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I completely agree with Nolan Cabrera that the Graduate Students Association should serve and support graduate student groups, especially GSA student-interest groups (“GSA president should value student groups,” Viewpoint, Oct. 27). I would like to discuss how I have worked on behalf of graduate student groups and how I continue to do so.

I appreciate Cabrera’s concerns and welcome suggestions about how we can further support graduate student groups. I continue to invite these groups to speak with me about any issues that arise. My deepest hope is that we can address the underlying misunderstandings that prompted the original letter.

Graduate student groups are a vital part of the graduate student community. GSA is so cognizant of this fact that we give student groups voting representation at Forum, our legislative body, through the Student Interest Board. None of the GSA officers (including myself) have a vote, but student-interest groups do.

Earlier this year, I allocated an unprecedented amount (to my knowledge) of GSA’s money to support student-group activities – a 150 percent increase from last year’s funds. These assets will be used by dozens of graduate student groups across campus to conduct a wide range of programs.

For example, GSA recently funded the Black GSA’s Accelerating Scholars program, which was designed to recruit African-American graduate students to UCLA. GSA also funded Raza GSA’s seminar this quarter titled “Guatemala: Past and Present.”

In the past year, I devoted a great deal of time working to get office space for graduate student groups, and the effort paid off last month. The new 813 square-foot area of office suite space was a long-awaited addition. As soon as we finish renovating and furnishing the space with desks, phones, computers, printers, couches, chairs, tables, lockable storage, etc. (at GSA’s expense), the graduate student groups (including Raza) will have a place to call home. GSA will also pay the annual $7,000 in maintenance, custodial and utility charges for this student group area.

In addition to voting representation at Forum, the increase in funding for events and the provision of office space, GSA is working on other ways to serve student groups. For specific examples, please refer to recent Daily Bruin articles about GSA efforts.

Fox is the president of GSA.