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UCSA Appointed Officers

Scroll to the bottom of this page for the application.

 

The UCSA Board established the Appointed Officer program for students to support and advise the association on all matters relating to their respective fields, providing regular reports on their respective activities and correspondence. In addition, each appointed officer is responsible for the completion of a research or advocacy project each quarter designed to support UC students their selected area. 

Below, you can find a few sample appointed officer projects. 

  1. Establish a unified incomplete grading policy across the UC system.
  2. Develop a policy recommendation to extended pass/no pass deadline for UC students
  3. Developed a Know Your Rights Handbooks for student workers to understand their rights as employees.

For a full description of each project, see here.

 

UCSA is currently accepting applications for appointed officer positions. Applications must be submitted by May 25 at 11:59PM. Students are encouraged to apply for one of the following roles:

Academic Affairs Officer

 

The Academic Affairs Officer shall serve as the Board’s primary adviser on academic matters including, but not limited to, regular activities, positions, and communications of the University of California Academic Senate. The Academic Affairs Officer shall assist the President and the Labor Relations Officer in cultivating the relationship between UC students and faculty and provide regular recommendations to the Board on actualizing the same. The Academic Affairs Officer shall chair the UCSA Council of Academic Affairs, comprising the elected and appointed academic affairs student leaders from the nine undergraduate UC campuses.

The Academic Affairs Officer shall serve as the Board’s primary adviser on academic matters including, but not limited to, regular activities, positions, and communications of the University of California Academic Senate. The Academic Affairs Officer shall assist the President in cultivating the relationship between UC students and faculty and provide regular recommendations to the Board on actualizing the same. The Academic Affairs Officer shall chair the UCSA Council of Academic Affairs, comprising the elected and appointed academic affairs student leaders from the nine undergraduate UC campuses.

Basic Needs Officer

 

The Basic Needs Officer shall serve as the Board’s primary adviser on basic needs security matters including, but not limited to, policies and practices that guarantee secure access to food, housing, and personal care products. The Basic Needs Officer shall provide regular recommendations to the Board that seek to improve basic needs security and suggest collaborative opportunities between UCSA and other parties working to address matters relating to basic needs security.

Black Student Success Officer

 

The Black Student Success Officer (BSSO) for UCSA is responsible for advocating for the well-being, success, and empowerment of Black students across the UC system. The BSSO serves as a representative for Black students, ensuring their concerns, needs, and ideas are heard and addressed at the UC-wide level through policy work, campaigns, and direct advocacy. This includes supporting and leading initiatives focused on improving campus climate, increasing resources, addressing anti-Blackness, and pushing for systemwide changes such as the creation of Black resource centers, increased Black faculty hiring, and expanded Black mental health services. Additionally, the BSSO works to build community by strengthening communication and collaboration among Black Student Unions (BSUs), Afrikan Student Unions (ASUs), and other Black organizations across all UC campuses. Through statewide surveys, town halls, reports, and collective organizing, the BSSO uplifts Black student voices and develops solutions to address the unique challenges they face while creating sustainable pipelines for Black leadership and success within the UC system. 

Campus Climate Officer

 

The Campus Climate Officer shall serve as the Board’s primary adviser on campus climate matters including, but not limited to, issues pertaining to communities of color, undocumented students, police brutality, interpersonal violence, mental health, and major events that might impact campus climate. The Campus Climate Officer shall provide regular recommendations to the Board that seek to improve campus climate and suggest collaborative opportunities between UCSA and other parties working to address matters relating to campus climate.

Disability Justice Officer

 

The Disability Justice Officer shall serve as the Board’s primary adviser on access investments including, but not limited to, the regular activities, positions, communications, and negotiations of UC Regents, UC Office of the President, and campus disability support services. They will be the primary adviser on disability Justice matters, including, but not limited to, digital equity, accessible housing and transportation, physical infrastructure, counseling services, and Disability Cultural Centers. The Disability Justice Officer shall provide regular recommendations to the Board that seek to improve accessibility and inclusion and suggest collaborative opportunities between UCSA,  student-run disabled students unions and organizations, and other parties working to address matters relating to disability justice. The Disabled Justice Officer shall ensure the equitable funding of disability support services, and track the implementation of the recommendation report by the UCOP Systemwide Ad Hoc Committee on Students with Disabilities. It is strongly recommended that the student in this position has lived experience and identities related to the vision of disability Justice.

International Student Affairs Officer

 

The International Student Affairs Officer shall serve as the Board’s primary adviser on international student advocacy, including, but not limited to, working with each of the campus-level UC student associations to expand its international student advocacy initiatives and connecting international student advocacy leaders with UCSA to support various international student initiatives. The International Student Affairs Officer shall assist UCSA and provide regular recommendations to the Board to seek to improve the international student experience and suggest collaborative opportunities between UCSA and other parties working to address matters relating to international student affairs. They shall chair a UC-wide international student coalition that serves as an auxiliary entity of UCSA, on which a representative from each campus is selected by the External Vice President or the campus’s equivalent and serve for a one-year term.

Labor Relations Officer

 

The Labor Relations Officer shall serve as the Board’s primary adviser on labor relations matters including, but not limited to, the regular activities, positions, communications, and negotiations of systemwide labor unions. The Labor Relations Officer shall cultivate the relationship between UC students and labor entities and offer opportunities to the Board to engage in their activities. The Labor Relations Officer shall be the primary contact for UC labor representatives and ensure the continuation of UCSA’s Collective Bargaining program through regular communication and tracking of scheduled negotiations with UCOP Systemwide Labor Relations. The Labor Relations Officer is also responsible for keeping track of UC strikes and violations of UC workers, and must notify the Board of any such events within 48. They facilitate advocacy regarding UC labor movements and centering UC labor forces in conversations of labor discussions. 

Transfer Student Affairs Officer

 

The Transfer Student Affairs Officer shall serve as the Board’s primary advisor on transfer student issues. They shall facilitate dialogue around transfer student identity, policies, experience, and representation at UCSA meetings and events. They shall identify potential statewide partners that support transfer student priorities. They shall build collaborative relationships and strengthen transfer representation in legislative and lobbying efforts. They shall research transfer resources on each UC campus and set benchmarks to be pursued through advocacy for university and state funding. They shall aid in the facilitation of the annual Transfer Lobby Day through recruiting delegation members, assessing bills of interest to transfer issues, and coordinating materials with Professional Staff to create a cohesive transfer-oriented legislative advocacy experience.

They shall chair the UCSA Transfer Student Advisory Council, an auxiliary entity of UCSA. One (1) transfer student representative from each of the nine (9) undergraduate UC campuses shall serve a one-academic year term. The auxiliary entity shall maintain internal policies, which shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the council and must be ratified by the UCSA Board of Directors by a majority vote. The Council shall appoint one (1) Vice Chair and one (1) Secretary from its existing members to help facilitate the Council’s functions.

Student Housing Officer

 

The Student Housing Officer shall serve as the Board’s primary adviser on student housing issues including, but not limited to, affordability, development plans, tenant protections, and other policies impacting the number and conditions of housing units available to students of all income levels on and off campuses. They shall be responsible for establishing connections with relevant housing organizations and stakeholders through attendance of cross-organizational coalition meetings to aid in the development of policy reforms that address the student housing crisis.

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Immigrant Rights Officer 

 

The Immigrant Rights Appointed Officer advocates for the rights and needs of immigrant and undocumented students across the UC system. This officer works to ensure that UCSA campaigns, policy positions, and initiatives reflect the experiences of immigrant communities, with a focus on equity, access to higher education, and protection from discrimination. Further responsibilities include collaborating with immigrant student organizations to construct effective advocacy campaigns/efforts with UC policymakers and legislators on relevant issues. 

As Executive Director, Salih leads our staff team and organizational strategy, keeps the UCSA office in operation, supports the Board and other student leaders, and fundraises to maximize the potential of our organization. Salih also oversees planning for UCSA’s annual statewide conferences.

 

Raised in Oakland, California, Salih Muhammad strives to embody the principles of service, sacrifice, and selflessness. For much of his life, he has been committed to living toward the liberation of Black people, at home and abroad.

 

In 2009, he continued the pursuit of knowledge at the University of California, Berkeley, where he excelled as a Black student and organizer on campus. His favorite quote is from Franz Fanon, who stated, “Each generation must discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it, in relative opacity.”