USAC recap — May 26

The Undergraduate Students Association Council is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings take place every week on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in Kerckhoff 417 and are open to all students. Watch a live stream of the meeting on the USAC Live! YouTube channel.

Agenda

• Carly Calbreath, an undergraduate representative on the Associated Students UCLA Board of Directors, gave a presentation detailing ASUCLA’s structure. Calbreath mentioned USAC is responsible for appointing four undergraduate student representatives to the ASUCLA board and should choose qualified candidates.
• Robert Michaels, former USAC councilmember and sophomore class president in 1965, commended this year’s recipients of the John H. Sarvey & Robert S. Michaels Leadership in Service Award and told councilmembers to give back to the community.
• Rachel Feldman, a Student Wellness Commission representative and All of Us campaign manager, said half of college students will experience overwhelming stress but only 20 percent of those students will seek help from the UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services. Feldman talked about events organized by Active Minds, a Student Wellness Commission committee, that encouraged students to seek help from trained professionals.
• The council unanimously approved an allocation of $1,020 from the Contingency Programing Fund.
• The council voted 12-0-1 to approve an allocation of $510 from the Capital Contingency Fund.
• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Amy Shao allocated $3,000 under the Arts Restoring Community Referendum Fund and exceed the $100,000 cap. However, Shao said there is $31,800 leftover from student groups that didn’t use all their allocations.
• The council unanimously approved the Office Space Allocation Committee allocations. All student groups who currently hold offices in Kerchkoff, except for three student groups who failed to turn in their applications, will hold office spaces for the next two years.

Office Reports

• President Heather Rosen said the first UCLA task force for food security met on Thursday and are going to decide how to allocate the $75,000 they received from the University of California Office of the President. Rosen said she hopes councilmembers can work closely with Student Organizations, Leadership and Engagement advisors to co-host programs with student and cultural organizations. Rosen added she met with Associate Vice Chancellor of Campus Life Mike Deluca to discuss ways to improve campus climate.
• Internal Vice President Heather Hourdequin said that the Appointments Review Committee will meet on Wednesday. The committee is seeking suggestions about the qualities councilmembers are looking for in future appointees for the ASUCLA Board of Directors. Hourdequin added she spoke with Nancy Schwartzman, CEO of the smartphone application Circle of 6, to discuss ways they can encourage students to use the application on campus.
• External Vice President Zach Helder said he will be in Sacramento next week to lobby with politicians before the California state budget is finalized on June 15. Helder said the UC is asking for an additional $50 million to expand enrollment and freeze non-resident tuition for the next two years, though the UC Board of Regents already endorsed the state budget. Helder added he talked to an education staffer in Gov. Jerry Brown’s office and wants to increase communication between student and government leaders.
• Academic Affairs Commissioner Trent Kajikawa said there will be an Academic Senate Executive Board meeting on Thursday. Kajikawa said that the Undergraduate Student Initiated Education Committee selected the undergraduates who will teach their own class next fall quarter under the USIE program.

  Complied by Nicholas Yu, Bruin contributor.