USAC Financial Supports Commissioner Rustom Z. Birdie signs dubious deal with Web start-up Jobbook promising him 1,000 shares

An undergraduate student government representative has been in talks with an entrepreneur to promote a company in exchange for personal profit.

In an interview Saturday night, Financial Supports Commissioner Rustom Z. Birdie said he had signed a contract that states he will receive 1,000 shares of stock in Jobbook.com. Birdie said he also discussed receiving an additional share for every UCLA student who signed up with the site.

After talking to a paralegal service, he chose to only accept these shares after his term with the Undergraduate Students Association Council ends.

Jobbook founder Jean de Brabant first approached Birdie in October 2010 with the idea of creating a site that would match students at top-tier universities with employers across the country.

In exchange for shares in the company, Birdie was asked to promote Jobbook to UCLA students. He said he had spoken to two other Financial Supports Commission members to solicit their help in sending out e-mail blasts to listservs and putting up posters across campus.

Berky Nelson, USAC administrative representative and director of the Center for Student Programming, said it is against university policy for any student to accept payment in exchange for promotion of an outside company.

“The university is supposed to function as an institution of higher learning rather than an institution where individuals can profit financially from being here,” Nelson said.

USAC President Jasmine Hill echoed these sentiments, and said promoting companies for compensation is problematic.

“Above all else, it is important (USAC) is trusted. It is important we are more visible so students can come to us,” Hill said. “If we use that platform as a space to promote personal interests, that won’t work.”

Prior to being contacted by the Daily Bruin, neither Nelson nor Hill were aware of Birdie’s relations with Jobbook.

Nelson could not comment on the procedures that will follow if Birdie is found to have signed a contract giving him shares in exchange for promoting the company.

Hill said she will look into what is going on and discuss potential consequences with USAC.

The case could ultimately be investigated by the student-led Judicial Board, which ensures the Undergraduate Students Association bylaws are met. For the board to become involved, a petition must first be submitted by any undergraduate student.

Nikhil Sharma, chief justice of the board, said he cannot comment unless a petition is submitted.

After speaking with Nelson and Hill, the Daily Bruin contacted Birdie for a follow-up interview Monday night. Birdie modified his original statement and said his contract states he can choose whether or not to take the shares of stock after his USAC term ends. He also said the extra share for each UCLA student was up for discussion and not in the print contract. He said he now only plans to advertise through Facebook ““ no longer through e-mail or posters. Birdie added that he has only spoken extensively about involvement with Jobbook with one member of his office.

Noah Stern, UC Berkeley student body president, also met with de Brabant in October and chose to become involved with Jobbook, but only as a personal project separate from student government.

Like Birdie, Stern was offered shares in the company. He refused to take them because he did not want to be financially tied to the site.

De Brabant, a lawyer in Canada, first brought Jobbook to McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. He met with student body president Zach Newburgh in September, according to the McGill Tribune. Newburgh accepted a stake in the company and hid his involvement from the university. He was almost removed from office as a result, according to the Tribune.

With reports from Samantha Schaefer, Bruin senior staff.