At its meeting on Friday, the Associated Students UCLA Board of Directors unanimously approved the budgets for Student Media UCLA, the undergraduate student government and the graduate student government, and discussed various changes for the coming year.
The board, which quickly passed the budgets with no debate, allocated $3,348,554 for the Undergraduate Students Association and $521,725 for the Graduate Students Association.
Of Student Media’s total budget, $2,995 was allocated to most of the news magazines with the exception of Al-Talib magazine, which received $16,950. The Daily Bruin was allocated $1,663,832.
The board also discussed several upcoming changes to its roster.
With the election of Undergraduate Representative Cinthia Flores as USAC president, there will be one additional undergraduate vacancy, said Bob Williams, the executive director of ASUCLA.
Flores will appoint three new board members, one of whom will carry out the remainder of her term, and the two other members will replace Undergraduate Representatives Jesse Rogel and Amanda York for full two-year terms.
Graduate Representative Jared Fox is also leaving his term a year early, creating a vacancy in the graduate seats, Williams said. GSA President Jamal Madni will have the opportunity to appoint three students to replace Fox as well as the current Graduate Representatives Netta Avineri and Christopher Recht.
Flores and Madni have not made their appointments yet, but Williams said he expects them to be appointed by the board’s retreat next month.
Williams announced that the administration has already chosen its representatives, with David Lowenstein, the director of the Central Ticket Office, being reappointed for his 15th year on the board. Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students Robert Naples was appointed to the board, replacing outgoing Administrative Representative Monroe Gorden.
With the large influx of new members, Williams said he is prepared to take ASUCLA in a new direction next year. He added that such changes, which he did not specify the nature of, are crucial in the difficult economic climate.
Compiled by Ben Thaler, Bruin reporter.