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The Graduate Students Association wrapped up its last meeting of the year and swore in its recently elected officers on Wednesday night.

Outgoing GSA officers discussed the continued efforts to validate the graduate student writing center referendum, which would add $3 to quarterly graduate student fees to help fund a center to assist students with writing and presentation skills.

Monica Sanchez Rivas, the newly installed GSA president, said her immediate goals include getting Chancellor Albert Carnesale to validate the graduate student writing center referendum and planning graduate student orientation.

The referendum passed in the spring election, but the vote is invalid because of a UC policy introduced one week before the election requiring 20 percent voter turnout for a fee increase to be implemented.

GSA has written letters to both Carnesale and UC President Robert Dynes in hopes of obtaining the money for the writing center, Sanchez said.

The chancellor of a university can, in special circumstances, validate a referendum that would otherwise be invalid because of voter turnout.

Voter turnout in GSA elections is historically low, and election officials said 20 percent is not a realistic number to reach.

Sanchez is optimistic about the new GSA officers.

“I feel good. The work has already started; I really hit the ground running,” Sanchez said. “I’ve been the chair of the GSA appointments committee for the past few weeks, and we got over 100 applicants, a substantial increase from last year.”

Cindy Mosqueda, who was re-elected as external vice president, said her main goal for next year is to expand her voter information campaign.

“I want to inform undergraduates and especially graduates about issues in higher education – both at the state and federal level,” she said.

In the past GSA has focused mostly on state issues, but Mosqueda wants to expand GSA’s non-partisan coverage of national issues as well as increase voter registration among graduate students, she said.

Mosqueda also wants to reform graduate student fees.

“We are (advocating for) a long-term fee policy that would include gradual instead of unpredictable fee increases,” she said.

GSA also adopted several bylaw changes, including the addition of a code of ethics.

The code was adopted so GSA could have a means of holding its elected and appointed officials accountable for their actions, said Internal Vice President Mac Marston, who is returning to the position for a second year.

Anthony Dunbar, GSA director of communication, had objections to the language in parts of the code, which he said was vague or repetitive and could allow for potential abuse of authority when dismissing GSA officers.

After some debate among the GSA Forum and several changes, the code was passed unanimously.

Outgoing GSA President Jared Fox said that while he will not hold an elected position next year, he will still be an active participant in GSA.

“It’s been a great two years, and I’m excited about where we’ve been and the progress we’ve made,” said Fox, who held the position for two years. “I’m excited about where GSA will go, and I think we have some great, dedicated officers.”

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