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Building student power means creating more opportunities for UC students to have their voices heard on campus, and at the systemwide level.

Activities

The University of California Student Association (UCSA) is the official voice of over 230,000 undergraduate students across the UC system. It is our mission to empower and develop students to champion accessibility, affordability, and quality within the University of California system for current and future students in a way that centers equity for all and prepares them to impact the world. We fulfill our mission through the following activities:

Trainings

UCSA offers a wide range of free trainings developed by our professional staff and open to all UC students, student organizations, clubs, and groups.

Campaigns

UCSA runs five permanent campaigns to address ongoing issues for students: ACQUIRE (A Campaign for Quality in Resources and Education), Racial Justice Now, Fund The UC, UCweVOTE, and SEED (Students Enacting Environmental Defense)

University Advocacy

Apply to be a student representative through UCSA’s many advocacy channels at the University of California:

Be a Student Advocate to the Regents (StAR) to represent the student voice at the next Regents meeting.

Be a Collective Bargaining Representative, a recognized third-party participant at negotiations to support UC workers.

Become a Systemwide Committee Representative or Student Observer to the Regents on committees of UC decision-makers.

And if you are ready for the next level of student advocacy:

Become the next Student Regent. Click anywhere on this box to check the Regents’ website for the updated application when it is released each year.

UCSA Systemwide Action Network

This statewide student action network empowers UC students to engage directly in rapid-response policy advocacy, protect and advance student priorities, and hold elected officials accountable to the needs of students. It is designed to be flexible and accessible, recognizing that every student comes with different levels of experience and capacity to get involved. Whether you are brand new to advocacy or a seasoned campus leader, the Systemwide Action Network provides meaningful ways to plug in, take action, and make an impact on decisions that shape the future of higher education.

Annual Conferences

UC STUDENT ORGANIZING SUMMIT

The Student Organizing Summit (SOS) is an annual conference in August that is focused on the intersection between organizing and student development. SOS is a unique opportunity for students to learn the tactics and strategies needed to engage in a winning campaign.

Furthermore, SOS is the place where students participate in a unique democratic process to select the annual focus of UCSA’s campaigns and vote for UCSA Executive Officers.

As UCSA represents the collective voice of UC students, the Student Organizing Summit is one of our most influential programs.

The Student of Color Conference (SOCC) is an annual winter conference that is co-hosted by UCSA and a University of California campus. SOCC is UCSA’s oldest and largest conference and has been hosted since 1988. The conference aims to serve as a brave space for students of color to engage in socio-political education and to strategize both statewide as well as campus-based actions and advocacy.

STUDENTS OF COLOR CONFERENCE

STUDENT LOBBY CONFERENCE

The Student Lobbying Conference (SLC) is an annual conference hosted in the spring that brings UC students to the State Capitol for the opportunity to develop and hone legislative advocacy skills, learn more about the political landscape of the state government and issues affecting students and California higher education. It’s a conference that provides students with an opportunity to directly engage elected officials.

UCSA’s Hill Day is a multiday annual conference held in the spring that’s designed to provide students with the opportunity to meet with elected officials, legislative staff, Administration officials, and other partners or stakeholders about federal policies or legislation that impact University of California students. Through this program, students have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the federal political landscape and issues pertaining to higher education, develop and hone legislative advocacy skills, and ensure that UC student voices are heard on a national level.

HILL DAY

Legislative Advocacy

UCSA maintains a day-to-day presence in Sacramento and assists students with their lobbying efforts. We also help you keep an eye on issues affecting students as they develop in the Capitol, with our bill tracking database and the grades we give legislators in the Higher Education Report Card (HERC).

We envision a UC where every student, regardless of background, can study, live, work, and thrive in an inclusive, supportive environment that promotes their academic achievement, strengthens their well-being, and prepares them to make meaningful contributions in California and beyond. To that end,

Each year, UCSA develops a legislative agenda that’s grounded in student priorities, input and lived experience.
UCSA works diligently to influence and shape policy that’s responsive to the lived realities and concerns of current and future students.

Browse our legislative tracker to learn more about our legislative priorities: