With a platform promising transparency and efficiency in student government, fourth-year political science student Homaira Hosseini was elected president in last May’s Undergraduate Students Association Council election. Assistant News Editor JJ Yang sat down with her to talk of her progress and programs she is spearheading.
Daily Bruin: What motivated you to run for president?
Homaira Hosseini: I knew I wanted to be involved on campus, and since my tenure on the Student Fee Advisory Committee was over, I was wondering what else I could do to make a difference with all the skills I learned from SFAC. After some thought I realized that I could actually offer something to UCLA with the new ideas and platforms I wanted to implement.
DB: During the election you promised transparency and efficiency to USAC. What steps has the council taken toward that goal?
HH: Currently, our Finance Commissioner, Parsa Sobhani, is working on digitalizing the Student Organizations Operational Fund applications with authentication procedures that demonstrate a new level of transparency in USAC. Our Academic Affairs Commissioner, Jeremiah Garcia, has presented all his Academic Senate appointments to council, which historically has not been the case. I have produced officer reports for council and public review that updated council on all meetings that I have attended that pertain directly and indirectly to council for its review. The Facilities Commissioner is working with the Constitutional Review Committee to analyze the Office Space Allocation Committee guideline to ensure a more efficient and transparent process than last year ““ installing preventative measures against the pitfalls of last years.
DB: Last year the Daily Bruin editorial board liked your idea to provide payment plans for students who cannot afford to pay all their fees at once this quarter. What is the status of that?
HH: I am excited to say that the Deferred Payment Plan, one of my favorite platforms, is on its way for implementation. I have been working on this payment plan for a while and had meetings with Marsha Lovell, the director of Student Financial Services this summer, and I am happy that the administration is considering it for implementation. The way it will be implemented at UCLA is better than any other UC model because we do not charge a fee for usage. You can pay your student fees in installments with check, cash, credit card, or e-check, which is a new feature for UCLA. So students have the option of paying their quarter fees in increments of 34 percent, 30 percent, 30 percent for a quarter. This payment plan will help students who are having trouble fronting all the money at once, and practically every other UC had this option except for UCLA ““ until now. There still needs to be approval from some committees, but my impression is that administration is on board and this can be implemented for UCLA by fall 2009 or winter 2010 on the new URSA.
DB: During the election, one of your platforms was a State of the University speech. Is there one planned, and when will it be delivered?
HH: The State of the University Address will be in conjunction with the inauguration of the Peace Pole we will be installing at UCLA. A Peace Pole is an 8-foot-long pole with eight sides that say “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in eight different languages. It is a sign of peace and solidarity, and there are over 200,000 of them in the world. The first Peace Pole of UCLA will be installed in Meyerhoff Park, where the first State of the University Address will be held. I am currently working on scheduling leaders of the L.A. community to come speak, and thus the date is not set due to their scheduling restraints. My State of the University Addresses will be on different parts of campus each quarter to reach to a broad scope of students. I hope to see the student body out there in support.
DB: Many students are unaware of what goes on in USAC. How would you publicize USAC to the student body?
HH: We are publicizing USAC to the general body through our full-page, color ad in the Daily Bruin, letting Bruins know about what USAC does and how to contact us. Also, all of council was present at the enormous activities fair with fliers, banners and smiling faces. Council is also getting shirts and wearing them to campus on USAC meeting days to publicize our council meetings and get students to ask us about USAC. We are also hoping to have more ads for staff applications for some offices.