USAC to help implement Student Departmental Senate

USAC to help implement Student Departmental Senate

By Michelle Bonner

On Tuesday, Jan. 24, the Undergraduate Students Association
Council unanimously passed a resolution in support of the Student
Departmental Senate. The following conveys the intent of the
resolution and why USAC has deemed it one of its top
priorities.

The Undergraduate Students Association Council is the official
representative body of UCLA’s undergraduate population and it is
committed to advocacy in UCLA academic policy and curriculum. In
order to maximize and legitimize student participation in
university governance, the undergraduate council has recognized the
need for an institutionalized link between the students at large,
the Academic Senate and academic departments.

Academic changes and decisions at the departmental level can
benefit from the input and contributions from the largest
constituency affected by these changes, the students, by means of
an organized senate system.

The undergraduate council calls attention to the fact that
hundreds of primary and secondary classes have been cut since
spring quarter 1993 without sufficient student input. More than 500
have been cut since spring quarter 1994.

There are continual university-wide efforts to re-examine the
academic curriculum and student representatives do not have a
mechanism for feedback to or from the departmental level. In this
era of budget reductions, restructuring plans, curricular reform
and other critical academic issues, the need for effective student
representation in the Academic Senate has never been greater.

This reflects that an increased awareness of the Academic Senate
can produce heightened awareness to all students regarding academic
issues. We need programming to promote interaction between students
and faculty such as "Meet the Faculty Night" and course review
forums to enhance the quality of undergraduate education specific
to each department.

The Student Departmental Senate is a mechanism by which students
will have a pro-active voice in their departments, advocating upon
relevant issues and creating academic programming to enhance their
education. USAC promotes the senate as a representative and
advisory body to provide concentration and continuity regarding
academic issues.

The Student Departmental Senate will be allocated funds through
the Academic Affairs Commission’s portion of the Academic Success
Referendum funds, along with other funding sources.

USAC advocates for the institutionalization of the senate,
asking for official acknowledgement from individual academic
departments/academic units and their full cooperation in
formalizing the recruitment and retention of student participation
in academic issues.

Therefore, be it resolved that the Student Departmental Senate
shall be a priority for USAC to implement and support.

Sponsored by:

USAC Academic Affairs Commissioner Alice Bae

USAC Finance Committee Chair Matthew Bianco

USAC General Representative Michelle Bonner

USAC Financial Supports Commissioner Todd Sargent

Bonner is a USAC general representative.