Sleep pods deemed not financially feasible

The Associated Students UCLA Finance Committee did not vote on a proposal to install sleep pods in Ackerman Union at its Friday meeting, claiming that the current plan was not financially feasible.

The pod proposal was passed by ASUCLA’s Services Committee last month after it was suggested by Adam Swart, an undergraduate representative on the ASUCLA Board of Directors.

If approved by the board, sealed, cylindrical nap spaces would replace the lounge and pool table on the third floor of Ackerman Union. The roughly 7-by-4-foot pods would cost between $30,000 and $45,000 to purchase and install, said Swart, a fifth-year political science student.

Only students with valid BruinCards would be allowed to sleep or study in the pods, Swart said. In addition to the cost of purchase and installation, the “nap room” would probably need an attendant, which would cost ASUCLA about $15 an hour, to insure that the pods were used properly and that people’s belongings aren’t stolen, he added.

At Friday’s meeting, the Finance Committee called for the Services Committee to reconsider and redraft the proposal for the sleep pods.

Bob Williams, executive director of ASUCLA, said he was interested in a proposal for a sleep space that did not require an attendant or extensive janitorial maintenance.

Roy Champawat, director of the UCLA Student Union, added that a different type of sleep unit, such as a reclining chair model, might better suit student needs.

The committee examined images of several types of alternative sleeping units during the meeting.

David Zeke, a graduate representative on the ASUCLA Board of Directors, said he will bring the Finance Committee’s concerns to the board’s Dec. 6 meeting. 

Compiled by John Peter Cavender, Bruin contributor.