USAC recap – Nov. 26

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:

• A representative from the California Public Interest Research Group at UCLA said the group collected 1,600 new student member dues and 2,000 student petitions to ban single-use plastics from University of California campuses.

• Salvador Martinez, a fourth-year applied mathematics student and member of Beyond the Score, said the group lobbied for removing standardized testing from admission policy at the Policy Analysis for California Education conference at UC Berkeley this past weekend.

Agenda:

• The council allocated a total of $11,776.07 from contingency funds to USAC and non-USAC groups.

• The council allocated a total of $4,268.29 from Supplemental Fund for Service to Community Service Commission groups and non-CSC groups.

• The council allocated a total of $750 from the Student Wellness Commission Programming Fund to one non-USAC group.

• The council allocated a total of $4,584.61 from the Academic Affairs Commission Travel Grant Mini Fund.

• The council approved a resolution in support of banning single-use plastics at University of California campuses.

• The council allocated $150,000 from surplus to Contingency Programming and the Board of Directors.

• The council amended the Travel Grant Mini Fund’s guidelines, which will include a revised deadline for applications to hold students and student organizations accountable to quickly respond to their allocations, since the Travel Grant receives a high volume of applications.

• External Vice President Johana Guerra Martinez proposed using remaining surplus funds for a food grant for students who are not eligible for CalFresh, which is a program that supplies students who have work-study, receive CalGrant A or B, have a dependent or work over 20 hours per week outside of UCLA with money to purchase groceries. This funding aims to support undocumented and international students. She added that her office may need more money, because her current budget may not suffice her office’s future activities.

Reports:

• Internal Vice President Kimberly Bonifacio said Campus Safety Alliance meetings are set to be on Wednesdays in weeks three, six and nine from 5-6 p.m. in the upcoming quarter. The location is yet to be determined.

• Financial Supports Commissioner Millen Srivastava said her office is accepting Transportation Scholarship applications until Jan. 12, 2020. She also said applications for the Lab Coat & Goggles Loaner Program are open until Friday. She added that her office is in the process of purchasing an estimated 130 pairs of lab coats and goggles for the program. Lastly, she said there will be a giveaway of free coffee and donuts from 11 a.m to 2 p.m on Bruin Walk on Wednesday of week 10.

• Campus Events Commissioner Tara Steinmetz said her office is holding a giveaway with the Student Wellness Commission for two pairs of tickets to poet and author of “Milk and Honey” Rupi Kaur’s show Friday. She also said they will be partnering with SWC and Body Image Task Force to host a body positivity event Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Ackerman Grand Ballroom. She also said they will be hosting a film screening of “Just Mercy” on Thursday at the James Bridges Theater with the Skoll Center for Social Impact Entertainment. There will be a reception beforehand to discuss injustices in the justice system. The office will also host a screening of “Little Women” starring Timothée Chalamet and Emma Watson on Dec. 10.

• Transfer Student Representative Isabel Oraha said her office will be meeting with Suzanne Seplow, assistant vice chancellor of student development, during finals week to discuss priority enrollment for students with dependents.

• Student Wellness Commissioner Mihika Sridhar said BruiNecessities’ directors will be meeting with Michael Deluca, assistant vice chancellor of campus life, and Erinn McMahan, director of UCLA Recreation, to discuss funding for access to menstrual hygiene products around campus, which is partially funded by her office. She also said UCLA Total Wellness will be holding a launch party for their quarterly zine release Thursday. Zines will be released for free on Bruin Walk.

• Academic Affairs Commissioner Naomi Riley said her office will be launching the Course Reader Recycling Program in partnership with the UCLA textbook store during week 10. She added that they will start collecting course readers, and those who do donate are eligible to possibly win a $50 voucher for the textbook store. She also said they had a meeting with Monroe Gorden Jr., vice chancellor of student affairs, to discuss issues of accessibility in terms of transportation.

• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kelechi Iheanacho said there will be a study break program from Monday through Friday to give students a break from studying.