The Graduate Students Association discussed ongoing transportation improvements along Westwood Boulevard at its final meeting of the fall quarter Nov. 12.

The Graduate Students Association – the student government for graduate students – meets every other Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in the Bruin Viewpoint Room. Recordings of the meetings are posted on the GSA Live! UCLA YouTube channel.

Public comment

• No attendees spoke during public comment.

Funding

• Academic Affairs Vice President Ben Heronimus said three new students applied for the Graduate Scholarly Activities Fund, with their applications totaling $3,000 in funding. The fund supports expenses including conference attendance, research presentations and publication fees. He added that the applications had not yet been confirmed by Student Government Accounting. Heronimus said delegates should distribute the application form and promotional materials.

Special presentations

• Jack Moreau, a supervising planner with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, presented proposed improvements along 2.2 miles of Westwood Boulevard between Le Conte Avenue and Exposition Boulevard. The proposal includes protected bicycle lanes throughout the corridor, full-time bus lanes between Le Conte Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, new signalized crossings and the reconstruction of 67 curb ramps to meet accessibility standards. Moreau said the project would also include bus boarding islands – platforms that allow passengers to board without buses pulling over to the curb – and sidewalk repairs. Moreau added that the changes would reduce traffic, remove some street parking and allow buses to travel up to 20% faster. He said construction is expected to begin in spring 2027 and might be completed before the 2028 Olympic Games.
• Internal Affairs Vice President Jonathan “Jay” Vidal Contreras outlined plans to add council reporting requirements and a council comment period to forum agendas. He said reports could include information about events and concerns affecting graduate students, allowing councils to collaborate and raise issues with executive officers. Vidal Contreras asked GSA councils to prepare reporting documents by the beginning of winter quarter and formalize their procedures for selecting delegates by the end of winter quarter, before the GSA election season. He added that councils should document those procedures, share them with his office and use their official council email accounts to preserve records across leadership transitions.

Appointments

• No appointments were presented.

Officer reports

• Jessica Alexander, the Student Government Services division manager, said a networking event for graduate student leaders will be held Dec. 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Barney’s Beanery in Westwood. Alexander said GSA Forum members and leaders of other graduate student organizations will be invited and a formal RSVP will be released soon.
• President Naomi Hammonds said the initial Lunch and Conversation event – co-hosted by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center – drew 30 attendees and allowed graduate students to share advice and build community. She added that this initiative will continue quarterly. Hammonds said the Graduate Student Welfare Committee discussed housing, transportation affordability, mental health and ways to improve communication about campus resources. She said she worked with Bruin Parenting Scholars on a winter quarter initiative to address the needs of students and their families. Hammonds also said she participated in discussions about UCLA’s goals to achieve Hispanic-serving institution status and its efforts to support students through Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution and Black-serving institution designations.
• Vidal Contreras said the GSA started livestreaming on a new YouTube channel called GSA Live! UCLA. He added that Zoom is a better option for live participation because YouTube livestreams are often delayed.
• Heronimus said each GSA council should identify a representative for the Graduate Writing Center Oversight Committee – which provides student input to the center’s director – before the beginning of week 10. Heronimus said he and Hammonds plan to meet with Academic Senate leadership during week 8 to discuss artificial intelligence, international student concerns and the planned closure of UCLA’s Early Care and Education center. Heronimus raised concerns about two UCLA administrative white papers – which outline proposals for graduate and undergraduate instruction – because they were created without input from student representatives. He added that the papers had since been revised but encouraged delegates to review them.
• External Affairs Vice President Jack Feng said the UC Graduate & Professional Council will hold a virtual graduate summit Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., including sessions on basic needs, artificial intelligence, international student protections and government relations. He encouraged students to participate in public comment at the Tuesday and Wednesday UC Regents meetings at UC San Francisco. Feng said he submitted a letter in support of the LA County Board of Supervisors’ approval of a $1 million design grant for sustainability and accessibility improvements near UCLA and Westwood Village. Feng said he plans to visit Washington, D.C., from Nov. 29 through Dec. 6 to meet with congressional offices and discuss student priorities and research funding. He added that he submitted a letter opposing proposed fees for Optional Practical Training – a program allowing eligible international students to gain work experience related to their fields of study – to campus and congressional offices. Feng said he attended a UCLA police community meeting about its annual military equipment report, where participants raised concerns. He said he attended an LA Metro meeting about the Sepulveda Transit Corridor – a proposed rail line connecting the San Fernando Valley and the Westside – and is conducting research about graduate students’ priorities to share with newly elected officials.

Old business

• No old business was discussed.

New business

• No new business was discussed.