USAC recap – Oct. 15

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.

Special Presentation:

• Kyana Shajari, the USAC Election Board chair, said online campaigning for the fall special election has started. She also said the election board is hosting office hours week three. Office hours with election board vice chair, Shant Anmahouni, will be Thursday from noon to 3:30 p.m., according to the election board’s Facebook page.

Public Comment:

• A student services fee advisory member said she was concerned that her committee had been granted a budget of $1.5 million, compared to $6 million in 2017.
• A campus event organizer brought fliers for “Lattes & Legislation,” at which the public can have a conversation with Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who represents Assembly District 54, which includes Westwood. The event will be hosted Nov. 10 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• A California Public Interest Research Group representative said CALPIRG had a kickoff meeting week two, which 103 students attended.

Agenda:

• The council allocated a total of $6,777 from contingency funds to USAC and non-USAC groups.
• The council allocated a total of $127.19 from Student Wellness Commission programming to the student group Bruins Fighting Pediatric Cancer.
• The council allocated a total of $3,945.85 from Financial Supports Commission programming to USAC and non-USAC groups.
• The council allocated $246.60 to the Academic Affairs Commission travel mini-grant.
• The council appointed 14 students to several committees on the Academic Senate: Yatin Kumar and Judy Chon to the Committee on Academic Freedom; Diana Vallejo Ramirez to the Committee on Continuing and Community Education; Zeyna Faucette and Jonathon Tsou to the Committee on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Janet Urías to the Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics; Gabriella Hernandez and Maxine Dimantla to the Committee on Legislative Assembly; Amanda Gracian to Planning and Budget; Kate McInerny, Asha Alexander and Brian Zamora to the undergraduate council; Heidy Melchor to the Committee on Faculty Welfare; and Deena Lang to the Committee on Instruction and Technology.
• The council appointed Hailey Valles and Araceli Lozano to the UCLA College Faculty Executive Committee.
• The council appointed Nick Thiel and Louis Susunaga to the Student Conduct Committee.
• The council appointed Rishika Voruganti to the Community Service Mini Fund.

Reports:

• USAC President Robert Blake Watson said he has a meeting with Chancellor Gene Block scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m.
• Facilities Commissioner Lily Shaw said her office would be hosting Bruin Bazaar on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. She added her office would be participating in a sustainability fair Wednesday on the Hill, which would also include a Bruin Bazaar. She also added her program conducted a survey which found that 200 students were interested in reusable containers on the Hill.
• Campus Events Commissioner Tara Steinmetz said her office is holding an event with actress Rachel Bloom and writer Laurie Mintz called “Becoming Cliterate” on Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Northwest Campus Auditorium.
• Transfer Student Representative Isabel Carmen Oraha said her office is putting together a magazine about the way students deal with mental health. Student submissions will be due by the end of week five. Oraha also said the Special Olympics at UCLA inclusive dodgeball tournament will be Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon in the Student Activities Center.
• Academic Affairs Commissioner Naomi Riley said her office’s textbook and access control scholarships have been distributed.