The Undergraduate Students Association Council named the 2024-25 International Student Representative Syed Tamim Ahmad as chair of the USA Elections Board at its Nov. 18 meeting.

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:

• There was no public comment at the meeting.

Special presentations:

• Academic Affairs Commissioner Cristopher Espino and Nimran Singh, the AAC chief of staff, gave a presentation on the Inter-Departmental Student Council’s goal of connecting departmental academic student councils and advisory groups. The council, which is led by the AAC, will “advocate for student interests to the Academic Affairs Commissioner,” according to a list of guidelines linked on the meeting’s agenda.

Funding:

• The council did not allocate any funding during the meeting.

Appointments:

• The council appointed Lian Pham, a third-year public health student, to the Campus Retention Committee.

• The council appointed Tamim Ahmad, a fourth-year physiological science student, as the chair of the USA Elections Board.

• The council appointed Brittany Lopez Juarez, a fourth-year psychobiology student, to the Campus Retention Committee.

• The council appointed Khadijah Abdalla, a third-year political science student, to the Student Initiated Outreach Committee.

• The council appointed Sabrina Camua, a fourth-year human biology and society student, to the Campus Retention Committee.

• The council appointed Eman Almuti, a fourth-year psychobiology student, as chair of the Campus Advisory Board.

• The council appointed Lena Nguyen, a fourth-year neuroscience student, to the Campus Retention Committee.

• The council appointed Kimberly Sockwell, a second-year political science student, to the Campus Retention Committee.

• The council appointed Miguel Molina, a second-year psychobiology student, to the Student Initiative Outreach Committee.

Officer reports:

• President Diego Bollo said officers should attend the UC Board of Regents meeting – which took place at UCLA from Tuesday to Thursday – and promoted a fireside chat with Regent Jose Hernandez.

• Internal Vice President Tommy Contreras said his office held events aimed at alleviating stress with the Resilience In Your Student Experience Center – an extension of the UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services – and a career workshop. He added that his office would be holding a financial literacy night Wednesday as well as a fundraiser in the future. Contreras congratulated everyone involved in filing an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit against President Donald Trump that alleged research funding suspensions to UCLA and subsequent settlement demands violated employees’ free speech. A judge ruled in favor of the employees Nov. 14, barring the Trump administration from freezing or threatening to freeze the UC’s federal funding.

[Related: Student organization coalition files amicus brief supporting lawsuit against Trump]

• Jose Merino, a proxy for External Vice President Sherry Zhou, said officers should consider applying to the Students of Color Conference, an event held by the UC Student Association for students of color to “strategize around statewide and campus-based actions,” according to a page on the UC Student Association website.

• General Representative Talia Davood said her office held a challah baking collaboration with Chabad House at UCLA – a Jewish student center – and will be holding an interfaith event in the future.

• General Representative Jayha Buhs Jackson said officers should fill out the student health experience and academic accessibility feedback forms. She also encouraged officers to attend the Regents meeting.

• General Representative Brett Berndt also said officers should fill out the same forms. He added that his office has been working with the Student Homes Coalition to start a UCLA chapter of the organization, which advocates for solutions to the student housing crisis.

• Espino said in his written report that his office met with the Life Sciences Student Association president to discuss how audio-visual costs are a challenge for clubs, onboarded a new assistant commissioner and chief of staff, and met with the Center for Accessible Education.

• Campus Events Commissioner Daniel Leal said his office held a live dating show in collaboration with Nectar, a dating service created by Jubilee and finished its Los Angeles film screening series. He added that his office’s last events of the quarter would be FUNK’D UP – a free concert – and Noon Tunes, a Kerckhoff patio concert series.

• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Divine Trewick said The Word on Wednesday – a biweekly open mic event held Wednesdays – hosted an “ICE OUT OF LA” fundraising event in collaboration with CAC. She added that the commission is hosting an event making relief donation boxes for Hurricane Melissa, a category five hurricane that impacted Jamaica in October. She added that Art Series – a gallery series showcasing arts from different cultures – held its last gallery of the quarter entitled “Indigenous Expressions.” The gallery is held annually in collaboration with the American Indian Student Association. She also said the Arts Restoring Community Initiative funding chair would be at Contreras’ financial literacy night and that next The Word on Wednesday would be a “words not war” event focused on performances on education and the impacts of war on people around the world. Trewick added that DiverseCity tours, a program that takes students outside of Westwood, will have its first trip of the year to Leimert Park in collaboration with the Caribbean Students Association and the Afrikan Student Union.

• Facilities Commissioner Joy Huang said her office has been meeting regularly with Suzanne Seplow, associate vice chancellor of student development and health. She also encouraged the officers to fill out the student health experience and academic accessibility feedback forms. Huang added that her commission is planning three accessibility town halls per month during winter quarter.

• Financial Supports Commissioner Nico Morrone said in his written report that he is expecting to email all officers to see how they want to practice financial transparency.

• Student Wellness Commissioner Hannah Yip said in her written report that her office met with Swipe Out Hunger to plan a fall town hall and that the SWC Programming Fund application is now open.

• Paige Zwerner, the proxy for Transfer Student Representative Hyerim Yoon, said the office sent out a survey to California community colleges to receive feedback on transfer student experiences. She added that they hosted a tour at the Hammer Museum and have been in communication with the Bruin Resource Center. She added that the office held a wellness yoga event, as well as a coffee and pastry transfer social. Zwerner also said the office held a painting tote bags event in collaboration with the Facilities Commission and Student Wellness Commission. She also thanked those involved with the office’s Thanksgiving and holiday basic needs drive and promoted the student health experience and academic accessibility feedback forms.

• International Student Representative Keya Tanna said in her written report that her office conducted eight ARC interviews, finalized the transfer experience survey – which will be sent to the California Community College Connections committe – and hosted an event at the Hammer Museum. She also said that her office connected with the Bruin Resource Center to increase involvement with the Non-Traditional Student Network, hosted social events with the Facilities and Student Wellness Commission and prepared for its Transfer Talk UC application event.

Agenda items:

• Espino introduced a bylaw change to create a system for the Inter-Departmental Student Council to advocate on behalf of students to different academic departments.

• Zwerner introduced a bylaw change to remove the transfer leadership coalition and transfer pride week planning committee as appointed positions from the TSR’s office.

• The council unanimously approved a letter opposing changes to the UC tuition stability plan, which will decrease the current 45% return-to-aid rate to 35% and create a 1% step increase for capital projects.