USAC meeting roundup – Jan.8

The Undergraduate Students Association Council is the official student government of UCLA’s undergraduate students. Council meetings are Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in Kerckhoff 417 and are open to all students.

Agenda

  • The council continued discussions about the details of the proposed USAC endowment. USAC President David Bocarsly said the council plans to vote on the endowment at next week’s meeting.
  • The council voted to use $365.44 from the USAC discretionary fund to reimburse Andrea Hester, internal vice president, who paid for the administration dinner at USAC’s last retreat. The council will only take money from the discretionary fund if it cannot take the amount from money already allotted for retreats.
  • Anees Hasnain, community service commissioner, said she and Hester plan to compile a list of campus climate resources for students in response to recent campus climate incidents at UCLA. Taylor Mason, cultural affairs commissioner, said she plans to create fliers with a timeline of hate crimes at UCLA over the past four years and a pledge against hate crimes.
  • The council approved weekly contingency allocations.

Officer Reports

  • Bocarsly said Election Board chair Dana Pede told him there will be an open forum regarding possible reform to the USAC election code on Jan. 17 in Kerckhoff Grand Salon from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. He added that he is currently working with UCLA Student Affairs to help create a leadership development fund.
  • Hester said USAC will have its weekly meeting on the third floor of Covel Commons on Jan. 29. Hester added that the International Student Advisory Council, started last year, had its first election town hall meeting today and invited USAC to collaborate with programs.
  • Lana Habib El-Farra, external vice president, said her office will begin its lobbying workshops on Monday. She added that applications for the United States Student Association’s Legislative Conference are due Sunday.
  • Kim Davis, academic affairs commissioner, said her office’s academic services app is now available in both the iTunes and Android stores. Davis said she is talking with the Office of Instructional Development about possibly instituting mid-quarter evaluations for professors and teaching assistants. Davis added that her student voice empowerment forum on holistic admissions was postponed again due to legal issues on behalf of UCLA.

Special Presentations

  • Steve Gamer, executive director of the UCLA Foundation and Jacquie Gilliam, director of scholarship and fellowship for UCLA Development, explained the possibility of a USAC endowment and answered the council’s questions about the proposal. Gamer said USAC can define the endowment broadly to allow future councils to spend at their own discretion.

Compiled by Kristen Taketa, Bruin reporter

 

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