USAC recap – fall 2019

Robert Watson, president

Platforms: Robert Watson promised to increase engagement between the Undergraduate Students Association Council and the student body, to pursue projects that promote affordability and to promote acceptance, especially with regard to gender-inclusive housing.

Quarter recap:

• The president’s office worked with UCLA Housing officials to include a gender-inclusive housing option on the UCLA Housing portal, Watson said. This is the first time this option is being made available to students without an additional required form, he added.
• It secured funding to provide free blue books and Scantrons for undergraduate students for the 2019-2020 school year, Watson said.
• It put on programming to promote the fall special election.
• However, he also said his office is still working toward making USAC meaningful for students to increase campus engagement.

Kimberly Bonifacio, internal vice president

Platforms: Kimberly Bonifacio promised to revamp the USAC website to ensure funding pools are more accessible to students. She also promised to forge connections between student organizations and USAC and to teach students how to apply for USAC funds. Bonifacio also said she would ensure that the IVP office’s extension organization, Campus Safety Alliance, would have more authority on campus policies.

Quarter recap:

• Bonifacio’s office worked to compile key information about requirements and eligibility for funding applications, she said. Her office plans to speak with council members and the USAC webmaster about displaying the information on the USAC website, she added.
• The office held workshops to teach organizations how to apply for funding, Bonifacio said. She added that her office still hopes to reach more student organizations to provide funding instruction.
• The Campus Safety Alliance met last quarter with several campus officials, including the Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck, who spoke about security on campus, and Title IX Director Mohammed Cato, who spoke about former UCLA obstetrician-gynecologist James Heaps, Bonifacio said. Heaps is facing two criminal charges of sexual battery in connection to his work at UCLA.

Naomi Riley, Academic Affairs commissioner

Platforms: Naomi Riley promised to address matters of accessibility and equity with initiatives such as advocating for the removal of standardized testing requirements from UCLA’s admissions process. She promised to increase retention by providing students with resources or supplementary funding. She also promised to advocate for a sanctuary campus.

Quarter recap:

• The Academic Affairs Commission is now working with Walter Allen, a professor of education and sociology and member of the Academic Senate, for a study into the use of standardized testing in admissions, Riley said.
• The office provided 75 students with funding for textbooks in fall quarter. The number of students receiving the benefit rose to 175 for winter quarter, Riley said.
• It is also working on turning Covel Commons Residential Restaurant into an overnight study space, set to launch in fall quarter 2020, Riley said.

Mihika Sridhar, Student Wellness commissioner

Platforms: Mihika Sridhar promised to host a Health for Heritage week to co-program with students. She also promised to help increase health insurance literacy among students. Sridhar was also looking to incresae access to menstrual hygiene products on campus.

Quarter recap:

• Sridhar said the Health for Heritage week will take place week eight of winter quarter with 12 different organizations that are affinity-, cultural- or community-based in nature.
• Sridhar’s office is meeting with the UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center and the UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services program to put together a list of providers that the student health centers take. Her office then hopes to make that list public, Sridhar said.
• Sridhar continued the platform of a previous commissioner to increase the numbers of stations that provide menstrual hygiene products, she said. She added that her office implemented new stations in the Charles E. Young Research Library, Powell Library and the Resilience in Student Experience Center.

Lily Shaw, Facilities commissioner

Platforms: Lily Shaw promised to make the commission more accessible to students. She also promised to host more programming, improve UCLA infrastructure by expanding campus transportation services, emphasize sustainability on campus and give a voice to students who have disabilities.

Quarter recap:

• The Facilities Commission office implemented a reusable coffee mug pilot program in Kerckhoff Coffeehouse, Shaw said.
• The office will continue to host its triweekly pop-up shop, Bruin Bazaar, where students can donate and buy any used items, Shaw said.
• The office received permission from the UCLA Center for Accessible Education to redesign its front lobby in order to make it a community space and to make it more accessible for students who use wheelchairs.
• She said her office has focused on programming that brings students and administrators together and said her office hosted Disability Awareness Week as well as a disability awareness town hall.

Orion Smedley, general representative 2

Platforms: Orion Smedley promised to bring back the bus that connects the UCLA campus to the Los Angeles International Airport. He also promised to improve the representation of STEM students in USAC. Smedley was sworn into office in the fall, not during the regular spring election season.

Quarter recap:

• Smedley said many students in his office are STEM students.
• He said his office is looking into making the council budget more accessible to students.
• Smedley said his office asked for surplus funds to fund a potential pilot bus line to connect UCLA and LAX. Smedley later retracted this request because UCLA Housing agreed to provide funding for the bus.

Brandon Broukhim, general representative 3

Platforms: Brandon Broukhim promised to make USAC more transparent and help students navigate USAC. He also promised to centralize a tutoring center on MyUCLA. Broukhim was sworn into office in the fall, not during the regular spring election season.

Quarter recap:

• The general representative 3 office is currently leading a review of the USAC Election Code focusing on emphasizing social media guidelines and clarifying USAC bylaws, Broukhim said. He added that this effort will continue to be a priority for his office during winter quarter.

Isabel Carmen Oraha, transfer student representative

Platforms: Isabel Carmen Oraha promised to improve transfer orientation and to release a quarterly pamphlet of club membership opportunities for transfer students. She also promised to work with UCLA to offer priority enrollment to help students with dependents.

Quarter recap:

• The quarterly pamphlet was not published because of a lack of responses from clubs, but the Transfer Student Representative Office will continue to work toward releasing a pamphlet in winter quarter, Oraha said.
• The office met with the UCLA Academic Senate in the fall to discuss providing priority enrollment to students with dependents, Oraha said. She added that she is now drafting a proposal for the senate and working on getting student support for the proposal.
• The office is working to support the Transfer Leadership Coalition, a group of transfer student organizations and leaders, to improve Transfer Orientation, Oraha said.

Kelechi Iheanacho, Cultural Affairs commissioner

Platforms: Kelechi Iheanacho promised to expand the commission’s community fund, which invests in people-of-color organizations, implement campus-wide racial sensitivity training and help students facing food insecurity.

Quarter recap:

• Iheanacho said her office spoke with the director of UCLA Recreation about turning a test kitchen into a student-serving space, but is encountering issues with liabilities.
• Iheanacho requested funds from USAC surplus for the commission’s community funds. Her commission later received $22,500 from surplus funds for the fund.

Jonathan Wisner, Community Service commissioner

Platforms: Jonathan Wisner promised to foster relationships between USAC and campus organizations and hold biweekly office hours.

Quarter recap:

• The Community Service Commission holds regular office hours, something it has never done in the past, Wisner said.
• The office held a Day of Service in which students volunteered at either on- or off-campus sites, Wisner said.
• He also said his office received double the applications the commission typically gets for the Impact Conference, a collegiate conference for service organizations.

Millen Srivastava, Financial Supports commissioner

Platforms: Millen Srivastava promised to create a sexual health center, increase affordability measures, implement rental programs for class resources and fundraise for scholarships. Srivastava was sworn into office in the fall, not during the spring election season.

Quarter recap:

• Srivastava’s office requested money from USAC surplus funds for her proposed sexual health center, which would provide students with sanitary pads and condoms. She said she is working with the Student Health Advisory Committee to provide emergency birth control at the center.
• USAC allocated $1,600 for the reproductive justice health center Tuesday.

Tara Steinmetz, Campus Events commissioner

Platforms: Tara Steinmetz promised to diversify entertainment on campus and to collaborate with student organizations to host events.

Quarter recap:

• Campus Events Commission has held events with speakers such as Rachel Bloom, who spoke on female sexuality, and Jameela Jamil, who spoke on matters regarding women of color.
• CEC has partnered with the Bruin Film Society, the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, and the Student Wellness Commission for different projects, Steinmetz said.

Shahamah Tariq, international student representative

Platforms: Shahamah Tariq promised to organize more international-themed events, establish a social media presence for the international student representative’s office and to provide students with information about career opportunities after graduation.

Quarter recap:

• Tariq did not respond to a request for comment.

Eduardo Velazquez, general representative 1

Platforms: Eduardo Velazquez promised to work with the Center for Accessible Education for more individualized support of students. He also promised to increase sensitivity training at CAPS. He also said he wanted to help fund cultural events.

Quarter recap:

• Velazquez did not respond to a request for comment.

Johana Guerra Martinez , external vice president

Platforms: Johana Guerra Martinez promised to advocate for the University of California to divest from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to support unions currently in negotiations with the University. She also promised to support advocacy to address student financial needs.

Quarter recap:

• Martinez did not respond to a request for comment.