External Affairs Commission

The External Affairs Commission (EAC) is one of the seven commissions that advise the ASUCD Senate. They serve the Association and the greater Davis Community by establishing and/or maintaining relations with the University's administration and also off-campus bodies affecting student welfare.

The Commission

The ASUCD Constitution of 1996 establishes and gives the commission its organic responsibilities:

...establishing liaison and achieving rapport with all off-campus, public bodies affecting students and their welfare in the University; (and) to work with the Executive Branch and Senate in developing and recommending policies for action in external areas.

Though the Constitution and Bylaws state EAC as only responsible for off-campus bodies, Vice Presidents Hooper and Fluet construed "external" to mean matters outside of the Association's structure; this interpretation places issues of university relations, withstanding academic affairs, under the jurisdiction of EAC. In addition to its main duty to advise and recommend policies to the ASUCD Senate, the commission also:

• Hosts events such as Music on the Green in Central Park to promote good relations with the community
• Advocates and works with the advocacy units on issues pertaining to local and state governments on behalf of our member-students
• Sponsors local or state legislation pertinent to our constituents

Commission Membership Consistent with Bylaws, the ASUCD Senate appoints to the commission nine voting members and up to four, but no less than two, alternate members at the discretion of the Chair of the Interviewing Committee. Additional non-voting, ex-officio members sit on the commission, as follows: the President, the Vice President, members of the ASUCD Senate, a designee from the Office of City and County Affairs; a designee from University Affairs; a designee from Lobby Corps; and a representative of the Graduate Student Association. The schedule for selection causes members' one-year terms to stagger: the chair and four commissioners serve Fall terms ending on June 30th; four commissioner serve Winter terms ending on December 31st; and all alternate members serve terms ending with each academic quarter.

Voting commissioners may serve as an ancillary commission officer, rotating every academic quarter. Bylaws state the chair shall appoint from amongst the commission a Vice Chair, subject to the commission's confirmation. In practice, past EAC Chairs observe a more democratic tradition: receiving nominations for the position and allowing the commission to vote. Established under Chair Lee, the commission also maintains the post of the Commission Clerk—responsible for submitting and archiving the records for each meeting. In the cases where no commissioner wishes to accept nomination as the Clerk, the Vice Chair assumes the vacated duties.

EAC's Current Work The commission holds its regular meetings on Tuesdays at 5:10 PM at the Mee Room,Memorial Union (3rd Floor) and are open to the public. In Chair Sandstrom's most recent quarterly report, she outlined the 2012 Spring and Fall plan for the commission, such as:

• Planning the Davis Volunteer and Service Fair
• Working with the City of Davis and Davis Flea Market to make Music on the Green a larger event
• Continue to have the commission participate in one community service project per quarter
• Coordinate deals and lengthen hours of businesses in downtown for Finals Week
• Improve Freshmen Welcome Week with better collaboration with Student Housing, Davis businesses, and ASUCD.
• Promote ASUCD and Davis businesses through our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ASUCDEAC?ref=hl

External Affairs Commission - Fall 2012 The annual Music on the Green Volunteering at Harper Junior High School by helping to create a community garden EAC Commission members at Chipotle for Staff Development 3 generations of EAC Chairmen: Steven D. Lee, Gregory J. S. Dizon, Michael K. Lay EAC 2007-2008 EAC 2006-2007 EAC Comissioners circa 2004-2005. (back) Jane Finnegan, Chibuzo Gloria Uche, Elly Drygas, Avni Patel, Elyssa Hesky, Andrea Cheuk, (front) Pete Hernandez, Dan Boland, Eduardo Aguilar, Nico DeAnda-Scaia, Jeremy Gimbel

Members of the Commission

Chair & Presiding Officer Jenna Wooster

Commissioners Abire Sabbagh Amelia Helland (Vice Chair) Amy Ly Azka Fayyaz Julia Reifkind Rafaela Bustamante Shannon Smith

Alternate Members Mandy Losk Ben Roumimper Julian Del Real-Calleros Guillermo Hernandez-Lopez

Ex Officio Members Designee from the Office of City and County Affairs Designee from University Affairs Designee from Lobby Corps Representative from the Graduate Student Association

History

Former Commission Chairs Jenna Wooster (Winter 13-Winter 14) Emily Alice Gerhart (Fall 12- Winter 13) Carly Sandstrom (Fall 11-Spring 12) Dana Percoco (Fall 09-Spring 11) Hyatt Cummings (-Spring 09) Gregory Dizon¹² Retired commission seal used under Chair Lee Steven D. Lee (Spring 07-Fall 07) Michael Lay (Fall 06-Winter 07) Jenny Yu (Spring 06) Jeremy Gimble (Fall 05-Winter 06) Eduardo Aguilar (Spring 05) Megan Gann (Fall 2004-Winter 2005))

Sherry Hashimoto (Fall 2000-Spring 2001) UNKNOWN (Fall 1999-Spring 2000) Brian O’Toole (Fall 1998-Spring 1999) John Gould (Fall 1997- Spring 1998) VACANT (Spring 1997) Krista DeBusschere (Fall 1996-Winter 1997) Karen Kwok (Spring 1996) Damian Brown (Winter 1996) Matt Bronson (Fall 1995) Mark Stewart (Fall 1994-Spring 1995) Sara Brown (Spring 1994) Thomas Hoover (Fall 1993-Winter 1994) Terstzan Soojian (Winter 1993-Spring 1993) Curtis Rau (Fall 1992) Wesley Namikawa (Fall 1991-Spring 1992)

Moving Up

What former members of EAC have gone on to aspire to. Many on this student government commission move on to hold other student government positions.

Footnotes

1. It has become tradition for the External Affairs Commission Chair to include the middle initial(s) while in office.
2. On January 8, 2009, immediately after returning from break, Dizon abruptly announced to the Senate that he intended step down as Chair at the end of the month.