Kimberly Grano: Third party involvement can help USAC ensure neutral, quality appointments

The school year may be winding down for most of us, but for the newly elected Undergraduate Students Association Council officers, much of their work has just begun.

Just weeks after taking office, council members will begin to fill their offices with support positions and will determine numerous appointments outside their office, such as representatives of the Associated Students of UCLA Board of Directors and the Student Fee Advisory Committee.

Although we elect these council members to represent our undergraduate body, it seems unrealistic to expect that they thoroughly understand the requirements of every appointed position so shortly after they are elected, and they may not be able to discern who is best to fill each position.

By implementing third-party involvement, USAC would prevent slate politics from dictating who fills these positions and would ensure the most qualified candidates are chosen.

Professional support staff that work with USAC and students already holding positions can be a valuable resource for council members as they conduct their searches. Another option could be creating a new subset of the Election Board, which is already a neutral, student-run body that does not recognize slate affiliation.

Newly elected USAC president and third-year sociology student John Joanino should keep these groups in mind while putting together a search committee to seek out qualified students for appointed positions. The search committee, which is included in the bylaws, is typically composed of members of the president’s staff. Joanino said he also welcomes recommendations from students and the administration.

Joanino’s predecessor, David Bocarsly, a fourth-year economics student, made substantial revisions to the bylaws to clarify the appointment process and make it more efficient. Bocarsly added a new article to the bylaws on appointments that details every appointment to be made by each council member and which rounds of approval each candidate would go through before being appointed.

Before these changes, some appointments would take up to two months to fill from beginning to end of the appointment process and some positions were left unfilled, Bocarsly said.

The incoming council should build on Bocarsly’s changes to the procedure. By bringing in a neutral and knowledgeable group of students outside of the elected council members to weigh in on the decision, the council would ensure that qualified students are being appointed regardless of who is in office.

Fundamentally, the appointment process needs to become more accessible to the entire student body, and the possibility that these appointments could favor USAC insiders or those with friends in high places needs to be limited.

As it stands now, applicants seeking appointment need approval from the president, a subcomittee of council members and the council as a whole. This leaves no system of oversight on the appointment decisions by people who aren’t among the newly elected council members.

While it is nearly impossible to determine whether favoritism is occurring without relying on rumors or hearsay, the fact that it has the potential to occur so easily – with USAC encountering few checks and balances during the appointment process – is something that must be addressed.

During his campaign for president, third-year political science student Taylor Bazley suggested the implementation of a newly created third-party organization to take part in the appointment process.

With more than 70 positions to fill in a short period of time, the president does not have time to investigate all segments of the UCLA population and will likely look for suitable candidates among people he or she is already familiar with.

There is an online application for these appointments, but positions are also filled by the direct recruiting efforts of the president and other council members.

Jacob Ashendorf, third-year economics student and current budget review director, said he looked into the appointed positions more closely after Bocarsly encouraged him to apply.

Though the appointment process this year is already in full swing, and it is too late to implement any major changes to the bylaws, Joanino and the rest of the council should use their term to consider options like these for the future.

For now, Joanino should follow through on his plans to appoint a diverse group of student leaders by making active efforts to reach out to the entire campus community.

With a more competitive and more rigorous process, these appointed positions can be strengthened, better representing student interests and serving student needs.