Legislative Action Days 2019
The United Government of Graduate Students is a legacy member of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS). NAGPS is a student-run national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of graduate & professional students across the United States. Founded by student leaders in 1987, NAGPS is the only national organization that represents the interests of graduate & professional students in public and private universities at local, state, regional and national levels.
Every year, NAGPS hosts Legislative Action Days (LAD) in Washington D.C. At this event, graduate and professional students from across the country travel to D.C. to meet with the NAGPS board and get updates on the legislative priorities identified by the NAGPS annual meeting platform. After meeting with the NAGPS board students meet with members of Congress to share graduate student stories and advocate for legislative priorities.
This last October, UGGS President Sarah Fahmy and UGGS Director of Legislative Affairs Matt Vondrasek attended LAD. Sarah and Matt were able to meet with Congressional staff from Senator Michael Bennet’s Office, Representative Jason Crow’s Office (CO 6th) and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO 1st). Matt and Sarah discussed various items with the Congressional Staff including the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, the Scientific Integrity Act, the STEM Opportunities Act, the Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act, the College Transparency Act, the Expanding Access to Graduate Education Act, the College Student Hunger Act, and the Expanding on Campus Childcare to Help Student Parents Succeed Act.