Student Government unveils goals

Thursday, November 6, 1997

Student Government unveils goals

STUDENTS: Issues to be addressed include child care, outreach,
services

By Stefanie Wong

Daily Bruin Staff

It’s the sixth week of school — do you know what your
undergraduate student government is doing?

So far this year, the council (USAC) has provided for the
students a Welcome Week, self-defense classes and a number of other
programs.

But this is not the end of their plans. During Tuesday’s student
council meeting, USAC revealed a list of goals they hope to
accomplish by the end of the school year.

The list of goals was divided into three areas: campus outreach,
direct services and issues and campaigns.

Campus outreach includes reaching out to more students, ensuring
diversity in programs and co-programming with other organizations
on campus.

In order to address more students, USAC plans to hold a few of
their weekly meetings in the residence halls.

One has already taken place earlier this quarter in Dykstra Hall
— unfortunately, the student turnout for the event was less than
five.

"We were thinking of maybe changing the format of the meetings
so that we would take care of business, but also leave time for
interaction," said Internal Vice President Carol Lee.

"We’re going to change the formate to encourage more students to
attend," she added.

Co-programming is another way USAC hopes to address more
students.

By working with other groups, USAC members believe that more
students will participate, since the membership and constituents of
the organizations will be involved.

This fall’s Welcome Week was the first co-programming event USAC
had, working with various student advocacy groups, student
organizations and the On-Campus Housing Council.

Future co-programming events of the year include Worldfest,
which will be organized by the Cultural Affairs Commission and the
Campus Interaction Forum, a conference to allow USAC to work with
the Student Alumni Association and other student groups.

In the area of direct services, many of USAC’s goals are
continuations of last year’s programs.

"A lot of the direct services we just wanted to extend because
an expansion of them would be good. A lot of students have already
been using them," Lee said.

The Booklending Program was successfully initiated last fall
under John Du’s presidency and the directorship of Amy Dong, who
continues to run the program this year.

General Representative Joanna Ley is continuing the work of her
predecessor Dora Cervantes, who expanded women’s self defense
courses and child care facilities to student parents last year.

Last spring, USAC and the students’ association (ASUCLA) began
negotiations for the Food Discount Program which was implemented at
the beginning of this quarter.

The Food Discount Program gives student discounts after
purchasing food at the 12 ASUCLA food venues.

This program, designed to save students $14 off food purchases,
expires on Nov. 14.

The final area of issues and campaigns encompasses many ideas
from last year.

"Some of them are being continued because they’re long term
projects," Lee said.

Subjects such as the diversity requirement, domestic partnership
and curricular reform were carried over from last year’s
agenda.

Some of the issues and campaigns of USAC t his year also
coincide with the University of California Student Association
(UCSA) agenda of advocacy issues.

Topics such as fees and financial aid, and hate crimes are
issues that both UCSA and USAC will be working on, through
educational campaigns, postcard mass-mailings, and meetings with
administrators.

There are also a few issues that do not directly effect the
students of UCLA, but are topics that USAC feels are important to
address.

Two if these include corporate accountability and immigrants’
rights.

Some new areas that the undergraduate council will address are
streamlining the university’s sexual harassment policy, student
transportation and parking services and adding a lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender option to the residential themed
housing.

Outreach and community service has also become a focus of this
year’s student council.

In light of Proposition 209 and Regents Item SP-1, which banned
the use of affirmative action in UC admission policies, many are
concerned that the diversity of UCLA’s student population will
decrease.

The use of outreach and community service is being viewed as a
short term solution to this problem.

"One of our main priorities is the student-initiated outreach
programs, specifically those from the community service commission
and the community programs office," Lee said.

"We’re very concerned about it because we think that’s a way for
us to combat the recent attacks on higher education such as higher
fees and Proposition 209," she added.