The first Associated Students of the University of California, Riverside (ASUCR) meeting of spring quarter was held Wednesday April 7, 2025 at 7:03 p.m. To begin the meeting, California Public Interest Research Group (Cal PIRG) Chair Makai Harris gave an update to the Senate regarding different initiatives that the organization is progressing towards.
Harris described wanting to work towards issues of protecting oceans, reduced plastic consumption and planning events for Earth Week. He called for ASUCR’s support for the events planned for the Earth Week and encouraged others to participate.
The campus action chair for UC Student Association (UCSA) also spoke to inform the Senate about a survey that UCSA plans to send out to the student body to determine what issues the organization should advocate and put their resources towards.
Next UCR College Democrats President Joe Anastacio advocated to the senate that UCR should join the United States Student Association (USSA). USSA is a national student advocacy organization created to propel student voices and representation within the federal government. USSA is completely student-run and funded by alumni donations. The organization relies on lobbying and group organizations.
According to Anastacio USSA has not been functional since 2017 when the board failed to elect leadership; if ASUCR joined the organization they would be a founding member and would contribute to writing the new USSA constitution.
Anastacio described that ASUCR’s presence in this organization would allow for UCR students to advocate for issues on a larger national level. He described, “I am sure that you are familiar with [Trump administration] operations in terms of executive orders, striking down diversity, equity and inclusion, striking down forms of protection for Title IX — gender-based discrimination in the workplace — really weaponizing any laws that can strip away federal protections for students, staff and faculty at higher education spaces. [All of this] under the guise [of] giv[ing] [control] back to the states, which poses an insurmountable amount of harm.
Continuing, Anastacio said “this also includes a threat to financial aid, which I’m sure impacts quite a few people in this room right now. Students are facing historic challenges, affordability [issues], student debt, voter suppression, HR 22, housing insecurity, affordability, time back, as well as federal attacks on DEI … [USSA] will serve as the federal lobbying arm for campuses nationwide, especially those who don’t have a representative body like UCSA.”
He explained that because USSA represents universities nationwide, the organization holds overall a more moderate belief. “A lot of voices that are a little too shy to advocate for trans representations in sports. Okay, a little too shy to ask for more money for students who don’t really have housing. We experience that here at UCR, UC Santa Cruz, almost all grade [levels] are struggling to get housing,” said Anastacio. He continued stating that UCR is removed from the federal lens and the perspective of other states; however, that does not mean they should not advocate for these issues on a national level.
No membership fees or dues are collected. In order for ASUCR to join, a resolution would have to be passed by the Senate, and it is likely that a member of ASUCR External would be a representative of ASUCR to USSA. The decision would have to be made during the spring quarter, as the organization is looking to ratify a new Constitution in June.
The Finance Committee approved all organization allocations.
College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences (CHASS) Senators Justin Ibay, Karen Vo and Ryan Choi were absent. CHASS Senator Parra Rios and College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences Senator Wei were excused.
Bourns College of Engineering Senator Allison Pham is no longer a senator at UCR for personal reasons. The Senate wished her the best in her future endeavors and shared a statement, in which they expressed hopes for her to continue being part of the space in spite of her departure.
