USAC recap – March 3

The Undergraduate Students Association Council is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings take place every week on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in Kerckhoff 417 and are open to all students. Watch a live stream of the meeting on the USAC Live! YouTube channel.

Agenda

• The Council unanimously allocated $1,220 from the Contingency Programming Fund to student groups.

• Ryan Snyder, of the Ryan Snyder Associates urban planning and transportation firm, gave a special presentation on plans for a new bike lane on Westwood Boulevard.

• Discussion and voting on the Resolution Calling for a Bike Safe Westwood Boulevard was tabled and will resume at next week’s council meeting.

Officer and member reports

• Ian Cocroft, a third-year political science student and proxy for USAC President Avinoam Baral, said the President’s office is working with the University of California Office of the President to support bills in the California legislature that would allow UCPD officers to wear body cameras. Cocroft said Baral will meet with UC President Janet Napolitano on Thursday about mental health, sexual assault and the tuition increase.

• USAC Internal Vice President Heather Hourdequin said her office will sponsor food trucks during finals week. Hourdequin also said she is working with the External Vice President’s office to host the spring activities fair on April 1.

• USAC External Vice President Conrad Contreras said the Student Lobby Conference will take place during the third week of spring quarter. Contreras said the Student Lobby Conference trains students in lobbying techniques and gives them the opportunity to lobby California elected officials.

• USAC Academic Affairs Commissioner Allyson Bach said the Academic Senate discussed plans to create a new music school that would be separate from the School of Arts and Architecture. Bach also said her office is planning a student rally prior to the faculty vote on the diversity requirement during the first week of spring quarter.

• USAC Facilities Commissioner Carlos Quintanilla said his office is working to reform the Green Events Certification Program in order to increase monitoring of event sustainability. Quintanilla said Pauley Pavilion will be open to students for studying during tenth and finals weeks. He added that he will bring a resolution to council next week regarding water conservation on campus.

• USAC Student Wellness Commissioner Savannah Badalich said Bruin Health Week will be held from April 27 to May 3. Badalich also said she supports California Senate Bill 695, which would institute affirmative consent education for California high schools.

• USAC Transfer Student Representative Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed said she held a transfer town hall last week where students discussed plans for a possible transfer center on campus. She added that her office is working on instituting a graduation specifically for transfer students.

Compiled by Joseph Vescera, Bruin staff.