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GSA committee encounters difficulties with bylaws

By Daily Bruin Staff

April 15, 1998 9:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 16, 1998

GSA committee encounters difficulties with bylaws

CAMPUS: Members wish to evaluate appointment system, other
procedures

By Lawrence Ferchaw

Daily Bruin Contributor

To address the problems that graduate student representatives to
the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Disability (CACD)
encountered, the committee met Tuesday, but could not take official
action.

In the absence of a quorum, members decided to discuss changes
to the committee that would bring it in line with its stated bylaws
– including recruiting new members, going over the role of members
and choosing a new chair.

"We have much to discuss," said Lynn Wilmott, who chaired the
committee in the absence of Chair Sandi Burnett, as she opened the
meeting.

This came in response to requests and complaints by graduate
student representatives Una Hayes-Shepard and Ava Rose. They were
unclear about their role on the committee and how the committee
functioned.

"The graduate students are here in the same spirit of
collaborative effort that everyone here is," said Rose. "We want to
fix the process and move forward."

One issue the graduate students brought up, the lack of a
quorum, dominated the two-hour meeting.

Since one of the faculty members was not present, and many
members’ terms had lapsed, the committee did not have a quorum and
could not vote on the issues that members discussed during the
meeting.

The committee had previously met and voted without a quorum, a
violation of its bylaws.

Before discussing changes, members took time to go over the
functions, responsibilities and history of the committee.

"It needs to be remembered that a lot (of UCLA’s services and
accessibility) was not here when the committee began," said ADA and
504 Compliance Officer Doug Martin.

While remembering what the committee did, members still wanted
to move forward by bringing "new blood onto the committee."

One committee member expressed frustration with the appointment
process, especially of students.

"Each year we wait for student government to appoint people to
the committee," said Donna Bryan. "One-third of the year goes by
before they show up."

Laura Herrera, an undergraduate student nominee, was present at
her first meeting but is awaiting official appointment by the
chancellor.

The appointment process for all members involves a nomination by
a group like GSA or the staff assembly, which is forwarded to the
chancellor. A representative from the chancellor’s office assured
the committee that appointments will be handled as quickly as
possible.

Once members are appointed, members want to make sure that they
understand their role and the way the committee works. The
committee decided to put together a packet of the bylaws, past
minutes, accomplishments of the committee and other information to
help new members.

Wilmott pointed out that more information would ensure more
commitment by members.

"People need information so they don’t come in blindly," said
Wilmott. "There needs to be a commitment to the committee."

All of the issues that members discussed will be on the next
agenda, as well as the nomination of a new chair.

Graduate student members said that they were happy with what the
committee did in this special session.

"Although we got off to a rocky start, we were heard today,"
said Rose.

"Once the committee is up and running again, I think we can get
a lot of good important work done," she continued.

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