On Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at 7:05 p.m., the Associated Students of the University of California Riverside’s (ASUCR) seventh meeting was called to order.
First to speak at public comment was Rony Garcia, a representative of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) 3299. Garcia called on the ASUCR elected officials to show their “support for those sacrificing themselves on our campus” during AFSCME 3299’s unfair labor practice strike. This strike will occur from Feb. 26 – Feb. 27 outside the Arts Building; all information on the protest can be found on AFSCME’s Instagram @afscme_3299.
Concerned accounting student Christopher Buchanan was next to speak about his issues with the business School of Business (SOB) class structures. Buchanan suggested that the SOB adopt similar policies to those of the public policy department and College of Humanities Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS), allowing students to enroll in classes for which they have not completed the prerequisites with consent from the instructor.
UCR Public Policy student Eunice Abel came to the podium next to report a “personal grievance against Professor Paul Green.” According to Abel, while she was enrolled in Professor Green’s fall quarter History of Black Education class, he used “coercive methods to get students to enroll in his classes.”
She described this coercive method as threatening to give students low or failing grades if they did not enroll in Professor Green’s winter quarter class. Abel shared that she received a poor grade since she chose not to enroll in his class. Multiple other students allegedly received incompletes in the course, forcing them to enroll in his winter quarter class.
Professor Green also allegedly used “anti-Black and misogynistic rhetoric” while teaching his lectures. Abel called on the senators to hold this professor accountable and to conduct an “investigation into the tactics and methods he is using.”
Senator Anahita Hooshayri Far responded to Abel’s concerns, assuring her they would add this to the agenda at their meeting with the CHASS dean on March 5. School of Public Policy (SPP) Senator Sofia Jimenez told Abel that she would work on removing Professor Green’s classes from the SPP course spreadsheet.
Following the senators’ comments and questions, Abel expressed her thanks , saying, “Thank you, guys. I feel very heard.”
Last to speak during public comment was UCR’s California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) Vice Chair Makai Harrison. Harrison came to speak to the senate about the Fish and Game Commission meeting that took place on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. According to Harrison, the Fish and Game Commission was showing their support for Marine Protected Areas (MPA).
Harrison also shared that CALPIRG will have their lobby day on March 10, 2025, the same day as UC Student Association (UCSA). CALPIRG is also working on an initiative to make textbooks more affordable and increase civic engagement on campus.
After public comment, Vice President of External Affairs (VPEA) Vivian Herrera announced that the Diversity Council will host a town hall on Feb. 25 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Highlander Union Building (HUB) 302.
On that same day, VPEA Herrera suggested everyone come to Feminist Craft Corner from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in HUB 367. At this joint event with the Highlander Action Committee (HAC) and Women Resource Center (WRC), students “can create friendship bracelets, protest signs and buttons.”
Next on the agenda was State of the Association (SOTA) reports from the Executive Cabinet.
Instead of giving her SOTA report, VPEA Herrera allocated her time to UCSA President Aditi Hariharan, who came from UC Davis to conduct her UCR campus visit.
Joining VPEA Herrera, UCSA President Hariharan explained the five campaigns they are currently working on: “We have Acquirer, which is our campaign for quality of a student’s education, [looking at] health equity, basic needs, etc. Seed is our environmental justice one which also ties in Indigenous justice. Racial Justice [Now is] our racial justice Campaign. UCweVOTE is our civic engagement campaign … and Fund The UC is our tuition affordability campaign.” She encouraged everyone to attend UCSA’s Student Lobby Conference from March 11 to March 13, 2025.
Elections Director Kevin Arizmendi, during his SOTA report, gave an update regarding the upcoming ASUCR election; currently, 110 people have filed for candidacy. According to Director Arizmendi, students must be enrolled in the college they are running for, so pre-business students running for CHASS senator positions can switch their candidacy to SOB senator if they are on the pathway to transfer to SOB.
Following SOTA reports, a motion to open the finance committee meetings was passed 12-0-0; Vice President (VP) of Finance Cooper Kumar presented the finance hearing meetings. One of the items reviewed on the agenda was a $12,200 allocation for nine registered student organizations and passed 11-0-1.
VP of Finance Kumar discussed allocation exception requisitions to raise the equipment purchasing limit from $300 to $1,000 for an unnamed organization and a $1,000 grant request for the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), both of which passed 11-0-0. Another item was an internal hearing contingency request of $1,500 for ASUCR week from SPP Senator Jimenez, which passed 10-0-1.
The Senate reviewed three new pieces of legislation. SB-W25-014: Updating Chapter 21 of Bylaws which updated the office of sustainability bylaws with the new Green Campus Action Committee (GCAP) volunteer director position and bylaws. SB-W25-015: Chapter 19 – Volunteering Director Stipend, an accompanying bill to the previous legislation, allocating a stipend to the volunteer director next year. Both of these bills passed 11-0-0.
Passed in a vote of 10-0-1, SB-W25-016: Adding VPDEI to LRC Sending List calls for legislation to go through diversity counsel and the Executive Vice president (EVP) as a courtesy before it reaches the senate floor.
Earth Week Grants that were opened in a vote of 11-0-0. Senator Hooshyari Far presented GCAP’s request of $10,000 for six events happening the week of April 16, 2025. GCAP grants were approved 11-0-0.
During public forum, Joseph Anastacio and Government Relations Director Brianna Trujillo came up to make a comment on the VP of Diversity Equity and Inclusion’s (DEI) SOTA report. They clarified that the VP of DEI had no involvement in the Tacos for Takano event and that their committee should receive credit for the work done at this event.
ASUCR’s seventh meeting of winter quarter was adjourned at 10:20 p.m. CHASS Senator Justin Ibay, CHASS Senator Karen Vo and College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS) Senator Mitchell Wei were absent; CHASS Senator Mia Rose Tuifua was excused.
Members of the Executive Cabinet (ECAB) were also required to attend this meeting to give their State of Associations. All ECAB members were represented at the meeting except for First-Time College Student Director Andrew Bui.
VP of Internal Affairs Nadia Aierken, VP of Sustainability Ellen Nguyen, VP of DEI Ahman Greene, Transfer Student Director Allya Abdullah, Non-traditional Student Director Michael Corona and Personnel Director Grace Su Gave their SOTA reports via proxy.
