Initiatives/Referendums

The R’Garden Food Security & Sustainability Referendum

Proposed Amount (per quarter): $10 per student/ net revenue $240,340 (Fall/Winter/Spring Quarters) 

Return to Aid (25% of Proposed Amount): $60,085

Net Program Allocation (75% of Proposed Amount): $180,225

With the help of this referendum, the R’Garden will continue to produce and provide for UCR students at a much larger capacity, with the express intent of combating food insecurity and educating students on food systems, and expand co-curricular programming and student engagement opportunities that benefit the entire campus community. New funds will be used to hire much-needed staff and student interns, who would serve as essential liaisons between the R’Garden and the campus. Staff members would focus on bolstering long-term campus goals in outreach, volunteerism, food, and education. Through regular workshops, skill-building sessions, and hands-on learning experiences, students will gain practical knowledge in leadership, sustainability, food systems, health equity, and environmental responsibility. Programming will not be limited to the garden space; student interns will actively lead outreach, collaborate with academic departments and student organizations, and bring events directly to different campus spaces to ensure broad access. With faculty oversight and a structured leadership model, these educational opportunities will continue year after year, providing consistent, visible, and meaningful learning experiences for all students.

All students can benefit from hands-on learning where students can:
•    Participate in workshops on sustainability and food systems
•    Engage in experiential learning outside the classroom
•    Connect university to real-world practice
•    Explore topics related to health equity and environmental justice
•    Continued collaboration with departments such as CNAS, SEHE, Arts Department, Public Policy, Entomology, and Environmental Science
•    Experiential learning opportunities outside formal instruction
•    Availability to students for independent study projects.

We are asking undergraduate students to pay a $10 quarterly fee starting Fall 2026 to
help the R’Garden continue and expand operations after our allotted Basic Needs budget ends by the end of the 2024 fiscal year and temporary funding from CNAS and
the Provost ends. New Services to be Provided with Additional Funding
-    Expand production to increase the availability and accessibility of produce for the campus.
-    Create and host more workshops to help engage students on campus with sustainable food systems.
-    With the help of the Faculty Director, the R’Garden will create new encompassing sustainable food systems using the R’Garden as a student engagement platform.
-    The Student Life Development Specialist will maintain a direct line of communication between R’Garden and the campus, allowing for more seamless coordination with hosting events, tabling, and managing interns.

The approval of this referendum would provide:
-    Student access to an experiential learning space for growing fresh produce, using sustainable methods.
-    Access to robust and professional internship and student staff experiences around topics of sustainable agriculture, food security, policy, health, and agricultural technology.
-    A living, learning laboratory to nurture student projects and programs.
-    Greater campus engagement with composting, reducing campus waste generation, and GHG emissions. - Access to open, natural spaces to support mental health.
-    Support for Garden Operations, including but not limited to: - Purchase of new tools and the maintenance of equipment.
-    Seeds, fertilizer, compost, and soil amendments. - Fuel, rodent control, fencing, etc.
-    Long-term projects, such as a permanent restroom and office.

Support for Co-Curricular Programming, including but not limited to:
-    Hands-on composting workshops and community outreach.
-    Annual events such as the Fall Harvest Festival and Spring Dig ‘n’ Dance.
-    Venue rentals, performance agreements, porta-potties, etc.

3 Full-time staff members' salaries whose sole focus is the R’Garden but Fee funds will
not support instructional faculty or academic teaching functions. Positions are limited to student services, programming, and operational support:
-    Full-time Senior Ag. Technician position that serves as the manager, managing the budget and R’Garden operations.
-    Full-time Student Life Development Specialist that maintain a direct line of communication between R’Garden and the campus, allowing for more seamless coordination with hosting events, tabling, and managing interns.
-    Full-time Ag. Technician that maintains field operations at the R’Garden and assists the Sr. Ag. Technician.
-    10 Part-time student internship positions will be responsible for operations at the R’Garden. Student interns will also be responsible for facilitating workshops in coordination with the Student Life Development Specialist. They will assist with starting and maintaining compost piles for green and field food waste, harvesting and processing crops, ensuring food safety, and other compliance. Weeding and removal of invasive plants in the row crops, hedge row, and fruit trees, table for marketing and resource exposure to UCR students, staff, and faculty, and collaborate with professors, campus departments, and student organizations for marketing and programming related to environmentalism and sustainability. Help run social media and the website. Also, help develop student-informed educational content. All of these resources would be maintained on a Google Drive to ensure that student contributions are recorded and preserved as institutional knowledge for future use.

Ballot Question:
Do you approve the R Garden Referendum undergraduate/graduate student fee from
$0 to $10 per quarter, not including summer sessions, effective Fall 2026? 
The fee will be subject to a CPI adjustment starting in Fall 2026. Such CPI-based increase may not be recommended more frequently than once every 3 Years from the date of the previously approved fee increase. This fee will establish the R’Garden as a reliable student-supported resource that strengthens food security, expands paid student employment, and builds long-term educational infrastructure at UC Riverside. Creating a stable funding source, it ensures consistent access to free, campus-grown produce while deepening partnerships with Basic Needs and increasing outreach to students facing food insecurity. The referendum supports paid internships and leadership pathways that provide hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture, food systems, public health, and environmental justice, while integrating the garden into student opportunities across disciplines. It also sustains and expands student-centered programming and signature events such as hands-on sustainability workshops, composting trainings, the Fall Harvest Festival, Spring Dig ‘n’ Dance, and campus outreach activities that foster community, belonging, and environmental awareness. With dedicated professional staff to ensure continuity, accountability, and long-term growth, this initiative transforms the R’Garden into a scalable, campus-wide hub for food access, experiential learning, and community engagement, reinforcing UCR’s agricultural roots while building a more food-secure, connected, and sustainable campus for generations of students.
- Yes, I support an increase in the fee to $10 per quarter, excluding summer sessions.
- No, I do not support an increase in the fee to $10 per quarter, excluding summer sessions.
- Abstain - I do not wish to vote on this item.
 
Full Proposal can be found here. 

Highlander Abroad Referendum (HAR) Fee

Proposed Fee Action: Increase of $1 and Reaffirmation of Highlander Abroad Referendum (HAR) for five years 

The Highlander Abroad Referendum (HAR) proposes establishing an Education Abroad Office fee for five years, beginning in Fall 2026 (the previous HAR fee was in effect between 2019 and 2025, but in Spring 2025, the ASUCR election did not meet quorum requirements, and the fee was not approved). The proposed $3.00 per undergraduate student, per-quarter fee will be assessed during the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer terms, and will begin in the Fall Quarter 2026. In compliance with University of California policy, 25% of the fee ($0.75 per quarter) will be returned to students as undergraduate financial aid. The remaining $2.25 will directly support the UCR Education Abroad Office in expanding global learning opportunities for students. The purpose of the HAR fee is to enhance student access to high-impact educational experiences, both abroad and domestically, by funding student employment, travel grants, programming, outreach, and technical systems that streamline participation in study abroad programs. The fee will affect all undergraduate students and, if approved, will be subject to reaffirmation every five years. The student-led Highlander Abroad Advisory Committee (HAAC) governs, approves, and allocates funds.
 

BENEFITS of the fee include: 
- Developing a student workforce by hiring student workers, volunteers, and peer mentors. 
- Facilitating student travel grants. 
- Funding education abroad events such as the Worldfest Education Abroad Fair, Internships Abroad Fair, and the Passport Fair. 
- Supporting staff to assist with travel resources like airfare and accommodations.

IMPLICATIONS of the fee include: 
- Reduced hiring of student assistants. 
- No student travel grants provided. 
- Limited funding for fewer education abroad events. 
- Reduced support of staff assisting with travel resources.

Ballot Question: 
Do you approve the Highlander Abroad Referendum Fee, setting an undergraduate student fee of $3 per quarter, including summer, effective Fall 2026?
The fee will be subject to a CPI adjustment starting in Fall 2029. Such CPI-based increase may not be recommended more frequently than once every three years from the date of the previously approved fee increase. After five years, this fee will need to be renewed by student vote. The fee will provide for: - Developing the UCR workforce by hiring student workers, volunteers, and peer mentors. - Academic engagement through high-quality, impactful education abroad programs. - Culturally relevant domestic programs for students who prefer learning within the U.S. - Facilitating student travel grants. - Funding events such as the Worldfest Education Abroad Fair and Passport Fair. - Supporting staff to assist with travel resources like airfare and
accommodations. 
- Yes, I support establishing the Highlander Abroad Referendum Fee at $3 per quarter, including summer sessions, for the next five years. 
- No, I do not support the establishment of the Highlander Abroad Referendum Fee at $3 per quarter, including summer sessions, for the next five years. 
- Abstain - I do not wish to vote on this item.

Full Proposal can be found here.