USAC recap – Jan. 18

During the Jan. 18 Undergraduate Student Associated Council meeting, out-of-state students expressed frustration at the university’s changing plans for the quarter, and the council appointed members to the elections board.

Public Comment:

• Radha Patel, the UCLA California Public Interest Research Group chapter chair, gave an update on her organization’s progress. Their campaign kickoff meeting happened on Jan. 19, and the club is about to transition to its funding drive.

Special Presentations:

• Zoya Mulji, the external vice president of the Out-of-State Student Association, gave a presentation on the impact of COVID-19 policies on students who do not live in California, including changing flights and paying for hotels, among other costs. Mulji also said many out-of-state students worry about issues such as isolation housing capacity.

Allocations:

• The council allocated $2,214 to the Vietnamese Student Union for their 42nd Annual Vietnamese Culture Night.
• The council allocated $275 to the Undergraduate Mathematics Student Association for their mentor-mentee boba social.
• The council allocated $744 to the Asian Pacific Coalition for their art gallery and $495.30 for their SEASON Leadership Development social.
• The council allocated $81.77 to Asian Pacific American Health Collaboration, Access, Resource and Education, which provides health care to underserved Asian Pacific Islander communities in Los Angeles, for their annual winter retreat.
• The council allocated $893 to Medleys A Cappella for their winter retreat.
• The council allocated $231 to the Photography Club at UCLA for their Wix website.
• The council allocated $544 to the Medical Aid Initiative, an organization that works to provide healthcare to underdeveloped nations for their escape room team-building event.
• The council allocated $144 to Clean Consulting at UCLA, an organization that advises companies on how to reduce the climate impact, for their website.
• The council allocated $91 to the Biomedical Engineering Society at UCLA for their Reaching and Inspiring Students in Engineering volunteer social.
• The council allocated $491.33 to the Institute of Transportation Engineers, an organization that teaches its members about transportation engineering, for their 7th Annual Student Professional Mixer.
• The council allocated $1,000 to the Undergraduate Psychology Society at UCLA for their Active Minds and TUPS Speaker event with Josh Rivedal.

Appointments:

• The council appointed Anna Bulis, a second-year political science transfer student, as the elections board vice chair. Bulis said she plans to work to get more minority students, especially transfers, involved in running for USAC positions and decrease stress associated with running.
• The council appointed Seher Alvi, a second-year statistics and global studies student, as the elections board director of external relations. Alvi said she plans to increase the number of transfer students who run for USAC positions by having them on her staff and reaching out to transfer organizations on campus.
• The council appointed Megha Gupta, a second-year global studies student, as the elections board director of marketing. Gupta said she plans to increase voter turnout in USAC elections and improve in-person and digital marketing.
• The council appointed Joann Shin, a second-year international development studies and public affairs student, as the elections board director of endorsements. Shin said she plans to help with external relations in order to get to know the organizations on campus that will endorse candidates.
• The council appointed Tushar Roy, a third-year business economics and statistics student, as the elections board director of finance. Roy said he plans to ensure a fair and equal election for all USAC candidates.
• The council appointed Martin Makaryan, a fourth-year political science transfer student, as the elections board director of investigation. Makaryan said he plans to decrease the toxicity involved in USAC elections by providing an unbiased view on altercations between candidates.

Reports:

• President Breeze Velazquez said her office’s Naming Advising Committee will meet with administrators about renaming locations on campus. She also said that her office is looking into a partnership with Lyft. She added that she has had multiple meetings with UCLA administration about COVID-19 policies going forward.
• Internal Vice President Cassandra Gatica said her office extended the deadline for the True Bruin RAISE scholarship, which is awarded to students who have helped other students in crisis. She added that she is meeting with Campus Assault Resources and Education to discuss the sexual violence and sexual harassment student leadership toolkit. She also said that her office is planning the Off-Campus Housing Fair.
• External Vice President Sarah Wang said her office is planning the San Diego District 5 candidate town hall. She added that the Bruin Advocacy Grant, which is given to organizations on campus that pursue advocacy, is open for winter quarter.
• General Representative 3 Carl King said in a written report that his office met with Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Monroe Gorden to discuss student concerns about the administration’s transparency. He added that his office met with Dean of Undergraduate Studies Dr. Adriana Galván to discuss the possibility of creating new majors and minors at UCLA. King added that his office distributed a survey to students to receive their input on creating new majors and minors. He also said that his office met with Zach Taylor, the founder of the Refund Bruins movement, which is requesting a partial refund for winter quarter due to online learning, to discuss the movement and receive feedback.
• Academic Affairs Commissioner Angelina Quint said her office met with the Undergraduate Council Student Welfare Committee to discuss the decision to cap priority enrollment for CAE students at 15 units. She added that she met with students to discuss plans to implement accommodations for parenting students. She also said that her office’s Access and Equity team is collaborating on a workshop about CalFresh and food insecurity with student groups and working with her Disability Justice and Education team on a resource guide for disabled students.
• Transfer Representative Herman Luis Chavez said in a written report that his office will be hosting events during Bruin Transfer Pride Week. He added that his office’s Fall 2021 Transparency Report is now available. Chavez also said that his office met with the Academic Senate Committee on Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools Undergraduate Appointments to discuss the transfer admission experience. He added that his office also met with the New Student Advisor Program to discuss how to make their materials more transfer-inclusive.