UCSB A.S.
Lobby Corps
Lobby Corps turns student advocacy into action, training members to lobby legislators in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., and giving them a real seat at the table on the issues that affect their education.
We strive to represent student interests in political institutions by fighting for student rights, people-powered democracy, and affordable, accessible, and quality higher education for all.
Our Mission
Lobby Corps mirrors the unique, diverse, and forward-thinking spirit of the UCSB community, advocating for student needs wherever they arise — from the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C., to the streets of Isla Vista. We partner with student organizations across campus to educate, train, and empower student leaders who can advocate for issues affecting all students, with particular attention to those facing the greatest barriers within underrepresented communities.
Any Associated Students or Office of Student Life group interested in building these skills is welcome to participate in a Lobby Corps training workshop, designed to help student organizations advocate more effectively for the interests of their own communities.
As an ASUCSB unit, Lobby Corps researches and analyzes pending local, state, and federal legislation, programs, and policies that affect students. Our goal is to influence legislators and decision-makers to shape public policy around the needs and priorities of our diverse student body, while giving students themselves the chance to gain real, hands-on political, legislative, and organizing experience along the way.
- UCSA is the systemwide student body. Every UC campus has an EVPSA office — meaning every campus has an External Vice President for Statewide Affairs, a Legislative Director, and an Organizing Director. Together, these campus EVPSA offices make up the board of directors of UCSA, which represents all undergraduates across the UC system. UCSA’s mission is to advocate on behalf of current and future students for the accessibility, affordability, and quality of the University of California.
- UCSA advocates within the university by pressuring the UC Regents and UC President, and by partnering with UC workers and unions.
- UCSA advocates outside the university by actively pushing legislation in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. that benefits current students, prospective students, and UC alumni.
- UCSA runs systemwide campaigns on basic needs, diversity, voting rights, disability access, and other priority issues.
- UCSA hosts system-wide events like the Student Organizing Summit, the Students of Color Conference, and the Student Lobby Conference.
- EVPSA is each campus’s local seat at that table. At UCSB, EVPSA is responsible for representing, advocating for, and mobilizing students around statewide and national issues — keeping students informed on developments that affect them, and organizing them around campaigns that improve their daily lives and academic experience.
- Lobby Corps is EVPSA’s advocacy arm on the ground. Lobby Corps functions as an extension of the EVPSA office’s Legislative Division, a dedicated advocacy unit within Associated Students whose job is to bridge UCSA’s systemwide work to individual students. Where EVPSA sets the statewide/national agenda, Lobby Corps mobilizes students to actually act on it, organizing and training them to advocate at the local, state, and federal levels alike.
The Local Affairs Chair serves as a liaison between Lobby Corps and the External Vice President for Local Affairs (EVPLA). EVPLA acts as a group of liaisons and official UCSB Associated Students’ representatives to Isla Vista governmental agencies and the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. In addition, the office serves as the intermediate between the County and community members. A large part of the efforts of the office assists in creating alternative activities, cosponsoring groups, and communicating with the Isla Vista Community.
GET INVOLVED
Are you interesred in student advocacy, shaping public policy, and or just learning about legislation? Join us as we continue fighting for accessible, affordable, and quality education for UC students. Whether you’re a policy enthusiast, a future legislator, or someone eager to make your voice heard in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., there’s a place for you in Lobby Corps!
To contact the Chairs: as-lobby-chairs@ucsb.edu
General email: as-lobbycorps@ucsb.edu
Every other Thursday in the ILP 4205,
from 6:30pm-7:30pm