The face of the largest student-run campus enterprise is
evolving to respond to a projected decrease in enrollment figures
and a recent turnover in its leadership.
In the coming months, the Associated Students of UCLA will be
conducting an intensive review of its goals and functions in
response to a formal request by Chancellor Albert Carnesale.
Members of the association hope the process will result in an
organization that better meets the demands of the campus
population.
The review will occur in four stages, with the last culminating
in a draft of a job description for a new executive director.
Student Union Director Jerry Mann said the search for the permanent
head of the association may not begin until school starts in
September to ensure student participation in the process.
The executive director post is currently occupied by Interim
Executive Director Bob Williams, who was appointed after the
resignation of Patricia Eastman last year.
The association’s self-review process means a permanent
executive director may not be appointed until the next academic
year, leaving Williams in the interim position until a candidate is
chosen.
Williams said he is willing to stay for as long as it takes to
find a new executive director and that he “would serve in any
capacity that (the board) wanted.”
He added that the association will need to evaluate its
operating and budget strategy for different services on campus,
including stores, restaurants and services provided in Ackerman
Union and Kerckhoff Hall. With student enrollment expected to
decrease next year, the association is readjusting its plans to
renovate campus service locations to match the reduced potential
customer base.
A few programs, such as one where students are asked to evaluate
new lines of food and store products, have been implemented to
develop a new operating strategy.
“We’re looking at different operating procedures,
ways to increase our sales … and to increase partnership and
integration with the campus,” Williams said.
Members of the entities committee, created to facilitate
communication among the ASUCLA Board of Directors, the
Communications Board, which includes Student Media, and student
governments, met last week to discuss the process of evaluating the
association’s mission statements.
“We need to craft a better vision of what the
association’s functions and goals are. It’s natural to
take a look at the structure of the organization when a long-term
executive director leaves,” Mann said.
Representatives from the Graduate Student Association said they
believe ASUCLA’s evaluation process is beneficial because it
will help the association adjust to student needs.
“Having an evaluation once in a while is good for the
association to be more adaptive and cater to student needs, as long
as the process isn’t done (so) often that it bogs down the
association,” said GSA President Hanish Rathod.
While GSA expressed approval of ASUCLA’s steps, its
undergraduate counterpart said it is concerned with the scope of
the review process and the amount of input from the student
governments that the association takes into account.
Matt Kaczmarek, external vice president of the Undergraduate
Students Association Council, said board members told USAC they
would only be evaluating the association’s services and
enterprises functions.
But Kaczmarek said he felt documents presented at the entities
committee meeting indicated the association was planning to conduct
a review that extends beyond those functions. The student
governments need to be included in such discussions, he said.
The association has asked both student governments and other
group representatives who attended the committee meeting to submit
their comments on the evaluation plan discussed on Thursday.
Regarding Williams’ seemingly extended tenure as head of
the association, some of its leaders expressed confidence in his
abilities based on his performance so far.
“Bob has done a good job in assuming the role of the
executive director. … He has established good relationships with
the university groups and integrated ASUCLA into the university
fabric,” said Finance Director Rich Delia, who works closely
with Williams on budget issues for the association.
Other members said Williams’ 20-year history working with
the association will help him succeed in guiding the association
through the current budget crisis.
“Because of Bob’s long tenure, he has the best
interests of the association at heart. … I know that whatever
changes are being made are best for the students,” Mann
said.