USAC recap – April 2

The Undergraduate Students Association Council is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings take place every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Bruin Viewpoint Room and are open to all students. Watch a livestream of the meetings on the USAC Live! channel on YouTube.

Public Comment:

• A California Public Interest Research Group representative said CALPIRG held a canvassing event to promote banning polystyrene and single-use plastics.

Special Presentations:

• UCPD Lt. Kevin Kilgore asked students not to take part in an impromptu block party on Roebling Avenue on April 3.

• Sunney Poyner, a law student, said UCLA should participate in the Association of American Universities’ Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct and urged the UCLA administration to support research into sexual violence on campus. Poyner added this research will inform policy decisions regarding resources for survivors of sexual violence.

• Atreyi Mitra, a second-year human biology and society student, and Jasmine Hanna, a third-year sociology student, said increased funding for Campus Assault Resources and Education would allow for expansion of survivor support programs and sexual violence prevention workshops. They added CARE is understaffed, with only two certified sexual violence counselors (CARE advocates) for roughly 900 clients.

Agenda:

• The council allocated a total of $34,507 from the contingency programming fund to USAC and non-USAC groups.

• The council approved a resolution urging the UCLA administration to provide resources, funding and support to the black community on campus, including the establishment of a black resource center and relocation of the Afrikan Diaspora Living Learning Community in Rieber Hall.

• The council approved a resolution urging UCLA to include the price of textbooks, access codes and lab materials in course descriptions.

• The council approved a resolution urging administrators to increase funding for CARE, which provides support and confidential care for survivors of sexual violence and harassment.

Reports:

• Internal Vice President Robert Blake Watson said his office will hold the Enormous Activities Fair on Tuesday at 11 a.m.. The fair is expected to include 300 campus organizations, Watson said. He added his office has launched the Reachableness, which connects student organizations to funding resources.

• External Vice President Jamie Kennerk said her office is collaborating with the Queer Alliance to send a letter to Chancellor Gene Block requesting better gender recognition on campus by updating class rosters with students’ preferred pronouns.

• Academic Affairs Commissioner Nidirah Stephens said her office is holding an African student education conference this weekend. She added her office is sponsoring a UC-wide proposal to decrease the role of the SAT in college admissions, and hopes to garner support from both students and faculty.

• Campus Events Commissioner Alley Madison said her office will screen the film “Someone Great” on April 18 and host a Q&A session with director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and producer Jessie Henderson. Madison added her office will screen the film “Freedom Summer” on April 23.

• Financial Supports Commissioner Jay Manzano said 44 students will receive $250 JCPenney gift cards from his office’s Attire for Hire initiative. Students will also be bussed to JCPenney on April 28, where they will receive additional discounts on professional clothing.