Every summer UCLA hosts over 300 conferences and programs that give outside visitors a feel for the university, keep thousands of staff employed, and lower housing costs for students during the academic year.
The goals of the UCLA summer conference program are to help offset student room and board rates during the academic year and raise money for capital improvements, said Samantha Chan, director of conference services and catering for UCLA Housing.
“If the conference program didn’t exist, our staff would be laid off for the summer,” Chan said.
Chan added that the total revenue from the conference programs is over $15 million from 79 days of operation. Though Chan said she could not specify how much the revenue lowers housing costs, she estimated that it affects the rates by a couple of percentage points each year.
The conferences and programs staying in the UCLA residential halls serve market segments ranging from computer camps with a dozen participants to weekend conferences with over 1,500 attendees, according to a document released by the housing office.
Other groups with a significant presence on campus include the orientation program, UCLA sports camps and the National Youth Leadership Forum.
Chan said the National Youth Leadership Forum is a pre-professional program for high school students focusing on medicine and law and consists of three week-long sessions with 400 students attending each one.
Academic gatherings such as the Genetics Society of America’s four-day conference last week attracted 1,500 visitors in one weekend, but college preparatory programs like the U.S. Performing Arts camps stay the entire summer on campus, Chan said.
Judith Patterson, the chief executive officer of U.S. Performing Arts, said her company has partnered with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television to offer workshops on subjects ranging from dance to television.
“We want to give participants a taste of what it’s like to be a student at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television,” Patterson said, adding that the workshops focus intensely on one craft, and students often take their work back with them to the residence halls.
Myrl Schreibman, a film and television professor who is involved in developing the curriculum for U.S. Performing Arts, said many participants end up applying to UCLA.
“I’ve heard that anywhere from 60-70 percent of applicants to the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television went to our program, and a significant number are accepted,” Schreibman said.
Patterson said UCLA faculty and notable people in the performing arts teach the 950 participants at U.S. Performing Arts and that many of the workshops offer college credit.
While some of the programs offer a taste of the UCLA experience, the amenities on the Hill for summer visitors differ from those offered to students in the academic year, Chan said.
“Sunset Village and De Neve Plaza are geared toward adult conferences and have daily maid service and rented televisions, while Hedrick and Rieber Court offer linen packs and a weekly maid service for student visitors,” she said.
She said the dining program is consistent with the rest of the year, but features dishes such as salmon and seasonal fruits that are not usually offered.
One of the longest running summer programs at UCLA is Summer Discovery, which has called the campus its home since 1986, said executive director Jimmy Musiker.
Musiker said Summer Discovery brings in around 700 high school aged students to experience life as a UCLA student through dorm life, summer session classes and visits to local attractions.
“Our mission is to bridge the gap between high school and college by offering a college experience with a little more supervision,” Musiker said.
He described Summer Discovery as a sort of “freshman orientation” that emphasizes a well-rounded experience, rather than a focus on one area.
Participants pay $7,599 for tuition in the six-week program, according to the Summer Discovery Web site.
Musiker said the program has a long-standing economic relationship with several departments at UCLA, as participants take advantage of recreational services, fleet services, summer sessions and catering.
“The mutual support we have for each other is wonderful,” he said.
The summer programs and conferences have become essential to UCLA, with 85 percent of programs coming back every year, Chan said.
“Conferencing has become an integral part of our fiscal budget ““ it’s like revenue for a fourth quarter,” she said.