief
executive officer of Paramount Pictures, and San Diego Padres chair
John Moores. Recently, Gov. Gray Davis appointed Haim Saban ““
best known for producing television’s “Mighty
Morphin’ Power Rangers” ““ to the board.
In the recent past, student regents like Ed Gomez, Jess Bravin,
Max Espinoza and Justin Fong fought for social change in the
university, culminating in last year’s repeal of the
UC’s anti-affirmative action policies.
And they accomplish this in the face of opposition from regents
and administrators resistant to change.
Serving during the 2000-01 academic year, Fong is best known for
heading the student fight against the anti-affirmative action
initiatives SP-1 and 2 in their waning years.
Bravin, the 1996-97 student regent, co-chaired the first-ever
national forum of student college trustees, who served in similar
positions as the student regent. He also pushed for public access
to the regents’ discussions on university finance.
Espinoza fought to increase the tenure of the student
regent-designate ““ who previously sat at the table for six
months before becoming a voting member ““ to a full year.
This year, the regents approved comprehensive review, an
admissions policy that will more thoroughly evaluate UC
applicants’ personal experiences and life challenges in
addition to academics. Davis, an admissions reader at UCLA, was
integral to the policy’s approval.
But along with the opportunity to effect considerable change in
the UC comes its setbacks ““ the time commitment it places on
students often strains their academic commitments.
“You spend half your time away from campus,” said
Espinoza, the 1998-99 student regent and UCLA alumnus.
Pursuing her Ph.D. in higher education and organizational
change, Davis said she has been able to apply her experience as a
regent to her academics.
On the regent side, prospective applicants should prepare to
deal with major student issues of the near future: namely student
fee raises and increasing student diversity during the
university’s expected population increase.
“We’re looking for someone who has extremely good
working knowledge of the UC,” said UC Students Association
Chair Kenny Burch.
Tidal Wave II signals the influx of 60,000 additional students
into the UC over the next decade, and monitoring campus climate
will be important, Burch said.
The regents are discussing whether to drop the SAT I from
admissions criteria, and implementation of a replacement test will
likely occur during the 2003-04 term. Such decisions could involve
the input of the student regent.
All of the last five student regents came from either UC
Berkeley or UCLA ““ three of them Bruins. Any UC student can
apply, administrators said.
“You’d think that applicants served in student
government, but some student regents never set foot in it.
It’s not a prerequisite by any means,” said Mike Cohn,
an advisor in the Center for Student Programming and student regent
application coordinator for UCLA.
On March 2, nominating committees comprised of undergraduate and
graduate students from each campus will review the applicants and
select nine. UCSA then has the task of narrowing the field to three
finalists for review by the regents.
Students who have gone through the process agree that while it
is grueling ““ applicants undergo several intense interview
sessions ““ the experience is worth applying.
“It’s worth giving it a try because you learn a lot
about yourself,” Espinoza said. With the experience of
student regent under his belt, Espinoza went on to serve as higher
education consultant to the state Assembly Budget Committee.
Davis said the experience has given her a new perspective of the
university from aspects not accessible to most students.
“You learn about policy and politics in California and so
much about education,” Davis said. “You learn to work
with groups of people from every field, and you learn to be
extremely well-prepared before you speak.”
With all the responsibilities, tasks and burdens that face the
student regent in mind, Espinoza said those interested should take
a chance.
“I advise them to think about what they have to offer and
put it out there, to not be afraid,” he said. “You
never know what’s going to happen.”
Applications for the 2003-04 UC student regent are available
online at http://www.ucop.edu/regents/studentreg.html.