Legislative Branch
This page consists of important ASUCD information, such as announcements and senate records. The information found below is updated weekly.
Legislative
The legislative branch of ASUCD is headed by the ASUCD Senate. Under it is a large support network containing seven commissions, and various committees.
The ASUCD Senate is the body which introduces, and commonly writes, legislation. Once legislation is submitted to the Senate, it gets referred to any number of the relevant commissions who scrutinize the legislation and offer their specialized opinion on it. Other committees also exist to serve specific functions.
Want to stay informed about ASUCD Senate proceedings?
Sign up for the asucd_public listserv to get weekly Senate Agendas and important Senate annoucements delivered straight to your inbox! Also check out the Government Documents page for the most up to date documents, rosters, and legislation.
To subscribe, send an email to sympa@ucdavis.edu with the subject line: subscribe asucd_public Firstname Lastname. Use your own first and last name in the email subject line.
Need more guidance? Refer to the ‘Subscribing to mailing lists’ instructions posted here.
The ASUCD Senate meetings are held on Thursdays at 6:10PM and can be joined via Zoom.
Webinar ID: 985 9289 3235
Dial: +1 669 900 6833
International Numbers: Information Here
Passcode: 104555
Senate Members Spring 2022
Radhika Gawde [rah-dih-kuh gaw-dey]
Senate President Pro Tempore
Email: rkgawde@ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Office Hours: 4-6 pm (Thu) and 5-7pm (Mon)
Meeting Location: Zoom
About the Senate President Pro Tempore
The Senate President Pro Tempore shall serve as the official representative of the ASUCD Senate. The senate must elect the Senate President Pro Tempore from amongst themselves at the first meeting of every quarter by a majority vote of the entire senate. The ASUCD Senate President Pro Tempore shall serve for that quarter and assume all responsibilities enumerated in the ASUCD Constitution and ASUCD Bylaws.
Ambar Mishra [ahm-bahr mEE-shruh]
Email: ambmishra@ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Office Hours: 12-2 pm (Tues), 2-3 pm (Thu), 12-1 pm (Fri)
Meeting Location: Zoom
Gauis Ilupeju [gai-us ill-eh-peh-joo]
Email: gailupeju@ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Office Hours: 2:30-3:00 pm (Mon & Wed)
Meeting Location: Zoom
Dennis Liang [deh-nis LEE-ang]
Email: djliang@ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Office Hours: 12:00-3:00 pm (Wed)
Meeting Location: Zoom
Celeste Palmer [ceh-lest pahl-mer]
Email: ccpalmer@ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Office Hours: 9-11 AM (Tues & Thurs)
Meeting Location: Zoom
Sofia Saraj [Soh-fEE-uh suh-rahj]
Email: shsaraj@ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Office Hours: 3:30-5:30 PM (Tue), 4:00-5:30 PM (Wed)
Meeting Location: Zoom
Kelechi Orji [kay-LAY-chEE AW-jEE]
Email: ktorji@ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Office Hours: 1:00 pm-3:00 pm (Mon & Wed)
Meeting Location: Zoom
Mallika Hari [mal-ih-kah H-ah-ree]
Email: mvhari@ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Office Hours: 1:00-4:00 pm (Mon)
Meeting Location: Zoom
Password: 724253
Harris Razaqi [hair-is ruh-zah-kee]
Email: harazaqi@ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Office Hours: 3:30-6:30PM (Mon), 3:30-5:30PM (Wed)
Meeting Location: Zoom
Owen Krauss [oh-wehn krouss]
Email: owkrauss@ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Office Hours: 1:00-3:00PM (Mon) & 1:00-2:00PM (Wed) or Zoom
Meeting Location: Senate Office (MU 348)
Rashita Chauhan [ruh-shee-tuh chuh-haan]
Email: rchauhan@ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Office Hours: 1:00-3:00 pm (Mon, Fri)
Meeting Location: Zoom
Sergio Bocardo-Aguilar [ser-jee-oh boh-car-doh aa-gee-lar]
Email: sjbocardoaguilar@ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Office Hours: 3:00-5:00 pm (Mon) & 3:00-5:00 pm (Wed)
Meeting Location: Zoom
Instagram:@senator_bocardoaguilar
Senate FAQ
How can I speak during a Senate Meeting?
The agendas for Senate meetings are announced 72 hours in advance and can be found on Government Documents page of the ASUCD Website. The meetings follow Parliamentary Procedures. If you are unfamiliar with these procedures you can follow the guidelines here. To speak at a virtual Senate meeting use the virtual “raise hand” feature during public discussion.
When and where are the Senate meetings held?
Meetings are usually held on Thursdays starting at 6:10pm in the Mee Room on the 3rd floor of the Memorial Union or virtually. No meetings occur during Finals Week unless a special meeting is called.
How can I place an item on the agenda?
If you would like to place an item on the agenda email the ASUCD Vice President at vicepresident@asucd.ucdavis.edu no later than 11:59pm on the Sunday prior to the Thursday Senate meeting.
How can I contact the ASUCD Senate?
If you would like to contact the ASUCD Senate regarding any issue on campus, you may reach out to any ASUCD Senator listed below or send an email to the Senate Listserv at senate@ucdavis.edu.
Commisions
Seven Commissions comprise the subordinate legislative bodies of the ASUCD Senate. The primary duty of a commission is to advise the ASUCD Senate on matters relevant to their individual specialty. Many commissions also plan events and activities that pertain to their field of expertise and benefit the student body in educational or entertaining ways.
Commissions hire new members at the end of Fall and Spring Quarter each year, though vacancies often occur mid-year as well. Each commission has nine voting members and up to four alternate members.
Gabriela Tsudik
Chair of Academic Affairs Commission
Email: aac@asucd.ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Office Hours: Mondays 10-2PM
Meeting Location: Zoom
Mackenzie Field
Chair of Environmental Policy and Planning Commission
Email: ecac@asucd.ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Office Hours: Tuesday 10:30- 12 on Zoom and by appointment via email.
Jared Lopez
Chair of Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission
Email: ecac@asucd.ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 10:30-12pm
Meeting Location: Zoom
Maahum Shahab
Chair of External Affairs Commission
Email: externalaffairs@asucd.ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Office Hours: Tuesdays 6-9PM
Meeting Location: Zoom
Ashley Chan
Chair of Gender and Sexuality Commission
Email: gasc@asucd.ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Office Hours: Mondays 12-4PM
Meeting Location: Zoom
Joseph (JT) Eden
Chair of Internal Affairs Commission
Email: internalaffairs@asucd.ucdavis.edu
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Office Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays 1-2pm & 3-4pm or in-person by appointment
Meeting Location: https://tinyurl.com/jteoffice
Committees
The ASUCD Senate several permanent committees. The primary duty of each committee is to delegate responsibilities of the ASUCD Senate into smaller components in order to efficiently handle administrative roles and tasks. Each committee is administrative and has a scope pertaining to its field of expertise. Most of the committees consist of members of the ASUCD Senate, Commissions chairs, and career staff.