ASUC Senator Rosa Kwak

 

 

The Office of Senator Rosa Kwak will serve as a 1 of the 20 senate office representatives of the Associated Students of the University of California and is tasked with establishing and ensuring the future of the Sexual Violence Conference, providing support base for underfunded Foreign Language Departments and the Gender Womxn Studies Department, and vocalizing the needs of the entire residence hall apparatus that impacts both students and staff . As an Office, we will strive to enhance the student experience at Cal and ensure that Cal remains a place that empowers students to be leaders and advocates beyond the confines of campus. The ultimate goal of this Office will be finding and tangibly implementing solutions to these specific issues and advocating for the needs of students on a grander scale. As an office, we look forward to serving the students of UC Berkeley next year, and welcome everyone to apply to join the Senate Team. And, as always, Go Bears!

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Platforms:

1.  Establishing a UC-Wide, Survivor led Sexual Violence Conference:
This year, the first ever survivor and student led Sexual Violence Conference (SVC) took place in response to UC Berkeley’s sexual assault conference last year that was incredibly inaccessible to students (because it was on weekday, cost money for students/survivors to attend, and very triggering for survivors). As SVC enters its second year in 2017, I hope to continue the legacy and mission of this conference by working with the Sexual Assault Commission, the Gender Equity and Resource Center and other student groups. I will also work to make this conference open to other UC students to attend. I also hope to secure more funding for this conference by working with the EAVP and AAVP offices and collaborating with additional student groups to include the intersections and diverse narratives of all Cal students. Having a student and survivor led conference that is cost free will allow students to hold UC Berkeley and the campus culture accountable for how both address sexual violence on this campus.

2.  Improve Residential Hall Affordability and Experience
For the very first time, housing will not be guaranteed for freshman in the upcoming school year. There is a blatant housing crisis in Berkeley but administrators and RSSP are not being held accountable for the ever increasing number of students and the limited space in Residential Halls. As a senator, I will form an accountability board to address and create programs that will take into account the incredible influx of students coming in. I will also spearhead conversations with the RSSP Associate Vice Chancellor, Stephen Sutton, about the lack of resources for residents and Resident Assistants as more and more students pack into residential halls. Thus, when UC administrators come to Berkeley for the 2020 Campus Expansion initiative to assess housing needs at Cal, it is imperative that a student, who’s knowledgeable about student and RA grievances in the Res-Hall community, vocalizes these concerns and provides tangible solutions necessary in this space. This accountability board will consist of student representatives from the ASUC/Co-op/Graduate Housing/RHA community and will work alongside UC administrators to address the real grievances, keep them accountable for the housing needs of students, and create solutions that work towards the affordability of housing at Cal, particularly within the RHA community.

3.  Increase Resources for the Language Department
As a Korean language minor, I have witnessed the incredible lack of resources that professors and students in the Berkeley Language Department have faced. UC Berkeley currently offers 59 languages, but many students are turned away from enrollment because of the lack of spaces in language classes and a lack of professors teaching them. Many impacted majors at Cal require foreign language as a requirement, but many students face the difficult reality that there won’t be enough space. While some language classes have Graduate Student Instructors, Professors themselves teach many of them. This results in fewer language classes and more students unable to take a language course. At the same time, many Professors aren’t able to provide academic resources for their students because their funding does not allow it. As senator, I will work with the AAVP Office and the Berkeley Graduate Division for the necessary funding for Graduate Student Instructors needed in language classes and for academic resources that Professors in the Language Department can’t afford. Creating a space for maximum learning is only possible with adequate resources and instructors in order for students to succeed academically and grow personally.

Endorsements:

Anna Li, President Elect – Resident Hall Assembly*
Lavanya Jawaharlal, ASUC Executive Vice President*
Aanchal Chugh, – ASUC Senator*
Krista Kurisaki, President – Cal Hawai’i Club*
Judy Li, Director*- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

Qualifications:

Business Operations Director, ASUC Executive Vice President Office*
VP Hall Association, Maximino Martinez Commons*
Site Leader, UC Berkeley Volunteer Income Tax Assistance* August 2014-May 2015
VP of Service, Latino Business Student Association December* 2014-May 2015
Producer, KALX Radio Station* August 2014-Current

*Titles for Identification Purposes Only