The Undergraduate Students Association Council held its first meeting of May virtually Tuesday.

USAC is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings are open to all students and usually take place in person at the Bruin Viewpoint Room and on Zoom every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Students can find the links for the meetings on the agenda posted on the USAC website or watch a livestream on the USAC Live! channel on YouTube.

Public comment:

• Branden Bohrnsen, vice chair of the Student Fee Advisory Committee, updated the council on a survey about the Instructional Enhancement Initiative fee. Bohrnsen also said SFAC’s purpose is to serve UCLA students and advise the chancellor on how student fees are spent. He also said SFAC does not report to USAC, in response to student fees and the committee being invoked by multiple campaigns for the upcoming USAC elections. He added that students should discuss concerns about student fees at SFAC’s weekly meetings.

Funding:

• The council allocated $13,299.67 from the Contingency Programming Fund to one USAC entity and 35 non-USAC entities.
• The council allocated $3,129.88 from the Supplemental Fund for Service to one USAC entity and three non-USAC entities.
• The council allocated $1,194.92 from the Student Wellness Programming Fund to five non-USAC entities.
• The council allocated $38,000 from the Arts Restoring Community Fund to 19 non-USAC entities.
• The council allocated $263,562.38 from the USA/Board of Directors Programming Fund to four USAC entities and 107 non-USAC entities.

Special presentations:

• Internal Vice President Megan Law read updates from the USA Elections Board, which were provided by My-Lan Le, the board’s chair. Law said debates were rescheduled to Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m. via Zoom because of recent events on campus. Law added that the board has discontinued candidates’ campaign sign boards and leafleting days for this week. Voting opened Friday at 2 p.m. and ends May 17 at 2 p.m., and the results will be announced at 8 p.m. on May 17.

Appointments:

• The council appointed Kimberly Rodriguez, a first-year political science student, to the USAC Community Service Mini Fund Committee.
• The council appointed Shivika Sharma, a second-year business economics student, to the Student Fee Advisory Committee.

Officer reports:

• President Naomi Hammonds said she hosted a community breakfast and attended multiple healing events across campus to hear student concerns. Hammonds said she scheduled a meeting with UC President Michael Drake to address these concerns.
• Law said she attended a meeting with the Muslim Student Association to speak with the UCLA community and hear concerns. Law said she has been collaborating with External Vice President Eva Jussim and the vice president-elect of the University of Southern California Undergraduate Student Government to advocate for full amnesty for students arrested during the police dispersal of the Palestine solidarity encampment last week. She added that most of her office’s events have been canceled.
• Jussim said she attended daily meetings with Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Monroe Gorden and Assistant Vice Chancellor of Campus Life Mick Deluca throughout the week and met with Department of Student Life to discuss recent campus events. She added that her office also assisted in organizing meetings for other council members with Drake and collaborated with 25 students to support an agenda item at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting.The agenda item, which passed, directs the LA County Public Defender’s office to support students arrested during the dispersal of the Palestine solidarity encampment last week.
• General Representative Katie Pool’s written report was not updated for the week.
• General Representative Gabby Lasry said she worked with Transfer Student Representative Meagan Harmon on their graduation packages initiative, which provides 300 students with free graduation attire. She added that she has also been working on transferring the funds for these packages to the UCLA Store so the selected students can pick up their grad packages.
• General Representative Jonathan Valenzuela Mejia said in his written report that he met with MSA to discuss recent events on campus. Mejia said he condemns the actions of the UCLA administration and other councilmembers who he said have been silent about recent issues, alleging that both have “failed the student body.”
• Academic Affairs Commissioner Sujana Sridhar said she stands in solidarity with the encampment and protesters and plans to release an official statement regarding the violent attack on the encampment April 30 and the subsequent police sweep. She added that her office has been advocating for academic leniency with the Academic Senate to implement campus-wide guidance for staff and faculty to help students during this time and a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Gene Block.
• Campus Events Commissioner Mason Miller said his office canceled its events this week and is evaluating how to proceed in the following weeks. He added that his office released a statement condemning the actions of the UCLA administration.
• Community Service Commissioner Chia Ying Wong said she released a statement in support of students’ ability to exercise their rights to free speech and protest. She added that her office also has been working to assist students and offered to support other councilmembers who need help completing tasks.
• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Alicia Verdugo, who said she was arrested during the police raid on the Palestine solidarity encampment, called for the resignation of Block over his actions regarding the encampment. They added that due to recent events, their office has canceled all events for the rest of the quarter, including the Jazz Reggae festival, to focus on the Palestinian movement and the treatment of protesters over the past week.
• Facilities Commissioner Nilaya Kanuri said she released a statement about UCLA’s response to the encampment. She added that she believes people have been using concerns about accessibility and infrastructure to spread hateful rhetoric and that she stands behind the decisions made by the encampment.
• Financial Supports Commissioner Sara Broukhim said her office has been working with 580 Cafe on food distribution. She also said she met with MSA.
• Student Wellness Commissioner Jennis Kang said she released a statement about last week’s events and said that she stands with those in the encampment.
• Harmon said she met with the Transfer Student Center and other organizations to discuss how her office can support students. She said her office plans to hold a Zoom meeting with the UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services Executive Director Dr. Nicole Green to facilitate conversations with students about the recent violence on campus. Harmon also condemned UCLA administration.
• International Student Representative Adam Tfayli said he released a statement, which criticized the dismantling of the encampment. He also added that he stands with the statements made by other councilmembers about the treatment of students. Tfayli said councilmembers should advocate for students’ interests, regardless of their personal opinions.

Agenda discussion:

• Jussim opened up a discussion item on support for recent events. She invited Idriss Njike, the director of UCLA Residential Life, to discuss concerns students living on the Hill have about their safety regarding rumors of potential risks that have circulated over the past week. Jussim also invited the Graduate Student Association President Noor Nakhaei to discuss what USAC can do to help and assist UCLA graduate students post-encampment. She also presented her office’s initiatives to support students affected by the dispersal of the encampment and recent events.

Resolutions:

• Law introduced a proposal to change the bylaws of the Campus Bike Advisory Committee. The change would allow the Facilities Commission to appoint a member to CBAC. The amendment will be voted on next week.
• Kang introduced a proposal to change the bylaws of the Student Wellness Commission that would strike a position that is no longer recognized by the office. The amendment will be voted on next week.
• Law introduced a proposal to change the bylaws of the Student Health Advisory Committee to grant the SWC the ability to appoint two representatives to the committee. The amendment will be voted on next week.
• Verdugo introduced a resolution calling for the immediate resignation of Chancellor Gene Block if his administration does not meet the Palestine solidarity encampment’s divestment demands. The resolution also called on Block to grant amnesty to arrested students and waive medical bills of those hospitalized. The council approved the resolution by a 10-3 vote, with Pool, Lasry and Broukhim voting against the resolution.
• Jussim presented a letter for amnesty for those arrested and involved in the encampment.The letter will be sent to Drake and read at the next UC Board of Regents meeting. The council unanimously approved signing the letter.
• Law presented a campus hearing statement from the newly elected UC Berkeley external vice president. She said the letter criticizes certain pieces of legislation passed by Congress that are awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature and calls for more funding for the Office for Civil Rights within the U.S. Department of Education. The council voted to sign onto the letter, with two councilmembers abstaining.