(Berkeley, CA) — Early last month, Assemblymember Jessica Caloza (D-Los Angeles) joined student leaders at the University of California, Berkeley for a rally in support of ACA 18, also known as the Student Regent Empowerment Amendment. This bill adds a second Student Regent to the 26-member UC Board of Regents, ensuring representation from both an undergraduate and graduate student for the first time in the University’s history.
“Today, I was proud to stand with UC Berkeley student leaders fighting for a stronger, more representative UC system. The UC Board of Regents makes decisions that shape every aspect of student life—from tuition and fees to housing and fair wages for campus workers. But while Regents cast the votes, it’s students who live with the consequences,” said Assemblymember Jessica Caloza. “Too many are struggling to afford rent, taking on mounting debt, and navigating uncertainty as workers and members of immigrant communities. Students deserve more than a seat at the table—they deserve a real voice in the decisions that shape their future.”
This moment is especially critical, as tomorrow, the board of UC External Vice Presidents will narrow more than 80 applicants for the Student Regent position down to just three finalists, and ultimately, only one student will be selected by the UC Board of Regents to represent the more than 300,000 students across the UC System.
“Tomorrow, myself and the External Vice Presidents from across the statewide UC-system will convene to select the next UC Regent. It will be our 19 graduate and undergraduate student votes that will help decide which one student will represent 300,000 UC students,” stated UCSD External Vice President Ricardo Miranda.
Student leaders from the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC), Berkeley highlighted the need for a second student vote on the UC Board of Regents where decisions impacting tuition hikes, labor, housing, and student life are made.
“I have seen firsthand how critical student representation is in the spaces that determine our livelihoods. We’ve seen Student Regents successfully advocate for increased financial aid returns and investments in basic needs,” said ASUC President Abigail Verino.“This amendment recognizes the diverse positionality and experiences of students at different points in their academic careers. As a Filipina Student Body President myself, this representation reflects what it looks like for our communities to shape policy and take space in government in innovative ways.”
“The UC prides itself on being the ‘premier public university system in the world,’ but let’s not forget that the UC is nothing without us. Students make Berkeley what it is; students make the UC what it is. We, the students, have lived experiences and shared struggles that administrators and the regents will simply never understand. It is imperative that student voices are represented on the Board of Regents, especially to address student-facing issues that are otherwise overlooked,” stated Hxstory and Politics Chair, Pilipinx American Alliance (PAA) Celina Buncayo.
“ACA 18 would do more than just increase representation for our students—it allows us to work in solidarity with the over 280,000 workers operating under the largest employer in the state,” said CalDems Political Director Nataliah Cornejo-Ayers. “Through my experiences organizing for justice within UC’s labor unions and student communities, I cannot overstate the disparities we face when our school does not treat its workers fairly.”
“I founded the University Housing Rights Organization because I was one of many students struggling with conditions in campus housing and having trouble getting them addressed, but through advocacy and dialogue with the university, change became possible,” said President & Founder of University Housing Rights Organization (UHRO) Susan Reese. “Now imagine that same principle at the Regents level. Imagine students not just asking to be heard after decisions are made, but helping shape those decisions from the start. That is what ACA 18 represents.”
“There would be no UC without students. Amidst tuition hikes, a skyrocketing cost-of-living, and the endangerment of our minority classmates, our demand for adequate decision-making authority grows louder. I am proud to support ACA 18, a reasonable expansion of student representation on the Board of Regents,” stated Transportation & Infrastructure Commission Chair of the City of Berkeley Ren Fitzgerald.
“For too long, the UC Regents have operated with a lack of transparency and accountability that puts our students and communities at risk. The UC would have no purpose if it wasn’t for its students and that is why we need student voices at the very core of all decisions that affect us,” stated ASUC EAVP-elect Selina Mendez.
“From tuition and fees to decisions around diversity, equity and inclusion policies, the Regents hold the power. We, as students, can feel the lack of student voices especially here at UC Berkeley,” said ASUC President-elect Margaret Solomon. “We feel it during the spring semester when we struggle to find housing, we feel it when we look at our tuition prices each year, we feel it when we can’t get into the classes we need, or when student conduct policies and campus safety decisions are not representative of our very unique experience here at UC Berkeley.”
On Tuesday, April 28th, ACA 18 passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee with a 9-0 bi-partisan vote, and is set to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, May 6th. This coalition of students and lawmakers are working to get ACA 18 passed by the Legislature by June 25, 2026 in order to qualify for the November 3, 2026 ballot. If approved by the voters, for the first time ever, the voting membership of the UC Board of Regents would include representation from both an undergraduate and graduate Student Regent.
ACA 18 Statewide UC Campus Tour Schedule:
- Friday, May 1st at 12pm: UC Berkeley Mobilizing Rally
- Tuesday, May 5th at 10am: UCLA Mobilizing Rally
- Thursday, May 14th at 5pm: UC Santa Cruz Mobilizing Rally (Postponed Until Further Notice)
Assemblymember Jessica Caloza proudly represents the 52nd Assembly District, which includes the Los Angeles County communities of Angelino Heights, Atwater Village, City Terrace, Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, East Hollywood, East Los Angeles, Echo Park, El Sereno, Elysian Heights, Elysian Valley, Glassell Park, Garvanza, Highland Park, Hillside Village, Lincoln Heights, Montecito Heights, Monterey Hills, Mount Washington, Silver Lake, South Glendale, University Hills, and Vista Hermosa.