AS Senate Recap – 02/25/2026

The AS Senate is a group of elected student representatives which serves as the policy-making body of Associated Students. Every Wednesday at 6:30 PM, the AS Senate convenes to pass bills and resolutions, hear reports from Boards, Committees, and Units (BCUs), and hold public forum.

KCSB‘s Tatiana Jacquez brings you a recap of their meeting on February 25th, 2026.

• UCSA Report Back: 
  • The UC Student Association is a student-run organization with representatives across the UCs aiming to provide a voice for students in shared governance with the UC system. It represents over 235,000 undergraduate students, with an “opt-out” fee of $7 per academic year.
  • UCSA President Aditi Hariharan presented a brief history of the organization, and its current campaigns to advocate for student interests across the UCs, including quality resources, education, social justice, and state legislation.
• EVPSA Leiya Kadah on USSA Fund Cancellation: 
  • A positional resolution passed at the February 11th Senate meeting, requesting Chancellor Assanis to cancel the United States Student Association (USSA) lock-in fee for students.
    • Senators expressed concerns over the collection of this fee, citing UCSB’s lack of involvement within USSA for an estimated six years.
  • External Vice President for State Affairs, Leiya Kadah, pushed back on the resolution, asserting she was not consulted on the resolution and that it was falsely stated on Senate floor she was.
  • The USSA Fund, despite UCSB not being involved for several years, provides RCOs with funding for conferences, competition, and other events. Kadah stated that if the fund were to canceled, campus organizations would not have funding for said events. She’s also noted she is in talks with her team and other entities to try and re-integrate UCSB into USSA. 

    Allocations: 

    $27,500 were allocated to UCSB Chabad’s funding account out of the Jewish Commission account, which Senators attributed to their “dormant status”.

    The Senate passed/adopted the following pieces of legislation:

    • HIP Proposal – IV Underground was adopted by the Senate in a 11-1-5 vote. This high-impact proposal would establish a once-per-quarter, on-campus concert performed by IV bands. The project was established by the ASUCSB Office of the Internal VP and President, centering IV bandsand a space for students to be exposed to these artists.

     

    • A Resolution Requesting the Cancellation of the Commission for Marginalized Genders (CMG’s) (Sussman-Jiang-Than):
      • This resolution calls on UCSB Chancellor to cancel the Commission on Marginalized Genders (CMG) lock-in fee.
        • Senator Than and others cited concerns over the collection of this fee, noting the group’s inactivity since 2021, and the $36,00 rollover funds and unused student fees as a result.
        • Senators noted that the Trans and Queer Commission (TQCOMM) carries out much of the original mission statement of CMG, allowing for the possibility of taking over CMG’s role. This resolution passed via secret ballot 16-0-1.
    • A Resolution to Bring a Constitutional Amendment on ASUCSB Fee Provisions for Empty Boards Commissions and Units (BCUs) (Ono – Sussman):
      • This resolution proposes the addition of a constitutional amendment that would pause existing student fees, and any new fees for BCUs, should the board for said BCU not have been filled for two+ years.
      • This legislation compounds with the Resolution Requesting the Cancellation of the USSA Lock-in Fee and the resolution above to cancel CMG.
    • A Resolution to Establish ASUCSB’s Structural Support for Ocean Rd. – El Colegio Rd. Renovations (Lala – GeoSimonian – Sussman): 
      • This resolution advocates for road renovations from Ocean Rd. to El Colegio Rd. due to the safety risks for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians. It calls on the University to cover maintenance, as it is under University jurisdiction and not local government.
      • The resolution passed 17-0-1.
    • The AS Senate unanimously adopted a Judicial Council Advisory Request regarding constitutional interpretation of removing Senators due to “repeated unexcused absences”.
      • They reference AS Constitution Article XI §4, which outlines a recall process, but has different interpretations. One reading states a recall process can only be initiated by voters, while another states Article XI §4 only applies to voter-initiated recalls. Therefore, the latter interpretation would allow the Senate to adopt procedures to enforce Senate attendance and mandate removal for failure to attend.