Graduate Student Association

Gregory B. Hutchins, M.A. 

1. Title: Vice-President of External Affairs; Vice-Chair of the Graduate Student Council; Board Member of UCGPC
2. Vice-President of External Affairs (2025-2026) for GSA
3. UC Advocacy Officer (2024-2025), supporting systemwide graduate student advocacy
4. Active UAW 4811 union member and delegate to the Inland Empire Labor Council
5. Leadership role in Pick Group of Young Professionals, connecting graduate students with civic engagement in Riverside
6. Commissioner of the Riverside City Budget Engagement Commission, focusing on improving student quality of life.

Ramiro Rodriguez Sanchez, B.A.

1. Title: UC Advocacy Officer
2. Bio: Ramiro Rodriguez Sanchez serves as the UC Advocacy officer in the office of External Affairs for GSA for the 2025-2026 academic year. From 2022-2024 Ramiro served as a Mental Health Peer Advocate for undergraduate students at the Student Psychological Services in California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Pamela Romero B.A.

1. Title: Legislative Advocacy Officer
2. Bio: Pamela Romero serves as the Legislative Advocacy officer in the office of External Affairs for the Graduate Student Association. As well as the Counseling and Psychological Services Liaison for the Graduate Student Association.

At the UC Level, the External Affairs Office represents UCR Graduate and Professional students through the University of California Graduate and Professional Council (UCGPC) - the official systemwide body advocating for graduate students across all ten UC campuses. 

The VPEA serves as a Board Member of UCGPC, participating in quarterly meetings with the UC Office of the President (UCOP) and other UC leaders to ensure graduate student needs are addressed in systemwide decision-making. 

Our UC Advocacy Officer serves on UCGPC’s Basic Needs Committee, advancing initiatives that promote affordable housing, food security, and overall student well-being. Meanwhile, our Legislative Director collaborated with counterparts from other UC campuses to coordinate joint legislative advocacy and amplify graduate student voices across the state and nation. 

Through our partnership with UCGPC, we work collectively to shape UC policy, expand student resources, and strengthen the graduate experience across the University of California system.

At the state level, the External Affairs Office actively represents UCR Graduate and Professional Students before the California State Legislature and other State Agencies. Each year, our team participates in legislative visits in Sacramento, joining coalitions of student leaders from across the UC system to advocate for policies that protect and advance graduate education. 

During the 2024-2025 academic year, the External Affairs Office played a key role in statewide advocacy efforts, most notably helping to prevent an anticipated nearly 8% cut to the University of California Budget. Through collaboration with our coalitions patterns, that reduction was ultimately eliminated protecting vital student programs and research funding. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DIzzPPkT3w1/ 

Our team also supported a range of bills designed to strengthen campus safety, student well-being, and access to resources. Many of these measures were successfully passed by the legislature and some enacted into law: 

• SB 98 (SAFE Act) – Signed into law. Requires every UC campus to establish emergency warning procedures to alert students, faculty, staff, and community members when federal immigration enforcement agents (ICE) seek access to campus property.
• SB 627 – Signed into law. Prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing masks while on duty, promoting accountability and transparency.
• SB 271 (Reyes) – Signed into law. Expands access to childcare services and resources for student parents.
• AB 79 (Arambula) – Signed into law. Establishes county liaisons to streamline student access to benefit enrollment programs.
• SB 323 (Perez) – Two-year bill. Would allow students to use the California DREAM Act Application in place of the FAFSA, protecting access to financial aid amid federal challenges.

Check back towards the end of Winter Quarter to see this year’s legislative priorities. 

(From Left: Gregory Hutchins, Tate LeBlanc, Katia Hatem, Jordan Steinhauser)

At the federal level, the External Affairs Office represents UCR graduate and professional students in national discussions on higher education, research, and equity. We work closely with UC Federal Government Relations to ensure that the voices of graduate students are included in conversations that shape national policy. 

Each year, members of our office participate in “Hill Day” in Washington, D.C., where graduate and professional students from across the University of California meet with members of Congress and their staff to discuss federal issues affecting our community. 

In this challenging time for higher education we are steadfast in our commitment to advocate for continued funding for graduate students and the research that drives innovation and discovery. We also actively advocate for the rights, safety, and inclusion of international student colleagues, recognizing their vital contributions to UC Riverside and to the broader community. 

Through our federal advocacy efforts, we strive to ensure that graduate education remains accessible, well-supported, and inclusive for all who choose to pursue it. 

 2025 - 2026 Local Policy Agenda for the City of Riverside

Graduate students in the UC system serve as future professionals and educators in higher education throughout the United States, with many of them innovating research for the improvement of society and health as a whole. Due to their potential to become a vital part of society it is important to address the needs of graduate students not only at the state and national level but also at the local level. Most graduate students spend many of their formative professional years in close proximity to where the University is based. Many of our students find themselves working, playing, and raising their families near the University of California, Riverside. As such, graduate students at UC Riverside reside heavily on the policies at the City of RIverside. 

1. Public Utilities: Addressing Increasing Cost of Living

Rising costs of living and budget cuts at the university level are creating more barriers for graduate students to meet basic needs. Aside from rent and groceries, the rising cost of public utilities is creating a new cost worry for students living in off-campus housing. The current electric rate plan for 2023-2028 increases prices by 7% year over year (previously 3% from 2019-2023 and 0% from 2011-2018). Additionally students moving into off-campus housing in Riverside are required to provide a deposit and startup fee to Riverside Public Utilities, making it increasingly difficult for students of low income to move into the City of Riverside. Current assistance programs by the City of Riverside require acceptance into SNAP or Social security programs which students are at jeopardy of losing due to more stricter requirements.

• Partner with the City of Riverside to advocate for utility discounts for graduate students and potentially expand the budget of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Sharing Households Assist Riverside’s Energy (SHARE) program as not all eligible applicants are approved.
• Eliminate the City of Riverside’s SNAP requirement for eligibility to assistance programs to better assist graduate students. 
• Collaborate with City of Riverside Public Utilities to provide more transparency and notify graduate students of eligibility. 
• Advocate for the creation of waivers for graduate students moving into the City of Riverside to assist with moving costs.

2. Food Mobility/ Availability

New and low income graduate students have limited access to grocery stores that accommodate their needs (affordability). Similarly for graduate students with limited access to reliable personal transportation, a reality that greatly affects students coming from out of state, there is a heavy reliance on unreliable methods of transportation in order to access groceries. At present the R’Pantry is unable to effectively accommodate the needs of graduate students due to limited after hours availability, a need that can better be accommodated through existing programs that heavily exclude others with need. Furthermore, changes to SNAP eligibility requirements are potentially placing previously eligible students at jeopardy of losing their benefits.

• Work with the County of Riverside to expand the availability and eligibility of the existing Dial-a-Ride service that is currently limited to individuals certified with the American with Disabilities Act and seniors 65 and over with disabilities to include graduate students. 
• Work with the City of Riverside to better inform students for using their existing collaboration with Doordash, Project Dash, to provide better access to food. 
• Advocate for the creation of monthly grocery gift cards to accommodate for the potential loss of benefits for graduate students, currently the R’Pantry is no longer able to provide this to students. 

3. Childcare Services

UC Riverside has many parent-graduate students that rely on school services which are reported as being inadequate for their needs. Currently the County of Riverside provides a program (RCOE) that assists parents to subsidize the costs of childcare services and provide services to parents. With these programs it is reported that there is a long wait time.

• Advocate for the County of Riverside to automatically check for eligibility of Graduate students that report being parents.
• Work with the County of Riverside to expedite the application process for graduate student applicants.