USAC passes vote of no confidence in Napolitano, regents
Conrad Contreras, USAC external vice president, helped draft the no confidence resolution that passed Tuesday night. (Austin Yu/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Jeong Park
Dec. 2, 2014 9:39 p.m.
The undergraduate student government passed a resolution with a 9-4 vote Tuesday expressing no confidence in University of California President Janet Napolitano and the UC Board of Regents.
Undergraduate Students Association Council Internal Vice President Heather Hourdequin, Academic Affairs Commissioner Allyson Bach, Facilities Commissioner Carlos Quintanilla and Financial Support Commissioner Heather Rosen voted against the resolution.
Napolitano and the regents recently approved a proposal to potentially increase tuition by up to 5 percent annually for the next five years, despite protests from students and criticism from state legislators. The resolution calls for the UC to inform the UC Student Association about tuition increases at least 40 days before they are voted on, and would push for the creation of an independent task force that would examine the University’s budget.
External vice presidents from undergraduate student governments at UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC Riverside wrote the resolution together.
Some USAC members said they support the resolution because they think UC leaders have failed to listen to students and take their voices seriously in the decision-making process.
“The severe language is reflective of severe stress students have of the regents right now,” said USAC Student Wellness Commissioner Savannah Badalich.
Other members said they are concerned that the resolution will harm the council’s relationship with Napolitano.
“I’m still not seeing how this is going to affect the tuition hike,” Rosen said. “We should be working with the regents to lobby Gov. Jerry Brown.”
Rosen also said she thinks the resolution’s title does not focus on students’ main concern, which she said is the potential tuition hike.
However, those in support of the resolution said they think the resolution will serve to represent the students.
“We have exhausted every (other) option we have,” said External Vice President Conrad Contreras, who helped draft the resolution.
Following the vote of no confidence, Contreras said he will bring a similar resolution to the UC Student Association Board of Directors for a vote at its meeting in January. Student government officers at UC Berkeley and UC Riverside will vote on the same resolution in coming weeks.
Compiled by Jeong Park, Bruin senior staff, and Zachary Micheli, Bruin contributor.
