More transparent funding necessary to restore students’ confidence in USAC

Funding: the main point of contention between the two slates vying for office in the USAC elections, Bruins United and Students First!. Though funding issues have become the focal point of slate differences, the current funding system is not impacted much by which slate is the majority in office. Although Bruins United holds a supermajority, student groups supported by both Students First! and Bruins United receive equal funding.

The application student groups submit is carefully reviewed and considered according to the proposal, not which slate the group is aligned with. Instead of worrying about which slates are aligned with which clubs, as voters we should concern ourselves with which candidate is the strongest and can use our money responsibly.

With the shift of USAC bylaws in 2004, funding was made available to student groups that were not departmentally sponsored, and there was a dramatic rise in funding spread across a larger number of organizations. This was a progressive shift for USAC financial resource allocation.

Student groups that received funding before the change in bylaw, such as MEChA, Afrikan Student Union, Samahang Pilipino and Queer Alliance, began to receive significantly less financial support. The rise of Bruins United to its current supermajority could be attributed to the success the shift in funding had with the general student body.

Students continue to agree that funding should be equally distributed among clubs. Funding proposals received by USAC should be judged according to the strength of the planning behind them and by the extent of the proposals’ reach to students.

Current Finance Committee Chair Parsa Sobhani believes that the Student Organization Operational Fund has been restructured in such a way that certain groups do not receive priority in funding. Sobhani, a Bruins United member, admits most of the larger funding allocations this year have gone to groups related to Students First! Sobhani has sought to make USAC finances more transparent.

“I hope whoever takes the financial chair next year will have the idea that we want to make funding transparent,” Sobhani said.

Transparency would bring clarity to USAC’s operations, especially since the sole purpose of the association is to put student fees to good use. Student may be left wondering about the use of their fees after hearing just months ago about the scandal that involved forged confirmation

e-mails sent from the office of former General Representative Sanobar Sajan that were meant to secure funding for a speaker series.

The issue was laid to rest by members of USAC following Sajan’s apologetic resignation, but that doesn’t mean students should also forget about this breach of trust from within our student leaders. Voters should be cautious about voting for candidates with lofty plans that would require expansive funding. Pushing for information about funding to be available to students is crucial to rebuilding student trust in USAC.

I know I did not care which slate stood for what last year and had a very minimal understanding of what bearing USAC had on my experience at UCLA. Although the treasurer of our clubs may be the only one dealing with funding applications and proposals, we are all paying student fees regardless of whether we are involved in clubs here or not. The strong reactions students have toward fee increases show that UCLA students care about the money they spend on their education.

Part of this education can occur through the clubs we join or the events on campus we attend. Most clubs and events are sponsored with funds from our student fees. It is our money that is allotted to clubs, therefore we should care where it goes.

Though the process can be convoluted and dull, urging candidates to remain honest with financial paperwork along with providing funds to all students groups will help put our student fees to best use. USAC has been heading in a more equitable direction with funding allotment, and as voters, we should continue to urge them to do so.

E-mail Mier at [email protected]. Send general comments to [email protected].