USAC recap – Oct. 22

The Undergraduate Students Association Council is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings take place every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Bruin Viewpoint Room and are open to all students. Watch a livestream of the meetings on the USAC Live! channel on YouTube.

Public Comment:

• Chair of the UCLA chapter of California Public Interest Research Group Sithara Menon asked the council to endorse the group’s new pledge drive which aims to stop the use of single-use plastics.

Special Presentations:

• Election board chair Kyana Shajari said on-campus campaigning for the fall special election began Monday and is going well. She added advertising for the election is set to be on the Hill sometime this week. Shajari also said she would be sending instructions via email to student organizations who traditionally endorse candidates on how the process works.

Agenda:

• The council discussed how broken or shut down elevators on campus may pose a hazard for students with disabilities who have to take elevators. Facilities Commissioner Lily Shaw also said the expiration date on the Kerckhoff elevator permit has passed.

• The council made plans to request information from committees and boards that the council funds and makes appointments to, such as the Campus Retention Committee, the John Wooden Center Board of Governors and the Basic Needs Committee.

• The council allocated a total of $9423.79 from the Contingency Programming Fund to USAC and non-USAC groups.

• The council allocated $906.04 from the Supplemental Fund for Service funds to Community Service Commission groups and non-Community Service Commission groups.

• The council allocated a total of $256.04 from Student Wellness Commission Programming Fund to two non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated a total of $954 from Academic Affairs Commission Travel Grant Mini Fund to non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated a total of $20,555.60 from the Board of Directors Programming Fund to several student groups.

• The council appointed Joshua Prentice, Adah Perez and Waylen Lam to the Finance Committee.

Reports:

• President Robert Watson said he met with Chancellor Gene Block last week and discussed gender-inclusive housing, the use of standardized testing in admissions and Afrikan Student Union demands. They also discussed more financial accountability for committees that USAC has financial accountability over, such as the Campus Retention Committee, the Student Initiated Outreach Committee and the John Wooden Center Board of Governors. He said he is also meeting with the president of the Interfraternity Council on Wednesday.

• Internal Vice President Kimberly Bonifacio said a Title IX office representative attended the first Campus Safety Alliance last week and gave a rundown of policies regarding sexual harassment and assault reports. She also added her office is hosting a student government quiz bowl on Tuesday in partnership with the USAC Office of the President on Monday from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

• External Vice President Johana Guerra Martinez said the University of California Student Association voted to not support a cohort-based tuition model and to not support tuition hikes. She added her office is planning to talk with the Academic Senate about not making voting days school days. She also said her office is interested in doing outreach to underrepresented communities for 2020 census purposes.

• General Representative Eduardo Velazquez said his office met with a Center for Accessible Education representative and invited him to come to give a presentation Nov. 6 to the council. He also added his office is hosting a town hall Nov. 21 in the Bruin Viewpoint Room for student organizations to share their input about the Counseling and Psychological Services center.

• Shaw said her office will hold Bruin Bazaar again during week 6. She also said her office has been talking with the CAE and she added the center has expressed interest in providing more resources aside from testing services.

• Campus Events Commissioner Tara Steinmetz said her office is hosting a sneak peek of the movie Doctor Sleep on Halloween in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom.

• Transfer Student Representative Isabel Carmen Oraha said the Transfer Leadership Coalition was meeting Wednesday in the transfer center. The next coalition meeting will take place during week 6 on Nov. 6.

• Student Wellness Commissioner Mihika Sridhar said “A Fucking Comedy Show,” hosted by Sexperts at UCLA, will be Saturday from 8 to 9 p.m.

• Community Service Commissioner Jonathan Wisner said his office will be hosting a day of services Nov. 2.

• Academic Affairs Commissioner Naomi Riley said her office is continuing with Academic Senate appointments, and added most of the positions have been filled.

• International Student Representative Shahamah Tariq said her office is going to host a “Lost in Translation” event Nov. 26 in Bruin Plaza.