The Undergraduate Students Association Council held its first meeting of the summer June 25.

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.

Funding:

• The council allocated $8,330 from the Contingency Programming Fund to six USAC entities.

Special presentations:

• Aranza Guzmán and PamelaCysner, advisors from the Office of Student Organizations, Leadership and Engagement, gave a presentation about how the office can support USAC and its initiatives. Guzmán said SOLE provides advisors to each USAC council member and can guide decision-making for student events and programming. Cysner said the advisors are there to help support officers with planning events, finding funding, mentoring and staying within university guidelines.
• External Vice President Javier Nuñez-Verdugo, gave a presentation about the UC Students Association and its Student Organizing Summit and encouraged council members who were interested to participate.

Appointments:

• The council appointed Avery Ngo, a political science student, as the chair of The Green Initiative Fund Committee.
• The council appointed Catherine Hamilton, a rising fourth-year gender studies and political science student to the ASUCLA Communications Board. Hamilton was formerly the 2023-2024 News editor of the Daily Bruin.
• The council appointed Ipshita Ashrafi Hoque, a rising third-year political science student as chair of the Community Activities Committee.

Officer reports:

• President Adam Tfayli said he spoke with Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Monroe Gorden and Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck about his goals for USAC for the upcoming academic year. He added that he spoke with the UCLA Investment Company and discussed policy concerns over investments from the UC Board of Regents and UCLA Foundation.​​ Tfayli also said he met with administration about police protocols and actions in response to the June 10 Palestine solidarity encampments and protests and spoke to ASUCLA CEO Pouria Abbassi about USAC and the ASUCLA Board of Directors.
• Internal Vice President Josh Garland said he has been reviewing applicants for committee appointments and will continue to present appointees in following meetings. Garland also met with Abbassi to discuss the need for an additional Student Government Association accountant and other concerns regarding the ASUCLA deficit and concerns over pay for student workers, he said. Garland added that he attended a meeting with Beck where Garland encouraged Beck and his chief of staff to attend campus security authority meetings.
• Nuñez-Verdugo said they organized meetings among USAC, the Graduate Student Association and administration to discuss student wellness and academic leniency. Nuñez-Verdugo added that their chief of staff had meetings with U.S. Representative Ted Lieu, Attorney General of California Rob Bonta, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval and a White House staffer to discuss the rights of student protesters and free speech.
• General Representative Diego Emilio Bollo said he reached out to IDEAS – an organization that advocates for undocumented students – to set up a meeting discussing concerns about the undocumented student program and efforts to reestablish the UCLA Advisory Council on Immigration Policy.
• General Representative Tommy Contreras said he gave a public comment at the North Westwood Neighborhood Council meeting in June, condemning how UCLA and California government officials responded to the counter-protester attack and police sweep of the Palestine solidarity encampment between April 30 and May 2.
• General Representative Chris Ramsey’s written report was not updated for the week.
• Academic Affairs Commissioner Cristopher Espino said his office discussed lobbying efforts to support textbook affordability.
• Campus Events Commissioner Robert Hall said his office has been planning for the fall and organizing multiple events including the annual Bruin Bash. He added that his office and the Cultural Affairs Commission will meet next week to work on the beginning stages of Bruin Bash and prepare for September.
• Community Service Commissioner Carolyn Wang said she met with members from the Center for Community Engagement and discussed future collaborations between the center and her office.
• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Alicia Verdugo’s written report was not updated for the week.
• Facilities Commissioner Alexandra Paul said her office will be reviewing the data collected by volunteers and participants at UCLA Sustainable Move Out to find more ways to make the process sustainable for next year.
• Financial Supports Commissioner Nico Morrone said he is currently working on the bylaws and guidelines for the Financial Review Oversight Board.
• Student Wellness Commissioner Chiara Frank said she met with Ramsey to discuss how the Be Well Bruin website can be better integrated for academic literacy and academic spaces. She added that she has planned meetings with multiple student wellness organizations on campus including Counseling and Psychological Services, the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center and the Body Image Task Force to discuss different student wellness initiatives.
• Transfer Student Representative Mona Tavassoli said she is currently working on filling positions within her office and interviewing her applicants.
• International Student Representative Syed Tamim Ahmad said he attended the Office of the President’s end-of-year celebration, where he met with multiple cultural club leaders.

Agenda Items:

• The council approved a change to its bylaws to require Nuñez-Verdugo’s office to institute a new Committee on Access and Retention.
• The council approved a change to its bylaws to remove the Diverse Student Wellness Committee from Frank’s office.