Student Advocate General

Mission Statement

“The mission of the Office of the Student Advocate General is to empower student success through collaborating with the campus and surrounding community with students’ best interest in mind. We are committed to serving as a visible resource for personal and academic achievement by providing an intentional support structure for students.”

The Office of the Student Advocate General is committed to providing and ensuring equity and advocacy on behalf of the undergraduate student body here at UCI. The Student Advocate General develops and implements campus climate-based responses and initiatives, on behalf of the varying demographics and intersecting identities of the UCI undergraduate community. The Office collaborates with students and administration in relation to Student Affairs to establish that the student perspective is both present and accurate. This includes spaces that are intended to provide support and reporting services. This Office is designated to serve and represent the undergraduate student body at UCI. Lastly, this Office provides advocacy, education, and community support on behalf of students.

Hey everyone! I’m Shreyas, software engineering major, and it is my honor and privilege to be your Student Advocate General! As an international student, advocacy and representation is really important to me. Over the course of my term, I want to pursue the following goals: 

Equity: Representation of all communities is an integral part of creating a more inclusive and equitable community here at UCI. As someone who has worked firsthand with the directors of various programs under ASUCI, I understand their issues, and want to work with them to solve their issues. Advocating for a greater number of representatives from minority communities as well as strong collaborations with student associations would greatly benefit and complement the educative and advocacy work they perform.

Transparency: Every member of the student body at UCI deserves a transparent and equitable student government and I plan to implement various measures to ensure this. I would like to create a “Case-Tracking System” that allows for complainants to easily track the progress of their grievances in real time. I plan to advocate for, and enforce — more accessible office hours, greater social media presence, as well as collaborations with New University and Anteater TV to publicize the functions of this office as well as educating and promoting minority communities and their cultures.

Please feel free to contact me at advocategeneral@asuci.uci.edu or feel free to join my Office Hours on Zoom on Tuesdays from 3-4pm.

The Responsibilities of the Student Advocate General

  • Representing UCI students in discussions with Campus Administration
  • Aiding UCI students in filing complaints against ASUCI
  • Educating UCI students about their rights
  • Providing assistance to students with disciplinary action taken by the university against them
  • Directing students to spaces that are intended to provide support and reporting services

The Role of the Student Advocate General

  • To advocate on behalf of the concerns of the UCI undergraduate community as they relate to the various institutional bodies, this includes, but are not limited to ASUCI, faculty, staff, and campus administration
  • The Student Advocate General acts as a third-party to ensure checks and balances within student government
    • The Office can also initiate charges of violation of the ASUCI Constitution to fellow members of ASUCI
  • In regards to Internal Affairs:
    • At request, the Student Advocate General may assist in finding an informal resolution through mediation, shuttle diplomacy or by other means
  • The Office of the Student Advocate General does not replace or substitute for formal grievance, investigative or appeal processes made available by the university. In addition, the Office does not have any authority to make decisions or enact policy.

Impartiality

  • The Office of the Student Advocate General is a neutral body within ASUCI and does not represent the university or individuals in matters brought to its attention. The office advocates for fairness and equity.

Confidentiality

  • It is important to note that this Office is not legally required to maintain confidentiality.
  • In most scenarios the Student Advocate General will practice confidence with any information.
  • Prior to disclosure, students should be aware that the law in the State of California mandates that information may be appropriately shared if you are in imminent harm to yourself or to others, when there is an indication of child or elder abuse, or if you are gravely disabled.

Notice

  • The Office of the Student Advocate General does not serve as an office of notice or record for the university.