USAC recap – June 6

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

Special presentations

• Inan Chowdhury, former general representative 3, told the council he is helping organize several events next week to commemorate the one-year anniversary of a shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
• Ted Crisell, who is planning to run in the 2018 California gubernatorial election, asked for the council’s endorsement and said he wanted to hold a town hall with the council in the future.

Agenda

• The council interviewed and voted on several USAC presidential appointments.
• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Malik Flournoy-Hooker and Community Service Commissioner Adriana Hardwicke said they were concerned that the two nominees for the Associated Students UCLA Board of Directors positions were members of the Bruins United slate.
• USAC President Arielle Yael Mokhtarzadeh responded by saying she thinks her office conducted adequate outreach for position, and that the individuals she nominated for the positions were the most qualified applicants.
• The council appointed Navi Sidhu, a first-year psychobiology student, to the ASUCLA Board of Directors by a vote of 11-1-0.
• The council did not appoint Jacob Matthews, a first-year history student, to the ASUCLA Board of Directors, after a vote of 3-9-0.
• The council unanimously appointed Mrinaalika Sivakumar, a third-year international development studies student, to the ASUCLA Communications Board, which oversees UCLA Student Media organizations.
• The council appointed three students to the Campus Programs Committee, which allocates funding for cultural and education groups on campus.
• The council appointed three students to the the Community Activities Committee, which provides funding for community service groups on campus.
• The council did not reappoint Susan Martinez, a fourth-year psychology student, to the Student Initiated Outreach Center after a vote of 2-7-3. The SIOC allocates funding for student run outreach and access programs.
• The council appointed two students to the Student Fee Advisory Committee, which advises Chancellor Gene Block on fee allocation.
• The council unanimously appointed Danielle Lowder, a first-year political science student, to the Student Health Advisory Committee, which advocates for adequate health care policies for students.
• The council unanimously reappointed John Yang, a third-year world arts and cultures student and as the USAC budget review director and appointed Pratik Malshe, a third-year economics student, as the next Finance Committee chair. Both the budget review director and the Finance Committee chair oversee funding allocations to student groups.
• The council unanimously approved changes to the Finance Committee’s guidelines for the contingency fund application.
• The council unanimously approved several wording changes to the Cultural Affairs Commission’s bylaws.
• The council unanimously approved its summer meeting schedule and video conferencing guidelines.
• The council unanimously approved empowering the Finance Committee chair to award contingency funds to student groups over the summer.

Officer reports

• Mokhtarzadeh said she discussed safety training with UCPD officials, and added UCPD plans to conduct a presentation with USAC about safety issues. She added she met with UCLA Government & Community Relations to discuss USAC’s advocacy efforts.
• External Vice President Chloe Pan said she worked with the CalFresh Initiative to increase the number of students applying for CalFresh, which provides low-income individuals with need-based money for food.
• Academic Affairs Commissioner Divya Sharma said he met with the University of California Student Association director of academic affairs to discuss how different UC campuses can work with each other on access and retention issues. Sharma added he is working with administrators to simultaneously broadcast class lectures through BruinCast over the summer.
• Financial Support Commissioner Aaron Boudaie said he plans to meet with the head of UCLA Parking Services to discuss commuter student issues.
• Facilities Commissioner Zahra Hajee said she is working with the UCLA Office of Emergency Management and UCPD to hold more campus safety programs, such as active shooter trainings.