This post was updated Oct. 29 at 11:03 p.m.

A member of the UCLA administration said at a Friday town hall that student government officials were given months of notice before the creation of new policies governing protests.

The virtual event, hosted by the Campus Safety Alliance, was led by Undergraduate Students Association Council Internal Vice President Josh Garland – the ex officio chair of the alliance – and featured comments from UCLA administrators discussing interim university Time, Place and Manner policies. Garland said the alliance exists to allow students to voice concerns to administrators at the beginning of the town hall.

[Related: UCLA announces new Time, Place and Manner policies, limits public expression areas]

Associate Vice Chancellors Mick Deluca, Rick Braziel and Suzanne Seplow answered questions at the event. They were joined by Director of Administrative Policies and Strategic Initiatives Anna Joyce and Dr. Nicole Presley, who leads UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services.

The town hall began with public comment from students with administrators allowed to give responses to the remarks. Alicia Roice, a third-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student, began public comment by criticizing the interim TPM policies and the UCLA administration’s response to pro-Palestine demonstrations in the spring.

“If these policies are to truly keep us safe, then they need serious reworking,” she said. “Reworking that requires input from student organizers and clearer language that doesn’t allow for cases of disproportionate enforcement and surveillance by police.”

No administrators responded to Roice’s remarks.

Sherry Zhou, a third-year political science student, said she was concerned that the future transition of investigations and compliance matters to the UCLA Compliance Office from the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion – which is being dissolved – would create barriers for students to report issues.

[Related: UCLA announces new Office of Inclusive Excellence to replace current EDI office]

Seplow responded by saying that administrators are open to hearing input from student leaders, adding that communication about reporting processes is important.

USAC General Representative Diego Emilio Bollo also raised concerns about the policies during public comment, alleging that the interim TPM policies stifle student voices.

“This approach fosters an environment of fear rather than safety, discouraging students from engaging in meaningful discourse and activism,” he said.

However, Joyce responded by saying that the vast majority of the interim policies – which are in a period of public review until Nov. 4 – are the same as those that have been in place since 2010.

Following the conclusion of public comment on the interim TPM policies, administrators answered pre-submitted questions. One question asked about key changes in the policies from previous versions and how the policies were revised.

Braziel said the UC has commissioned a report from 21st Century Policing Solutions on how the University can improve its response to protests. He added that UCPD is now using social media to communicate information in real time so that “nobody’s guessing about what’s happening on campus.”

Joyce responded to another question about the interim TPM policies and said USAC had been notified of the interim policies in February and that the council did not raise issues with the policies after having at least a month to review them.

“At the time, USAC and student groups had said they saw no red flags in these policies,” Joyce said. “The spring demonstrations happened, and of course, perspectives changed, and now they’re probably saying, ‘Now we have issues.’”

The council has since passed a resolution condemning the interim policies.

USAC President Adam Tfayli told the Daily Bruin that he was surprised to hear Joyce say the council had been consulted on the policies.

Tfayli, who was the council’s international student representative at the time, said in a written statement that an email about the policies had been sent to then-President Naomi Hammonds and then-External Vice President Eva Jussim – who have both since graduated – though Hammonds and Jussim did not notify him of the policy revisions.

Another question concerned the Office of Student Conduct’s response to protest activity that may violate university policy.

Even though students have previously reported being called in for disciplinary meetings for their participation in the spring Palestine solidarity encampment, Deluca said the Office of Student Conduct does not impose academic consequences for students who are part of a certain group.

[Related: UCLA calls student hearings for arrested participants of pro-Palestine encampment]

Following the discussion on the interim TPM policies, the town hall transitioned to the discussion of mental health resources on campus.

One pre-submitted question concerned the accessibility of such mental health services.

Presley responded by saying Campus Assault Resources and Education – which provides resources for students who have experienced sexual assault – is free for all UCLA students, regardless of insurance status. She added that while CAPS services may require copays from students without the UC Student Health Insurance Plan, USAC has dedicated funding to provide greater accessibility for students who cannot afford the $30 copay.

Presley added that the decision-making process for health resources and UC SHIP policy is a complex UC-wide process but added that she receives student input – including from the Student Health Advisory Committee – on such decisions.

“It’s a pretty intricate decision,” she said.