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The SMART (Students Matter: Activism, Retention, Teamwork) slate first ran ASUCD Senate candidates during the Winter 2012 ASUCD Election winning it's first elected seat with successful candidate Beatriz Anguiano and gaining another seat with BOLD Senator Jared Crisologo-Smith leaving his former slate to become a founding member of SMART along with Norman Borgonia, Marcus King, Jaki Joanino, Desun Oka, Beatriz Anguiano, and Chucha Marquez.

SMART SLATE WIDE GOALS

1. ADVOCACY 2. SMARTER & BETTER INSTITUTIONALIZED COMMUNITY-SPECIFIC GRAD FUNDING 3. ACCESSIBILITY 4. LEADERSHIP

Mission Statement

SMART is a student movement at UC Davis to increase student participation in the institutions which affect them. SMART seeks to positively affect all students' educational experience and quality of life through ASUCD.

​Students MATTER Putting students front and center in the university. The university exists to educate students. ASUCD and the University should make the students and their education the priority in all aspects of its functions.  ​Activism Higher education and student governments play a vital role in helping prepare the world’s future generation. We seek to decolonize spaces such as ASUCD which are not currently inclusive of student issues and the students who stand for them.  Retention ASUCD and it’s leaders should represent the students by advocating and supporting students needs to perform well in classes, to reach graduation, their future careers, and their life-long goals.

​Teamwork Areas of campus life working together for collaborative efforts for a common cause by taking all student opinions, skills, and talents to contribute into successful efforts.

Academic Success ASUCD should support students academic endeavors by defending access to quality instructors with strong research, tutoring, jobs, internships, and programs that are relevant to them and their academic interests.

Holistic Support SMART recognizes that the ability for students to succeed academically relies on the students being supported through diverse and inclusive strategies ranging from scholarships, financial aid advising, guidance on acclimating to UC Davis as a freshman or transfer student, crisis counseling, or buying testing materials. SMART stands to support all programs and services which effectively keep our students on track to their degrees.

Accountability SMART is committed to being grassroots and transparent. The folks elected with SMART are not there to falsely be representative of the students. They are there as qualified embedded experts of their student experience, of their own struggles, and the institutions that have navigated to work WITH you. They are nominated by students, serve as activists in the student movement. These are leaders who see the legitimacy of an ASUCD office is only when the students who hold these titles are supported by students and are committed to truly serving students.

Coalition SMART is a movement which seeks to incorporate ALL students. This includes who are often overlooked: low-income students, working students, transfer students, first generation students, womyn, queer students, international students, students of color, differently abled students - we are inclusive to all marginalized identities and we collaborate for the greater goal of social justice.

Winter 2015 Candidates

 

 

Fall 2014 Candidates

The candidates (from left to right) for the Fall 2014 ASUCD Election were: Casey Nguyen, Brendan Chang, Anabiah Syed, and Andrea Velazquez.

Winter 2014 Candidates

The candidates (from left to right) for the Winter 2014 ASUCD Election were: Robyn Huey, Sierra Henderson, Maxwell Kappes (VP), Armando Figueroa (Pres), Andrea Jao, Azka Fayyaz, and Nicholas Sanchez .

Fall 2013 Candidates

The candidates for the Fall 2013 ASUCD Election were: Mariah Kala Watson and Hiba Saeed.

Winter 2012 Candidates

The candidates for the Winter 2013 ASUCD Election were: Reuben Torres, Iris Xie, Brittany Garzaniti, Joanna Villegas, Yee Xiong.

Fall 2012 Candidates

Fall 2012 ASUCD Election Candidates (from left to right): Alyson Noele Sagala, Kirby Araullo, Armando Figueroa, Olivia Brown, and Lee Lo.

SMART platforms during this election include:

MORE BIKE PARKING ON CAMPUS I’m sure I’m not the only person who has had their bike stolen (more than once)! The lack of parking in high traffic areas of campus has forced students to resort to parking their bikes without locking them to any rails, making it easier for thieves to up and walk away with perfectly good bikes. I vow to work with administration to increase bike rack parking (especially at the dorms!) to prevent the level of bike theft on campus.

A MORE EMPOWERED, DYNAMIC, AND SAFER UC DAVIS COMMUNITY Safety is always an issue in every community. Many ASUCD candidates have ran for campus safety by addressing issues like more lighting and tighter security. However, many times security concerns or the feeling of being unsafe is a result of misunderstandings between students from different backgrounds. By creating a more inclusive safe space throughout our campus and nurturing greater cultural awareness among our communities I aim to help eliminate these misunderstandings.

CLOSE THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION AND STUDENTS I will not only work to improve the communication with administration and students, but ensure that it is effective by prioritizing student concerns. I will create more dialogues and programs through various effective avenues, such as working with the student undergraduate advisory board. This will allow for greater student interaction with administration. After the incidents of Nov. 18, I want to ensure students that administration accountability can and will happen, as long as we all engage in the simple collaboration that is needed and wanted from both parties.

INCREASE FUNDING TO THE STUDENT ACADEMIC AND SUCCESS CENTER I will fight to increase resources allocated to the Student Academic and Success Center (SASC). This will allow for more tutoring and workshop services to service the increasing student population as outlined by Chancellor Linda Katehi’s 2020 Initiative. As our campus grows, I will fight to ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed.

REDEFINE THE DIVERSITY REQUIREMENT The Arts and Humanities Topical Breadth Component of the new General Education Requirements consists of 12-20 units that must be completed by all students. Classes that currently satisfy the requirement do not always provide students with the intended knowledge of “significant intellectual traditions, cultural achievements, and historical processes.” I will work to include a required course from ethnic, religious, or women and gender studies’ programs’ within this component. This change will enable and empower all students to understand the historical perspective of ethnic and marginalized communities on our campus and beyond. My goal is for this to be the first step in building a diverse and inclusive campus through the educational process.

FREE UNITRANS BUS RIDES ON PICNIC DAY Picnic Day is the biggest student-run event hosted on the UC Davis campus and is the day with by far the most amount of students on campus at one time. It is a day in which many UC Davis students take pride in as an Aggie. Currently, all students are charged an additional fee this day to ride the bus, a service already paid for by student fees. This equates to an additional tax on students and their livelihood. I will work closely with Anthony Palmere, the general manager of Unitrans, to explore alternate forms of funding for this day so that students don’t have to worry about another expense!

Winter 2012 Candidates

Winter 2012 ASUCD Election Candidates (from left to right): Norman Borgonia, Marcus King, Jaki Joanino, Desun Oka, Beatriz Anguiano, and Chucha Marquez.

SMART platforms during this election include:

MORE TEXTBOOK RESERVES We will work to save students money by creating a textbook reserve located in the new Student Community Center, supplementing the Shields Library Reserves and giving students much needed additional study space and free access to the most common GE books.

FUNDING FOR ETHNIC/LAV GRADS Community specific graduations celebrate the achievement in higher education of students from underrepresented and marginalized communities. By granting funds to these events we seek to actively create a safe and inclusive campus environment which celebrates the diversity of our student body.

CULTURAL AWARENESS & SAFE ZONE WORKSHOPS AT ORIENTATIONS With the recent dispays of hate throughout our campus, I feel it is necessary to educate our incoming students on cultural sensitivity in order to create a campus environment where all students feel safe. As a Senator, I will implement Safe Zone and PEACE training workshops at freshman and transfer orientation in order to nurture greater cultural awareness among our incoming students and create a more inclusive space throughout our campus.

CHILDCARE PROGRAM FOR STUDENT PARENTS It is great that incoming freshman students will be guaranteed room in the dorms for their first two years; however Solano Park will be closing down soon, which services many students with dependent children. Students with children already have a hard time finding child care, and with one child care facility closing down as well, there have fewer options. Students should have to worry about grades, not babysitters.

REFORMING THE DIVERSITY REQUIREMENT As a participant in 1/3 of the past years Civility Project, (Un)Civil (Dis)obedience, I have heard the statement again and again that tolerance is not enough to settle the instances of hate that occur on our campus. We all know someone who has been affected by these hurtful events, whether it be the vandalism of the LGBTRC or the carving of a swastika on a dorm room door. Our campus should be a safe, welcoming, and positive environment where we should try to understand each other. I will ADVOCATE for requiring ETHNIC, GENDER, AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES as a part of the university’s Socio-Cultural Diversity requirement.

FUND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR AB 540 STUDENTS I will advocate for a scholarship fund that consider the experiences and legal conditions of AB 540 students. AB 540 students do not have access to traditional financial sources that require certain citizenship statuses and are prevented from holding public jobs that can pay for their education. AB540 students are hindered by legal regulations from seeking a better life through higher education and citizenship status should not restrict AB 540 students from pursuing better opportunities.

RESOURCE GUIDE FOR STUDENTS ON AP As a Senator, I will work with Academic Coordinators to create a resource guide for students with information on how to appeal dismissal decisions in order to increase awareness about AP/SD. I will also seek to create support groups for students in these academic circumstances and provide counseling to help students achieve their future academic goals.

FACILITATE READMISSION PROCESS FOR STUDENTS ON DISMISSAL AND WITHDRAWAL STATUS I will create an ASUCD webpage that outlines the process of readmission for students and provides resources so that they can continue their studies at UC Davis. As a student that has gone through the complex, bureaucratic process of readmission, I know firsthand how frustrating this process can be. Every student is faced with unique circumstances, and I want to develop a one-stop comprehensive guide for all students to have the opportunity to complete their education with their fellow Aggies!