Declared referendums will be listed below in random order. Please note if the referendum is for undergraduates, graduates, or the entire campus.

Applies to: Undergraduates Only

Referendum Contact: Chase Call – cccall@uci.edu
View Referendum Ballot Approval (PDF)

ADD WOMEN’S BEACH VOLLEYBALL AND ELEVATE THE UCI CAMPUS EXPERIENCE

Do you approve the creation of a $180.00 per undergraduate student per quarter fee ($540.00 annually), effective fall quarter 2025, increasing by $10.00 each academic year for five years beginning fall quarter 2026 (e.g., $190.00 per quarter in 2026-27, $200.00 per quarter in 2027-28, and so on until the fee level reaches $220.00 per quarter in 2029-30) with annual inflationary increases starting in fall quarter 2030, to increase support for UCI’s NCAA sports program, including support for the addition of NCAA Women’s Beach Volleyball, and enhance UCI’s campus experience for all undergraduates?

To meet the moment, this referendum is proposed to secure the future of NCAA Division I sports at UCI. The organizational changes currently happening in the collegiate sports world demand a response to capitalize on the opportunities never before present to take UCI to the next level. The Meet the Moment Student Fee Referendum does that and allows UCI to be on the same tier of athletics fee support as UC Davis and UC San Diego. By supporting and elevating UCI’s current offering of NCAA teams, the Meet the Moment Student Fee Referendum serves to promote a highly competitive athletics program that represents its campus with excellence in national competition and stellar academic achievement while providing the campus with a unifying rallying point for the entire UCI community. Moreover, the proposed addition of an NCAA Women’s Beach Volleyball team supports UCI’s obligation/commitment to ensure equal athletic opportunities within its NCAA programs.1 If passed, the Meet the Moment Student Fee Referendum will include funding for student-centered special events designed to elevate campus life, such as concerts and spirit rallies. If passed, undergraduate students attending UCI athletics events can expect to receive promotional giveaways each sports season. Failure to pass the referendum would relegate UCI’s intercollegiate athletics program to the lower levels of NCAA competition and may result in UCI having to discontinue multiple sports teams. This would be a blow to UCI’s undergraduates’ chance to enhance the campus experience and impact UCI’s profile nationwide.

• The fee will be assessed to undergraduate students.
• The fee will be assessed during the fall, winter, and spring quarters, starting fall 2025.
• The fees collected will be managed by Intercollegiate Athletics. An audit of the use of these fees will be provided by a professional staff designee of Intercollegiate Athletics upon request.
• The proposed fee level is intended to fund student services as described in this referendum; however, in the event there is a year-end balance, the balance will be carried forward to the next year to be used on expenses within the scope of this fee as outlined in the fee guidelines to be approved by the majority student advisory board for this fee.
• In accordance with University of California policy requiring a minimum return-to-aid of 25% for new or increased campus-based fees, a portion of this fee will be provided for aid. This fee will have 25% of the fee returned to financial aid to help offset the cost of this fee for undergraduate students who are eligible for financial aid.
• Starting fall 2026, the quarterly fee will increase by $10.00 each year for the next five years and level off at $220.00 per undergraduate student per quarter for the 2029-30 academic year, as shown below.
  

  Academic Year	Quarterly Rate
  2025-26	$180.00
  2026-27	$190.00
  2027-28	$200.00
  2028-29	$210.00
  2029-30	$220.00

• Starting fall quarter 2030, the fee will increase annually based on the California Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI will be taken from the California Department of Finance’s calendar year annual average of all urban consumers’ CPI-U. CPI-U is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.
• A majority student advisory board under Intercollegiate Athletics shall oversee the operating budget, reserves, and administration of the fee-funded activities, and will be responsible for writing and distributing an annual report on the activities funded by this fee initiative.
• Intercollegiate Athletics is responsible for providing an annual report to the Chancellor on its programming and operations to ensure the proper and effective use of the fees collected. In addition, this report will be presented to the ASUCI Senate. Upon request, this report shall be available.
• This fee will sunset (expire) on its 30th year (2054-55) unless the undergraduate student body reaffirms this fee. This fee can be reaffirmed as early as the 26th year (2050-51); otherwise, if there is no vote to reaffirm this fee by the end of its 30th year (2054-55), the fee will terminate.
• In order to pass, this referendum will require a 10% eligible total registered undergraduate student body voter turnout rate during the ASUCI 2025 Spring Elections (“voting pool”), of which 60% of those students who voted “yes” or “no” on this referendum must have voted “yes.” If the referendum passes with a voting poll of 10% or more, but less than 20%, this fee will need to be reaffirmed by the end of its third year (2027-28) with a voting pool of 20%. This fee can be reaffirmed as early as the first year (2025-26); otherwise, if there is no vote to reaffirm this fee by the end of its third year (2027-28), the fee will terminate. If this fee passes with a voting pool of 20% or more during the ASUCI 2025 Spring Elections, a reaffirmation vote by the end of its third year (2027-2028) will not be required and the fee will sunset (expire) on its 30th year (2054-55) unless the undergraduate student body reaffirms this fee as early as the 26th year (2050-51).

       Yes, I support a new per quarter fee, as described in this referendum, starting at $180.00 per undergraduate student for the Meet the Moment Student Fee Referendum.
       No, I do not support a new per quarter fee, as described in this referendum, starting at $180.00 per undergraduate student for the Meet the Moment Student Fee Referendum.
       Abstain (I do not wish to vote on this item but register my presence for purposes of establishing the voting pool)

Applies to: Undergraduate Students Only

Referendum Contact: Skylar Paxton – paxtons@uci.edu
View Referendum Ballot Approval (PDF)

Do you approve the creation of a $2.00 per undergraduate student per quarter fee ($6.00 annually) effective fall quarter 2025 and with annual inflationary increases starting in fall quarter 2026 to support the expansion of New University’s resources and bi-weekly print?

The New University (New U) is the student-run official newspaper at UCI. Founded in 1968, the New U has sought to provide coverage of UCI and local news to the UCI community. The paper formerly published its print issue once-a-week during the regular academic year; however, it has transitioned to being a fully digital publication since Fall 2018. Within the New U, a team of 100+ student journalists reports, edits, and publishes weekly articles for 10 sections: News, Features, Opinion, Sports, Arts & Entertainment, Graphics, Social Media, Copy, Photo, and Video.

Since 2024, the New U has committed itself to keeping up with the journalism industry and keeping content up-to-date with the surrounding community. From the reintroduction to our Features section to an all-encompassing rebrand to audio storytelling, the New U has actively provided UCI students and staff with consistent and various weekly content.

The introduction of the bi-weekly printed newspaper will allow UCI students to have a piece of UCI history, acting as a memento that can be tangibly held. Additionally, the proposed bi-weekly newspaper maintains the fundamental legacy of a newspaper — a return to an era of UCI student journalists who utilize print to inform students of the breaking stories of the month. A reasonable amount of sustainability would be upheld since a bi-weekly newspaper would be offset by the appeal from new readers: a distinctive printed campus newspaper, which has been absent since 2018 at UCI. Furthermore, revenue from the student fee will offer valuable resources in preserving the New U student journalism at UCI.

We hope the undergraduate student body will invest in the New U’s operating costs and bi-weekly print. Currently, all members of the New U staff devote 10+ hours a week to their duties. The student fees raised from this referendum will be used to support the life of student journalism and the articles, podcasts, photos, and videos created. A student fee raised by undergraduate students is an investment in student journalism and a staff dedicated to supporting its readers. Investing in a well- equipped printed publication and a dedicated newspaper team fosters a sense of community on campus; the New U is dedicated to ethical and meaningful involvement with the audience it serves.

If the referendum does not pass, the following would have to be considered until more permanent funds can be established: a pause in re-introducing bi-weekly print issues, insufficient resources for student journalism, and a lack of news coverage serving the larger UCI community.

• The fee will be assessed to all undergraduate students.
• The fee will be assessed during the fall, winter, and spring quarters, starting fall 2025.
• An audit of the use of these fees will be provided by a professional staff designee of the New University via Student Government Student Media upon request.
• The proposed fee level is intended to fund student services as described in this referendum; however, in the event there is a year-end balance, the balance will be carried forward to the next year to be used on expenses within the scope of this fee as determined by the majority student advisory board for this fee, the student editorial board under the New University and Student Media advisor(s), which the managing group will be comprised of at least a student majority.
• In accordance with University of California policy requiring a minimum return-to-aid of 25% for new or increased campus-based fees, a portion of this fee will be provided for aid. This fee will have 33% of the fee returned to financial aid to help offset the cost of this fee for undergraduate students who are eligible for financial aid.
• Starting fall 2026, the fee will increase annually based on the California Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI will be taken from the California Department of Finance’s calendar year annual average of all urban consumers’ CPI-U. CPI-U is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.
• The New University is responsible for providing an annual report to the Chancellor on its programming and operations to ensure the proper and effective use of the fees collected. In addition, this report will be presented to the ASUCI Senate. Upon request, this report shall be available.
• The student editorial board under New University along with the Student Media advisor(s) shall oversee the operating budget, reserves, equipment, and administration of the fee-funded activities, and will be responsible for writing and distributing an annual report on the activities funded by this fee initiative.
• This fee will sunset (expire) on its 30th year (2054-55) unless the undergraduate student body reaffirms this fee. This fee can be reaffirmed as early as the 26th year (2050-51); otherwise, if there is no vote to reaffirm this fee by the end of its 30th year (2054-55), the fee will terminate.
• In order to pass, this referendum will require a 10% eligible total registered undergraduate student body voter turnout rate during the ASUCI 2025 Spring Elections (“voting pool”), of which 60% of those students who voted “yes” or “no” on this referendum must have voted “yes.” If the referendum passes with a voting poll of 10% or more, but less than 20%, this fee will need to be reaffirmed by the end of its third year (2027-28) with a voting pool of 20%. This fee can be reaffirmed as early as the first year (2025-26); otherwise, if there is no vote to reaffirm this fee by the end of its third year (2027-28), the fee will terminate. If this fee passes with a voting pool of 20% or more during the ASUCI 2025 Spring Elections, a reaffirmation vote by the end of its third year (2027-2028) will not be required and the fee will sunset (expire) on its 30th year (2054-55) unless the undergraduate student body reaffirms this fee as early as the 26th year (2050-51).

   Yes, I support a new per quarter fee, as described in this referendum, starting at $2.00 per undergraduate student for the New University’s: Support Student Journalism Student Fee Referendum.

   No, I do not support a new per quarter fee, as described in this referendum, starting at $2.00 per undergraduate student for the New University’s: Support Student Journalism Student Fee Referendum.

   Abstain (I do not wish to vote on this item but register my presence for purposes of establishing
the voting pool)

Applies to: Graduate Students Only

Referendum Contact: Amelia Roskin-Frazee – aroskinf@uci.edu
View Referendum Ballot Approval (PDF)

Do you approve the creation of a $7.00 per graduate student per quarter fee ($21.00 annually), effective fall quarter 2025 and with annual inflationary increases starting in fall 2026 to support The Basic Needs Center services for graduate students?

The Basic Needs Center at UC Irvine provides emergency support for UC Irvine students, including running the campus food pantry, providing emergency housing, and giving students direct financial support for necessities. The Basic Needs Center served 1,461 graduate students in 2023-24.

Given the increased demand for resources and cost of living, The Basic Needs Center needs more sufficient and consistent funding to provide support to graduate students. This fee referendum, which closely mirrors a student fee the undergraduates already pay The Basic Needs Center, will allow The Basic Needs Center to expand services to graduate students, including (but not limited to): increasing Emergency Crisis Response Grants, obtaining another unit of emergency housing in Graduate and Family Housing, expanding the mobile food pantry, and distributing more grocery and gas cards.

If this referendum does not pass, emergency housing units for graduate students may continue to have waitlists, the mobile food pantry frequency in Graduate and Family Housing will continue to be reduced, and more graduate students who apply for emergency financial support will have to be turned away.

• The fee will be assessed to all graduate academic and professional degree students, not including students in self-supporting graduate professional degree programs.
• The fee will be assessed during the fall, winter, and spring quarters, starting fall
• The fees collected will be managed by The Basic Needs An audit of the use of these fees will be provided by a professional staff designee of The Basic Needs Center upon request.
• The proposed fee level is intended to fund student services as described in this referendum; however, in the event there is a year-end balance, the balance will be carried forward to the next year to be used on expenses within the scope of this fee as determined by The Basic Needs
• In accordance with University of California policy requiring a minimum return-to-aid of 25% for new or increased campus-based fees, a portion of this fee will be provided for aid. This fee will have 33% of the fee returned to financial aid to help offset the cost of this fee for graduate students who are eligible for financial aid.
• Starting fall 2026, the fee will increase annually based on the California Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI will be taken from the California Department of Finance’s calendar year annual average of all urban consumers CPI-U. CPI-U is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.
• The Basic Needs Center is responsible for providing an annual report to the Chancellor on its programming and operations to ensure the proper and effective use of the fees In

addition, the report will be presented to the AGS Council. Upon request, this report shall be available.

• This fee will sunset (expire) on its 30th year (2054-55) unless the graduate student body reaffirms this fee. This fee can be reaffirmed as early as the 26th year (2050-51); otherwise, if there is no vote to reaffirm this fee by the end of its 30th year (2054-55), the fee will
• In order to pass, this referendum will require a 5% eligible total registered graduate student body voter turnout rate during the AGS 2025 Spring Elections, of which 60% of those students who voted “yes” or “no” on this referendum must have voted “yes.”

            Yes, I support a new per quarter fee, as described in this referendum, starting at $7.00 per graduate student for the Graduate Student Basic Needs Student Fee Referendum.

            No, I do not support a new per quarter fee, as described in this referendum, starting at $7.00 per graduate student for the Graduate Student Basic Needs Student Fee Referendum.

            Abstain (I do not wish to vote on this item)