Natalie Delgadillo: USAC programs should not depend on surplus for long-term funding

At the adjournment of Tuesday night’s student government meeting, External Vice President Maryssa Hall struck a note of caution, saying she was leaving the session with a “heavy heart.” Other councilmembers were similarly apprehensive. Their uneasiness was not misplaced. At the meeting, the Undergraduate Students Association Council voted to fund several councilmember initiatives with about […]

Natalie Delgadillo: Public access should be default option for BruinCast

In her recent remarks to the University of California Board of Regents, the new UC President Janet Napolitano stated the University’s mission: “UC teaches for California, but it researches for the world.” But by making a small change to BruinCast, an educational system already in place, UCLA can flip that statement on its head and begin […]

Natalie Delgadillo: Minor bylaws change for USAC Finance Committee ignores larger issue

We’re often told that life is all about the little things – but sometimes, it’s really the big things that matter. Last week, the undergraduate student government passed a small bylaws change while continuing to ignore a more glaring issue that has been on hold since the beginning of its term. The bylaws change passed […]

Natalie Delgadillo: USAC should weigh surplus funds early on

[media-credit align=”alignnone” width=”300″]Most students know what it feels like to crack open a textbook for the first time the day before a midterm – the sinking feeling in your stomach, the rising panic as you realize just how much you have to cram in your head before morning. As seventh week begins, the Undergraduate Students […]

Natalie Delgadillo: New online audit form still leaves room for exploitation

The Undergraduate Students Association Council Contingency Programming Fund is the most applied-to student government fund on campus, and student groups draw from it to pay for everything from large-scale events to staff retreats. But some groups have also found ways to use the money for things it was not meant for, such as alcohol, said […]

Natalie Delgadillo: Devise new UC admissions criterion to improve student diversity

Increasing diversity in light of a state ban on the use of race and ethnicity in university admissions has, for the better part of two decades, proved a difficult task at the University of California. That’s why UC Student Regent Cinthia Flores is proposing a revision to the system the UC uses to review applicants […]

Natalie Delgadillo: USAC budget reporting should be inclusive process

Every year, the Undergraduate Students Association Council receives about $2 million in student fees, and most students – the people who pay those fees – have little to no idea where the money goes. In the past weeks, the USAC Internal Vice President’s Office has attempted to create quarterly budget reports that would follow this […]