The Undergraduate Students Association Council recommended several changes to the student conduct code during its Sept. 1 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., though the council will meet biweekly and virtually over the summer. 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:

• Nobody spoke during the public comment period.

Funding:

• USAC did not allocate any funding.

Appointments:

• President Jayha Buhs Jackson said she appointed herself to the UCLA Advisory Board on Privacy and Data Protection for the 2026-27 academic year.
• Buhs Jackson appointed Arionna Smith, a rising third-year mechanical engineering student, to the Academic Technology Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Mya Nguyen, a rising fourth-year human biology and society and public affairs student, to the Campus Programs Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Savannah Falls, a rising second-year pre-public health student, to the Campus Programs Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Ananya Arun, a rising second-year mathematics/economics student, to the Finance Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Joelle Lai, a rising second-year neuroscience student, to the Finance Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Sasha Menzie, a rising second-year psychobiology student, to the Community Activities Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Agrin Khatami, a rising second-year international development studies and political science student, to the Community Activities Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
• Internal Vice President Gabi Trujillo appointed Celeste Cortez, a rising fourth-year neuroscience student, to the Campus Advisory Board as chair for the 2026-27 academic year.
• Trujillo appointed Natalya McConnell, a rising third-year political science student, to the Community Safety Advisory Board as vice chair for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Miguel Molina, a rising third-year psychobiology student, to the Campus Retention Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Keisha Reine de Castro, a rising fourth-year disability studies and gender studies student, to the Academic Senate’s Council on Research for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Cindy Gonzalez, a rising fourth-year political science student, to the Academic Senate’s Council on Research for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Dominick Yacoub, a rising third-year physiological science student, to the Student Health Advisory Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Alan Zhong, a rising third-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student, to the Student Health Advisory Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Jeslyn Wong, a rising third-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student, to the Campus Retention Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.
• The council appointed Johnny Pham, a rising third-year education and social transformation and psychobiology student, to the Student Initiated Outreach Committee for the 2026-27 academic year.

Officer reports:

• Buhs Jackson said in her written report that her office’s applications are out with an extended deadline of Sept. 14. She said she discussed restrictions on carryover funds – money left unspent from previous years – with the UC Office of the President and plans to meet with Student Government Accounting about how USAC can use those funds. Buhs Jackson said she hosted a poster-making event with Bruin Parenting Scholars and attended a march protesting the announced closure of UCLA’s childcare centers with organizations UCLA Students with Dependents, Faculty with Dependents, Staff with Dependents and the centers’ staff. She also said she will meet with Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Monroe Gorden Jr., Graduate Students Association President Naomi Hammonds, Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Development & Health Suzanne Seplow and Bruin Parenting Scholars leadership to discuss student concerns and solutions following the announced closure. Buhs Jackson also said she attended a meeting with ASUCLA CEO Pouria Abbassi, where they discussed UCLA Dining Services’ goal to make ASUCLA Dining Services accept meal swipes again.

[Related: Parents protest sudden announcement of UCLA childcare center closures]

• Trujillo said in her written report that her office met with the Muslim Student Association to discuss concerns about a lack of Halal food options in dining halls, lack of recognition of Islamic holidays from the university, increasing the Muslim community’s involvement in USAC and including the Muslim Student Association in the Campus Advisory Board. She added that her office met with Empowering Latines Against Struggle at UCLA, Samahang Pilipino and the Vietnamese Student Union. Trujillo said she is planning her office’s staff orientation, finalized hiring directors and attended an ableism prevention meeting.
• External Vice President Cecilia Choy said in her written report that her office is helping to plan a rally Sept. 16 supporting UCLA childcare. Choy added that the “September Regent mobilization topics” are enforcement of Senate Bill 98 – which requests that the UC and requires that California State University and California Community College campuses report when immigration enforcement activity occurs on site – disability services on UC campuses and basic needs service funding. She also said the president’s office and Bruin Parenting Scholars will host a regent public comment information session Friday. Choy also said topics at the UCOP leadership summit – where USAC board members meet with other student leaders – will include a discussion on Time, Place and Manner policies, campus security and basic needs. She also said her office’s applications are closed, and she will send out interview invitations soon.
• General Representative Evan Salazar said in his written report that he continued to work with the Live Like Braun Foundation – a nonprofit that promotes awareness on the risks of impaired driving in memory of Braun Levi, who was killed May 4, 2025, at 18 years old after being struck by an alleged drunk driver – and met with the group Tuesday to go over project development.
• General Representative Pranaya Vijay said in her written report that her office’s staff applications – which were posted on 12twenty and Instagram – are open, and she is developing a hiring schedule. She added that she is exploring collaboration with the Community Service Commission about Cultural Affairs Commission appointment recruitment and ideas for Cultural Affairs Commission outreach to support non-USAC organizations. Vijay also said she intends to table at the UCLA Latinx Welcome and that she started discussing logistics for USAC’s open house.
• General Representative Susie Turner said in her written report that human resources is processing her office’s applications and that she is working on Appointments Review Committee appointments and presentations with the Academic Advancement Program – a UCLA program that provides academic support for first-generation, low-income and historically underrepresented students. Turner also said she is brainstorming an open house and working on a Latinx Welcome table.
• Academic Affairs Commissioner Angela Ledesma-Grattarola did not update her written report.
• Campus Events Commissioner Salem Walsh said in her written report that her office is working on Bruin Bash. Walsh also said she is working on fall quarter events and sent out Enormous Activity Fair signups.
• Community Service Commissioner Maya Gheewala said in her written report that UCLA Volunteer Day, an annual community service event during which volunteers participate in projects throughout Los Angeles, will be Sept. 26 and that her office’s Spring 2026 Transparency Report is now publicly available. Gheewala also said the Community Service Transportation Fund, Supplemental Fund for Service and Community Service Mini Fund guidelines will be ready for approval at the Sept. 15 USAC meeting, and funds will open weeks zero and one. She also said she and Buhs Jackson met with the On-Campus Housing Council to discuss collaborations with USAC for the 2026-27 academic year, including collaborative town halls. She said she met with UCLA’s transportation and operations team to discuss logistics for the year, including streamlining the van checkout system.
• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Divine Trewick said in her written report that the Bruin Bash-themed ice-blended drinks were released in collaboration with ASUCLA. Trewick said she met with Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Life Mick Deluca to get an update on funding for Bruin Bash. She also said EAF sign-ups opened. She added that she met with Buhs Jackson and Choy about alumni outreach efforts.
• Facilities Commissioner Paige Zwerner said in her written report that she was filling office appointments, onboarding new hires and interviewing candidates. Zwerner said she discussed public transit advocacy with SoCal Transit and scooter-related accessibility concerns with the Anti Ableism Association. She also said she attended the first executive meeting of the year and discussed plans for fall quarter, budgeting, EAF and open house plans.
• Financial Supports Commissioner Corea Kim said in her written report that her office’s applications are open. She said she continued to work on the new Financial Transparency Viewer – a website intended to offer information on quarterly USAC student fees, the programming fund budgets student organizations can apply for and how USAC commissions use their budgets – and that she connected with the Legacy Center at UC Irvine for a study on LGBTQ+ housing opportunities across the UC system. The website was originally expected to be finalized by June 2025 but still displayed outdated budget information and lacked commission-specific financial data as of February.
• Student Wellness Commissioner Daniela Castro said in her written report that she finished all individual meetings with her executive team and set expectations for the year. She also said she is planning her office’s fall health and wellness event, Healthcoming, which is booked in Wilson Plaza for Oct. 22. Castro said she is partnering with the Community Service Commission to create a USAC pamphlet and has been attending the New Student Orientation tables for her office.
• Transfer Student Representative Ashley Ma said in her written report that she met with the Transfer Student Center regarding transfer transitions, held her first general staff meeting and is planning a voter registration guide. Ma also said she is preparing a public comment on standardized testing for the September UC Regents meeting.
• International Student Representative Charbel Chehade did not update his written report.

Agenda items:

• The council unanimously approved a bylaw change updating bylaw references to the formerly titled Congressional Advisory Board – a group connecting USAC with student organizations and campus stakeholders – to its current name, Campus Advisory Board, and updating the membership of the Campus Safety Alliance to reflect changes to administrative positions and the addition of Steve Lurie, the associate vice chancellor for campus and community safety.
• The council unanimously approved a bylaw change updating USAC’s appointment bylaws that corrects outdated committee names, adds missing appointments and clarifies the number and length of several committee terms.
• The council unanimously approved a bylaw change that requires the main sponsors of a resolution to forfeit one stipend payment for every meeting in which they fail to justify missing a required resolution update.
• Trujillo presented a proposed bylaw change expanding definitions in the council’s conflict of interest rules, including those concerning gifts and travel. The proposal would retain the existing requirement that members abstain from voting or taking action on matters in which they have a conflict of interest but would provide more detailed definitions to clarify when that requirement applies. The proposal was not brought to a vote.
• Buhs Jackson presented a proposed bylaw change that would remove the Student Advocacy and Policy Administration – a committee created in 2024 to facilitate cross-office collaboration – as it has been inactive since its creation. The proposal was not brought to a vote.
• The council unanimously approved the 2026-27 USA/BOD Programming Fund guidelines, rules for funding student organization events. The updates move allocations one week earlier and add event eligibility dates and the fund’s Instagram account to the guidelines to help organizations track deadlines.
• The council unanimously approved the 2026-27 Financial Committee guidelines and application. The contingency funding application – used by student organizations seeking funding for activities and events – will move from Google Forms to Cognito Forms to improve tracking. The guidelines retain the limit of four applications per quarter.
• The council unanimously approved the 2026-27 The Green Initiative Fund guidelines. Changes to the update guidelines include changing dates as necessary, with the guidelines staying the same as they were for the previous academic year.
• The council unanimously approved a letter recommending changes to UCLA’s student conduct code. The list includes creating guidelines for sanctioning a student, implementing an accountability structure, defining vague terms that are used to prosecute students, requiring the publishing of rationale to the student, establishing an independent appeals committee and expanding the appeals guidelines, Trujillo said. Buhs Jackson said the letter responds to interim changes proposed over the summer that she argued would eliminate hearings and undermine students’ due process protections. She also raised concern about students’ access to evidence, potential bias and a lack of transparency in sanctions under existing code.