USAC recap – August 14

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

Special Presentations:

• Election board chair Kyana Shajari presented revised election codes as well as the election calendar for the 2019 fall special election. The full schedule is included below.

Agenda:

• The council allocated a total of $735 from the Contingency Programming Fund to USAC entities.
• The council allocated a total of $750 from the Student Wellness Programming Fund to the office of the president for summer advertising of the council’s offices during summer orientation.
• The council approved the election codes and calendar for the fall special election after some discussion. Changes to the codes include a decrease in maximum spending from $600 to $450, as well as requiring 100 signatures, instead of the previous 75, to declare candidacy.
• The election calendar was approved as follows:
  • Sept. 23: All materials for candidacy, such as campaign packets, will be made available with an Oct. 4 due date.
  • Oct. 7: Candidate orientation, where candidates officially draw positions for signboards, will take place at 6 p.m. The final withdrawal deadline will be 9 p.m. the same day.
  • Oct. 8: The ballot will be presented to the council during a USAC meeting at 7 p.m.
  • Oct. 14: Online campaigning can begin at 9 a.m.
  • Oct. 21: Physical signs and billboards can go up at 12 a.m.
  • Oct. 23: On-campus campaigning can begin. Flyering will be permissible from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A combined endorsements hearing, debate, and meet-the-candidates event will take place from 6 8 p.m.
  • Oct. 28: Voting begins on MyUCLA at 7 a.m.
  • Oct. 30: Leafleting ends at 4 p.m. Voting ends at 5 p.m. the same day.
  • Oct. 31: Results are announced.
• The council amended the Travel Grant Mini Fund guidelines. The grant helps fund academic-specific travel and accommodation expenses for undergraduates and student groups.
• The council discussed Academic Affairs Commissioner Naomi Riley’s proposal to stipend Academic Senate positions. The AAC is responsible for appointing all of the undergraduate representatives to the Senate, which has jurisdiction over enrollment and major requirements.

Reports:

• President Robert Watson said his office is in communication with other University of California student government presidents and the USAC external vice president in regard to a regent recently appointed to the UC Board of Regents by California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Watson said the appointment was concerning because it was allegedly made without consulting the regent advisory board.
• He added that the Basic Needs Committee, a service that provides the UCLA community with basic essentials, is about to get a multimillion-dollar budget increase and said his office seeks to work with the committee to increase its transparency.
• Campus Events Commissioner Tara Steinmetz said her office is still working on Bruin Bash, which will be held on Sept. 23 at Pauley Pavilion.