This post was updated Oct. 13 at 11:32 p.m.

The Undergraduate Students Association Council held its second meeting of October on 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:

• Nataly Villaseñor, the UCLA chapter chair from the California Public Interest Research Group, said a bill to ban plastic bags – which CALPIRG had lobbied for – was signed into law, adding that the organization is now lobbying for legislation to protect trees.

Funding:

• The council allocated $15,087 from the Contingency Programming Fund to 39 non-USAC entities for the week of Sept. 29 and $4,492 to 29 non-USAC entities for the week of Oct. 6.

• The council allocated $6,969.06 from the Bruin Advocacy Grant to 10 non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $3,065 from the Travel Grant Mini Fund to eight non-USAC entities.

Special presentation:

• Jessica ​​Alexander, the Student Government Services division manager, presented an update on the Student Government Accounting policies and explained the new proceedings with KPMG, the auditor for ASUCLA. Alexander said that the audit will help to highlight where USAC can streamline budget processing and added that the SGA office has been renovated to make it a more welcoming space.

Appointments:

• The council appointed Sujana Sridhar, a fourth-year international development studies and political science student and the former Academic Affairs commissioner, as an undergraduate representative to the Academic Senate Undergraduate Council.

• The council rejected the appointment of Julian Chowdhury, a first-year business economics student, as an undergraduate representative to the Academic Senate Faculty Executive committee.

• The council appointed Zarif Khan, a third-year linguistics and psychology student, to the Community Service Mini Fund Committee.

• The council appointed Russell Mo, a second-year economics student, to the Finance Committee as its vice chair.

• The council unanimously appointed Virinch Pandari, a fourth-year business economics student, to the Finance Committee.

• The council appointed Su-Han Tan, a second-year economics and statistics and data science student, to the Finance Committee.

• The council appointed Shirin Dunker, a third-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student, to the Finance Committee.

• The council appointed Catherine Kan, a third-year philosophy student, as an undergraduate representative to the Academic Senate Committee on Undergraduate Admission and Relations with Schools.

• The council appointed Mehra Marzbani, a public affairs student, to the Data Governance Committee.

Officer reports:

• President Adam Tfayli said he appointed himself to the Group Conduct Board. He said he met with Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Monroe Gorden Jr. and discussed issues about the Center for Accessible Education, the Chancellor’s LINK program and expanding the Academic Advancement Program to international students. Tfayli added that he met with the president of the Associated Students UC – UC Berkeley’s student government – to discuss UC-wide issues and future projects. He said he observed the campus safety procedures at multiple campus events and protests and will follow up on his observations.

• Internal Vice President Josh Garland said he met with the Student Wellness Commission and End Overdose at UCLA to discuss collaborating with Greek life organizations and instituting naloxone administration training. Garland said he is organizing the first Congressional Advisory Board meeting and is working to establish more connections between his office and Student Affairs. He added that he has released an RSVP for the Campus Safety Alliance’s first town hall meeting Oct. 18, which will discuss UCLA’s interim Time, Place and Manner policies.

• External Vice President Javier Nuñez-Verdugo said they attended the October UC Students Association Board of Directors meeting to discuss statewide advocacy efforts for the Undocumented Student-Led Network, opportunities for involvement across UC-wide projects and information sessions about current action items and policy that will affect students across California. They said they are continuing their outreach to Mother Organizations coalition members and other student groups on campus.

• General Representative Diego Emilio Bollo said in his written report that he is currently organizing the Undocumented Student Health Fair and has been working with Student Organizations, Leadership & Engagement to cover logistics for the event.

• General Representative Tommy Contreras said in his written report that he met with IGNITE UCLA to discuss how his office can support them and to create new initiatives to increase Campus Assault Resources and Education Program funding.

• General Representative Chris Ramsey said he is working with the International Education Office to promote his and International Student Representative Syed Tamim Ahmad’s Bruin Buddies program, where exchange students are matched with UCLA students.

• Academic Affairs Commissioner Cristopher Espino said students who have not opted out of Bruin One Access will be charged a $129 fee by the end of this week and encouraged other council members to spread the word on their Instagram pages.

• Campus Events Commissioner Robbie Hall said in his written report that his office’s first film screening of the year went well, adding that he is working on future programming to release to students.

• Community Service Commissioner Carolyn Wang said she appointed herself to the Student Risk Education Committee. She added that two of her office’s biggest events, Servocacy Fest and Volunteer Day, occurred last week and were successful. Wang is currently working on a voter registration and engagement event and will be holding the first Youth Empowerment Coalition later this week, she said.

• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Alicia Verdugo said they met with their SOLE advisor to organize logistics for their office’s fall events and future events, such as JazzReggae Festival. Verdugo said her office organized quarterly Word on Wednesday nights and is holding jazz concerts at Kerckhoff Coffeehouse. She added that she is working on an art gallery with Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA.

• Facilities Commissioner Alexandra Paul said she met with the Office Space Allocation Committee.

• Financial Supports Commissioner Nico Morrone said he met with UCLA Residential Life to discuss discounting replacement BruinCard fees and increasing the value of meal swipes at ASUCLA restaurants. He added that his office loaned out 78 lab coats to students this quarter.

• Student Wellness Commissioner Chiara Frank said she met with her office’s Peer Support Lounge Coordinator to plan a welcome week during week 5 that will provide students access to informational resources, menstrual products and a place to study. She added that she hopes to collaborate with Transfer Student Representative Mona Tavassoli’s office to designate a part of the week as a transfer student day. Frank said her office will host its Healthcoming event, which will feature free health resources, goat yoga and a petting zoo.

• Tavassoli said she attended the Sepulveda Transit Corridor for All Coalition Reception and learned about the project and how the UCLA community can continue to support the coalition. Tavassoli added in her written report that her office will hold its Transfer Pride Squared event Oct. 30.

• Ahmad said he has been organizing his office’s Global Bites initiative and is working with multiple student groups on campus to include their recipes in the initiative. Ahmad added that his office will hold its Bruins Around the World event Nov. 19 and is working with Residential Life to coordinate the event.

Agenda items:

• The council approved a change to Nuñez-Verdugo’s office’s bylaws that will allow the Bruin Advocacy Grant to be combined with the Grassroots Organizers for Working Students Grant.

• Verdugo updated the council on the new Kerckhoff Hall Art Gallery and said bookings for the space have to be made before the quarter begins, adding that the space will now be considered as an available venue for different organizations on campus.

• Tfayli introduced a bylaw change to reinstitute the Congressional Advisory Board and transfer appointment power for the board to the IVP.

• The council approved an allocation of $6,000 from the USAC Discretionary Fund to OSAC to pay for the cleaning and organizing of abandoned office spaces.