Accomplishments

In the past year, CalSERVE elected officials in the Senate and in Executive Offices have accomplished quite a bit. We’ve tried to organize our work thematically below to make it easier to see the breadth of issues that CalSERVE is dedicated to working on.

Empowering Students and Student Groups

  • Brought over 60 UC Berkeley students to the Statewide Students of Color Conference, where several workshops and caucuses were facilitated by Berkeley students
  • Ran a successful voter registration campaign for February 2008 Primary elections, registering 730 students in a SINGLE DAY!
  • Held press conference with UC President Dynes at Berkeley addressing civic engagement of UC students
  • Brought UC students to 4 different Regents meetings throughout the year to lobby on behalf of student needs
  • Ran a state-wide postcard campaign to freeze student fees and fund enrollment growth
  • Brought Berkeley students to the UCSA Student Lobby Conference, where over 350 students from all over the state went to Sacramento for a rally, press conference, and lobbying visits.
  • Attended the USSA Grassroots Legislative Conference in Washington, DC, where over 400 students from all over the country gathered at the Capitol to lobby legislators for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, Increases in the Federal Pell Grant, increases in Federal Work Study funding, and TRIO outreach programs
  • Gained NATIONAL Recognition in Time Magazine
  • Worked with City Councilman Kriss Worthington to increase diversity on Berkeley City Commissions, involving more students by increasing their representation in decision-making processes of the City of Berkeley
  • Revived UC Berkeley’s presence and involvement with the national student coalition, United States Students Association
  • Increased student participation on city commissions
  • Financial support for:
    • Active Minds at Berkeley
    • Students for a Nonreligious Ethos (SANE)
    • STOP the Traffick
    • Cal Leadership Symposium
    • (Re)Claiming The Space Week
    • Activism Right There! Festival

Supporting Campus Diversity, Equal Representation, and Accessibility

  • Helped coordinate and organize the state-wide Count Me In! campaign for disaggregation of the “Asian-American” category on UC admissions surveys

Improving Student Life

  • Secured $750,000 for Lower Sproul Re-development from University administration at no new cost to students
  • Supported campaign for the City of Berkeley to allow for extended business hours on Telegraph
  • Prioritized student group funding
  • Negotiated with University for a new agreement on Multicultural Center
  • Web-casts of Senate Meetings and new ASUC Elected Officials blog

Student and Campus Safety

  • Helped successfully put on the safety walk through campus with Mayor of Berkeley, students, community members, policeand others, and then produced a report for the city

Supporting The Co-Op’s

  • Created the first ASUC Berkeley Student Cooperative Affairs Officer position to increase Co-Op representation in the ASUC
  • Financial support for the Friends of the Co-ops student org to assist with BSC outreach on Sproul
  • Aided in institutional transition from “University Students’ Cooperation” to “Berkeley Student Cooperative”
  • Created the ‘Berkeley Student Cooperative Zine PUB Group’ with ASUC recognition, and obtained money to support its publication

Green Campus

  • Financially supported students attending the Power Shift Climate Change Conference in Washington D.C.; worked with CalPIRG and the ASUC Sustainability Team
  • Assisted the Bay-area Environmentally Aware Consulting Network with passing a bill to support green certification of Bear’s Lair restaurants according to criteria stipulated in the Alameda County Green Business Green Certification Program

Disability Rights

  • Financially supported Best Buddies, a national 501(c)(3) dedicated to assisting individuals with intellectual disabilities
  • Supported Disability Awareness Week

Fiscal Responsibility

  • Authored a bill to oppose using money from the Mechanics Bank Account to fund student tickets to the ASUC’s 120th Anniversary Gala, instead urging the organizers of the event to look into alternative fund raising methods that would not negatively impact the ability of the ASUC to allocate this money to student groups.
  • Lowered student fees for the first time in history by lobbying the University to cancel a $145,000 fee

Supporting Cultural Organizations

  • Financial support for Perspective Magazine, an Iranian-American publication
  • Financial support for the Southeast Asian Student Coalition Summer Institute and Intercollegiate Summit programs
  • Supported Vietnamese Student Association Culture Show
  • Supported Peace Not Prejudice Week
  • Supporting culture shows

Student Health Awareness and Supporting Pre-Health Programs

  • Helped organize Mental Health Awareness Week 2007
  • Promoted Hepatitis B Prevention and Awareness campaigns
  • Worked with University Health Service administrators to incorporate student feedback in UHS strategic planning, hiring of a new Medical Director, Student Health Insurance Plan, and issues of service transparency
  • Rallied student leaders to write letters of support to help UHS reapply for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Grant
  • Financial support for Dia de Los Muertos Pre-Health Conference by CHE
  • Financial support for ASUC Butt Out! Campaign