USAC recap – April 7

The Undergraduate Students Association Council is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings take place every week on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in Kerckhoff Hall 417 and are open to all students. Watch a live stream of the meeting on the USAC Live! Youtube Channel.

Agenda

• Councilmembers voted to allocate $1,000 in discretionary funding to the election board for voter incentives in the upcoming election. Internal Vice President Heather Hourdequin, Financial Support Commissioner Heather Rosen and Facilities Commissioner Lauren Hearne abstained from voting. Election Board Chair Shagun Kabra said he plans to award one in 50 voters with incentives provided by Associated Students UCLA.
• Councilmembers talked about a recent University of California Office of the President’s meeting that members of the UC Student Association said they were not invited to. Some councilmembers said they plan to write a submission to the Daily Bruin arguing for more student representation at UCOP meetings and increased transparency.
• Council unanimously voted to approve contingency programming allocations.
• Officers unanimously approved a capital contingency fund allocation of about $1,300.
• Representative for the Office of the Dean of Students Christine Mata said the office is planning an event for Sexual Awareness month about sexually transmitted diseases. She added that their office is planning to conduct a search for a new dean of students.

Special presentations

• Financial Wellness Coordinator Sarah Potter told councilmembers about the Financial Wellness Program, a new resource she, three undergraduates and three graduate students are planning under the Financial Support Commission. The program will aim to increase Bruins’ well-being through financial literacy education, a mental health component and advocacy. The group’s current plans include creating informational presentations for resident halls, a monthly newsletter and workshops.
• UCLA Events and Transportation director and parking administrator Lisa Koerbling, said carpooling, vanpooling and public transit rates have been stable, and the number of students biking has increased. UCLA Transportation is focused on reducing student and employee drive-alone rates by promoting active forms of transport, such as biking and walking, she said.
• Last year, Transportation’s revenue totaled about $42 million from parking permits and daily sales. The next parking fee increase is projected to be in July 2016, she said.

Appointments

• The council unanimously appointed Lauren Hearne, a third-year global studies student, as USAC Facilities Commissioner to replace Carlos Quintanilla, after his resignation March 26. Hearne said she intends to continue Quintanilla’s platforms of promoting sustainability and expanding gender neutral bathrooms.
• Jazz Kiang, a third-year Asian American studies student, was unanimously appointed to the Student Fee Advisory Committee to fill a vacancy.
• Councilmembers consented to appoint six students to the Office Space Allocation Committee.

Officer reports

• President Avinoam Baral said there is a judicial board vacancy because a member graduated after winter quarter. He suggested a previous applicant to fill the vacancy.
• Hourdequin said she is working with Cultural Affairs Commissioner Irmary Garcia to hold a open forum with UCPD during week four. She added that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender awareness week is next week.
• External Vice President Conrad Contreras said his office is working with UCSA on a petition to let UC students participate in a meeting with Gov. Jerry Brown and UC President Janet Napolitano.
• General representative 1 Manjot Singh said his office will be working on a photo campaign this week. The campaign will ask students what role religion has in their lives. The photo campaign will aim to include students who do not identify with a particular religion and students who are not spiritual in general. His office will also take students on a diversity tour to Sikh Temple in Pacoima.
• Academic Affairs Commissioner Allyson Bach said students interested in teaching a class can apply by April 20. She said her office worked with both the Bruin Democrats and Bruin Republicans to educate students on the diversity requirement proposal last week. The faculty vote on the diversity requirement will end on Friday and results should be available by Monday, she added.
• Community Service Commission Cynthia Wong said her commission will be working on an online pledge drive to save paper and encourage students to make “green” lifestyle changes for April 22, National Earth Day. She added that next week is Volunteer Appreciation week.
• Student Wellness Commissioner Savannah Badalich said she struck a discussion on A Resolution Against California Senate Bill 668 because the legislation has been postponed and language she thinks is problematic was removed from the measure. She added that it is Sexual Awareness month.
• Transfer Student Representative Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed said she’s been working with a UC Berkeley senator to gauge student interest in an inter-UC transit system.

Compiled by Catherine Liberty Feliciano, Bruin senior staff.