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USAC recap – Nov. 12

By Kari Lau

Nov. 14, 2019 6:58 p.m.

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 the California Public Interest Research Group Sithara Menon announced the group finished its pledge drive in support of its campaign to protect oceans by fighting plastic pollution and reducing usage of single-use plastics from University of California campuses.

Special Presentations:

  • Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck answered questions from the council on the administration’s handling of students’ safety regarding Donald Trump Jr.’s visit to the UCLA campus for a book signing event and the Getty Fire. He also took suggestions from the council on how administration can improve their response in future emergencies.

Agenda:

  • The council allocated a total of $14,934.60 from contingency funds to USAC and non-USAC groups.
  • Supplemental Fund for Service allocated a total of $1,909.04.
  • Student Wellness Commission Programming Fund allocated a total of $49.05.
  • The Academic Affairs Commission Travel Mini Grant Fund allocated a total of $611.79.
  • The council motioned to let the Judicial Board use the Election Board’s office temporarily since there is no Election Board, because Judicial Board needs a space to plan the hearing for the removal of the Election Board’s Investigation Director. Three members of the Election Board resigned at last Tuesday’s meeting.
  • The council approved a resolution in support of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees 3299 Strike on Nov. 13. The resolution sought to show solidarity with the strike.
  • The council motioned to send a “Committee Accountability Letter” to the Student Activities Center Board of Governors citing concerns over lack of expediency in updating budgets, minutes and lack of communication to council about their appointment process.
  • The council motioned to send a “Committee Accountability Letter” to the John Wooden Center Board of Governors about their concern over the board’s lack of updating minutes.
  • The council voted to hold a hearing for the removal of the Election Board Investigation Director, the sole remaining member of the board, in private.

Reports:

  • President Robert Watson said his office put forth recommendations to the student populace on how to make bathrooms more gender inclusive, especially on the Hill. He added that his office is addressing concerns of students who want to live together despite having different genders. He also said there is a surplus of $279,000 in the council’s budget; the first $150,000 traditionally goes to contingency funding, but the remaining $129,000 is still in question.
  • Internal Vice President Kimberly Bonifacio said her office is in the midst of planning study hall locations for finals.
  • Facilities Commissioner Lily Shaw said her office and the Academic Affairs Commissioner’s office is working on a course reader recycling program. She added they plan on selling course readers at a lower rate and will incentivize students to donate their course readers by entering them into a raffle for a $50 voucher for the course reader store. She also said they are working on acquiring more student support for Ozzi, a reusable container program, in an effort to reduce single use plastics.
  • Transfer Representative Isabel Carmen Oraha said her office is working on accommodating to the needs of students with dependents by creating more space for childcare and priority enrollment.
  • Academic Affairs Commissioner Naomi Riley said her office is planning to work with On Campus Housing to use Covel Dining Hall as a study space. She added that Covel Dining Hall will be open as a study hall in finals week to test its usefulness. She also said the office is considering advertising it is as a “late, late night” and closing it later than Bruin Plate and Feast’s study halls. She added that they will be having a meeting with Eric Wells, committee policy analyst for the undergraduate council, to evaluate priority enrollment and effectiveness.
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Kari Lau | Outreach director
Lau is currently the Outreach director. She was previously the 2020-2021 features and student life editor and a 2019-2020 News contributor for the campus politics beat.
Lau is currently the Outreach director. She was previously the 2020-2021 features and student life editor and a 2019-2020 News contributor for the campus politics beat.
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