Undergraduate student government leaders unanimously voted Tuesday to place a referendum on the spring elections ballot that calls for the creation of a transfer representative council seat.
Though the referendum failed to gather signatures from the 15 percent of undergraduate students needed to put it on the ballot, the Undergraduate Students Association Council voted in favor of bypassing the signature requirement and letting students vote for the referendum in the upcoming elections.
The referendum calls for a transfer representative position on USAC to directly represent transfer students, who make up about one-third of the undergraduate student body.
If the measure passes with a two-thirds vote in the May USAC elections, it would change the Associated Students UCLA and Undergraduate Students Association Constitution. USAC would also have to hold a special election early next school year to fill the position.
USAC Election Board adviser Kris Kaupalolo said a special election would likely cost about $6,000 – a similar price to spring elections. Additionally, a new election board chair for the year would have to be immediately appointed to run the special election, months before the chair is usually appointed.
More than 20 transfer students came to each of the last two USAC meetings to voice their support for the referendum during public comments and discussion.
“There are a lot of transfer voices on campus,” said Randall Call, a fourth-year sociology transfer student. “We think this position will help organize these voices.”
Students from the Transfer Student Task Force began campaigning for a transfer representative position late last quarter, Call said.
Although the position is meant to give transfer students representation on USAC, the referendum does not require a transfer student to hold the new position.
The council removed a clause requiring the position to be held by a transfer student following a request from USAC General Representative Sunny Singh. It was removed due to concerns about potential discrimination complaints that could invalidate the position’s constitutionality in the future.
Heather Adams, a fourth-year psychology transfer student, said she would prefer that a transfer student who shares the experiences of other transfer students hold the position.
Adams said she thinks getting the referendum on the ballot will help transfer students come together, but the position needs to be marketed extensively. She said she thinks many transfers are not familiar with USAC.
USAC elections will be held May 6-8.