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UC Wants You to Be a Student Regent

January 5, 2007


UC Wants You to Be a Student Regent

Wanted: One student to serve for two years as a student regent on the governing board for the entire UC system.

Job duties: One year as student regent designate, working with the current student regent, and a second year as the student regent, discussing major issues and voting with the UC Board of Regents for the UC system and its 209,000 students.

What’s in it for you: How’s this for incentive: The opportunity to be the voice of UC students and free tuition and fees for two years!

The application deadline is Feb. 22, and the competition is fierce because there’s only one student chosen to represent all 10 campuses.

But you could be the first one from UC Merced.

My experience has been amazing, said this year’s Student Regent María Ledesma, who attends UCLA (In the photo, she’s in the center, flanked by two former student regents, Jodi Anderson and Dextor Ligot-Gordon). Yes, it’s a lot of work; yes, it takes up a lot of time. But I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside the state’s higher education leadership to help maintain the University of California’s diversity and academic excellence.

The UC Regents meet every other month at different campuses around the state, and the student regent and designate attend all the two-day meetings. They are reimbursed for travel and expenses, receive a fee waiver or a scholarship equivalent to the student’s total mandatory University fees or tuition and take part in discussions about everything from budget and pay to grounds, buildings and health care.

Jane Lawrence, vice chancellor for student affairs, and Lisa Perry, Students First Center coordinator, are UC Merced’s student regent recruitment coordinators and are planning a series of informational sessions to help you learn more and prepare your applications, resumes and essays.

Having a UC Merced student serve as student regent would be an honor for the student and our institution and a special benefit to the Board of Regents, Lawrence said. To have a student from the university’s newest campus in the fastest growing, most diverse region of the state would bring new, fresh perspectives on issues facing UC students in the 21st century.

But the job benefits you, too.

The student regent has the opportunity to meet many interesting people from politics and business and make some great connections for their future, Perry said.

Here’s a list of planned sessions:

  • What is a Student Regent: 2-3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, Office of Student Life Lounge
  • Meet the Student Regents: 4-5 p.m. Monday , Jan. 22, Kolligian Library Room 355
  • Application workshop: 12-1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, Kolligian Library 117
  • Application workshop: 2-3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, Kolligian Library 117
  • Application workshop: 3-4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20, Kolligian Library 117

Contact Lisa Perry in the Students First Center at 228-4277 or
lperry@ucmerced.com.

To learn more about the Board of regents, visit
www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents/welcome.html