WELCOME TO THE SENATE
Mission
We, the Senate of the Associated Students of the University of California in Irvine, as advocates for the undergraduate student body, pledge to facilitate interactions among students, faculty, and administration, educate and inform the Anteater community on issues that affect them, and be accountable to our constituency in an effort to enhance the quality of student life at UCI.
The ASUCI Senate is the legislative branch of the undergraduate student government here at UCI, a representative body composed of elected or appointed students from each academic school. These students are elected from the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, the Paul Merage School of Business, the Program in Public Health, the School of Biological Sciences, the School of Education, the School of Humanities, the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the School of Physical Sciences, the School of Social Ecology, the School of Social Sciences, the Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, and the student body at-large. There are also five (5) ex-officio seats, appointed by the Senate, for undergraduate students that represent a club/organization. These students are usually selected by their own club/organization to represent them in regular Senate meetings.
Starting in Fall 2016, there are now Special Interest Senators whose primary mission is the representation of and advocacy for specific groups on campus. Special Interest Senators shall be drawn from the international student body and the transfer student body and elected by the student body at-large. Freshmen seeking to be the Special Interest Freshman Senator shall be interviewed and appointed in the Fall, with their term beginning in the Winter.
The Senate is responsible for approving the ASUCI budget for the fiscal year, approving or rejecting any legislation that is brought to them, approving or rejecting recommendations for amending the governing documents of ASUCI (such as the ASUCI Constitution), and more. The members are also responsible for meeting with the dean of their respective schools at least once per quarter and hosting weekly office hours to address any concerns their constituents may have.
The Senate meets regularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:00 pm. All meetings are open and students are strongly encouraged to attend. Meetings are in Balboa Island B, on the fourth floor of the Student Center, or over Zoom.