ASUCLA Finance Committee recap – April 17

Members of the Associated Students UCLA Finance Committee and the Communications Board discussed the association’s finances and possible models for UCLA Student Media at their monthly meeting Friday.

Budgets

• The UCLA Store performed better than budgeted in March, partly because of the timing of budgets. The store made more money through used textbooks than expected, but BearWear and new textbook sales were lower than budgeted.
• In March, Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill, Panda Express, Kerckhoff Coffee House, Lu Valle Commons, the North Campus Student Center, Tsunami and the Music Cafe all had higher gross margins than expected. Restaurants on the A-Level of Ackerman Union continued to have slow sales.

Communications Board discussion

• Student Media performed close to its budget in February, though print advertising revenues have continued to drop.
• The Finance Committee and Communications Board members discussed the possibility of renting some space in the Daily Bruin office to an outside organization to provide extra revenue to Student Media.

Agenda items

• Undergraduate Students Association Council President Avinoam Baral and Community Service Commissioner Cynthia Wong presented to the committee about student group funding, asking ASUCLA to increase its support of funds that USAC allocates to student groups. The committee decided to compile figures for the funds and discuss it more at the next meeting on May 8.
• The committee moved several other discussion items to its May 8 meeting.

Compiled by Sam Hoff, Bruin senior staff.