USAC recap – Feb. 1

During the Undergraduate Students Association Council meeting Feb. 1, student leaders expressed their frustration with the UCLA administration’s failure to mandate universal hybrid learning options amid the return to in-person instruction. They stood in solidarity with the Strike for Safety Protest in Murphy Hall.

Public Comment:

• Quinn O’Connor, co-founder of the Disabled Student Union and a fourth-year theater student, said that she is participating in the DSU, USAC and Mother Organizations coalition’s demonstration in protest of UCLA administration’s disregard for disabled students and students of color. O’Connor added that they are calling on the council to encourage their offices to continue the sit-in at Murphy Hall. They also said that they will continue to sit in Murphy Hall until the administration agrees to their demands and presents solutions.
• Hannah Regan, USAC’s Office Space Allocation Committee chair, said that OSAC applications for the 2022-2024 school years are currently open and will close Friday of week 10. She added that all student organizations that are interested in applying for office space in Kerckhoff Hall are required to apply in order to secure a space. She also said that OSAC is hosting workshops in week six and week eight to answer questions about the application process. She added that her office hours are on Wednesdays from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Samone Anderson, Afrikan Student Union chairperson and a fourth-year African American studies and political science student, said that the Black Bruin Resource Coalition does not have enough funds to provide sufficient resources, programming space and community space for Black students on campus.
• Ryan Factora, a second-year pre-human biology and society student and retention coordinator for Samahang Pilipino, said Samahang Pilipino stands in solidarity with the DSU’s demands. He added that universal hybrid education is essential for communities of color and communities that are most affected by the pandemic. Factora also said that the denial of universal hybrid education is emblematic of a broader trend of neglect within Student Affairs. He said that the Community Programs Office is an unfit administrative project designator given its harassment, gaslighting of student workers and student staff, and mismanagement of students.
• Sachi Cooper, a fourth-year geography student and former USAC Facilities commissioner, said she supports the DSU, USAC, and Mother Organizations coalition’s strike for hybrid access. She added that UCLA is providing a service that students are paying for, and it is ultimately the students’ choice in what they do with their education. She also said the university prioritizes the needs of staff but not that of students.
• O’Connor read a written public comment from an anonymous disabled student who described the benefits of hybrid learning and said that remote options made them feel safer. The statement added that remote options will benefit students in a post-pandemic world.
• Student Wellness Commissioner Tayloneei Jackson, a fourth-year human biology and society student, read three written public comments criticizing what they said was UCLA’s negligence in transitioning to in-person classes and advocating for hybrid options.

Allocations:

• The council allocated $8,602.13 to 16 non-USAC entities and one USAC entity for funding activities and events for the Undergraduate Student Body.
• The council allocated $984.76 to Community Service Commission groups and $300 to non-Community Service Commission groups to fund on-campus service projects and the service initiatives of UCLA student organizations.
• The council allocated $23,163.26 to 12 non-USAC entities to promote cultural diversity through the arts.
• The council allocated $349.91 to Beta Alpha Psi, an accounting honors society, for a painting social.
• The council allocated $801.59 to United Khmer Students at UCLA, a student organization dedicated to fostering a welcoming environment for Khmer culture at UCLA, for an alumni dinner.
• The council allocated $750.00 to Consult Your Community at UCLA, an organization that provides pro bono consulting services to small businesses in Los Angeles, for a retreat.
• The council allocated $197.97 to DataRes at UCLA, a platform that allows data scientists to collaborate, for their merchandise shipping.
• The council allocated $276.67 to Bruin Builders, an organization dedicated to promoting physical and mental health through exercise and nutrition, for their Solar Decathlon.
• The council allocated $152.00 to the Regents Scholar Society for a mentorship social.
• The council allocated $616.67 to the Rocket Project at UCLA, an organization that teaches rocket engineering, for its retreat cancellation fees.
• The council allocated $620.00 to the Undergraduate Research Journal of Psychology at UCLA for a winter and spring workshop series.
• The council allocated $441.99 to USAC Office of the President for Learn, Ask, and Give: Mental Awareness with the Office of the President.
• The council allocated $70.00 to the Association of Chinese Americans for the ACA House Olympics Dodgeball.
• The council allocated $2,483.33 to the Film and Photography Society for winter quarter productions and photoshoots.
• The council allocated $229.33 to the Asian American Christian Fellowship for appreciation.
• The council allocated $395.00 to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for Wellness Boxes for the Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program.
• The council allocated $401.00 to Confections for a Cause, an organization focused on fundraising for charity for baking workshops.
• The council allocated $500.00 to the Alumni Scholars Club for the Alumni Mentorship Program watch party.
• The council allocated $250.00 to Students for Community Outreach, Promotion and Education for funding a website.
• The council allocated $66.67 to Bruin Belles Service Association, an organization dedicated to the promotion of women’s leadership for the women’s leadership conference.

Resolutions:

• The council approved a resolution in support of student choice for access to education and the immediate implementation of universal access to a hybrid learning model and remote learning options across campus.

Agenda:

• The council approved the guidelines for the 2022 elections board. The new guidelines removed the requirement for candidates to use hashtags in their social media posts.

Reports:

• President Breeze Velazquez said her office met with the Academic Senate and the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Task Force to discuss student needs regarding the return to in-person instruction. She added that her office met with leaders at other UC campuses to discuss how they have been supporting their students with remote options. Velazquez also said that she brought up these concerns with the senate, but she did not hear back from the senate regarding these concerns. She said that her office had a monthly meeting with Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Monroe Gorden Jr. and addressed ongoing issues with the CPO, the lack of resources for the BBRC and COVID-19. Velazquez said her office decided to collaborate with the DSU and the Mother Organizations coalition to stand in solidarity and plan a strike and not attend classes. Velazquez added that Chancellor Gene Block and Gorden have been out of town during the sit-in. She also said that during the sit-in Monday, her office was able to meet with Vice Chancellor Michael Beck, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Development Suzanne Seplow and the Chair of the senate Jody Kreiman. Velazquez said that UCLA administrators continued to argue during the meeting that academic freedom, or the right of professors to promote free inquiry and controversial material, was a reason why implementing universal hybrid learning options was impossible. She added that her office interrupted the meeting to bring attention to the mass shooter threat circulating social media. Velazquez also said that the administrators said they had known about the individual making threats against UCLA for months. Her office encourages students to speak out and email administrators demanding hybrid options, she added.
• Internal Vice President Cassandra Gatica said her office met with Student Government Accounting and the Economic Crisis Response Team to discuss the Housing Relief Forward Initiative and an off-campus housing resource guide for students. She said that her office’s Campus Safety Alliance is looking to speak with the administration on how the mass shooting threats could have been handled better.
• External Vice President Sarah Wang said her office will hold a Title IX panel Feb. 16 at 5 p.m. She added that the first candidate debate is set for Feb. 28 at 6 p.m., and her office is looking for moderators and representatives to ask questions. Her office is trying to establish an asynchronous election day but the Academic Senate was not receptive. She said that her office is trying to work with students and faculty to continue advocating for an asynchronous election day.
• General Representative 1 Hailey Valles said in a written report that her office met with a representative from the Academic Senate Committee on general education governance. She added that her office will be collaborating with the General Education Committee Chair to push for the addition of a Science Technology Reading Engineering Art and Math General Education model. She also said that her office proposed a Foster Youth Advocacy Scholarship to support foster youth’s pursuit of education. Valles added that her office is working with GR1 on a resolution and presentation on a project collaboration with the Academic Affairs Commission. She also said that her office is working to create a workshop for the You Belong Here campaign with the Student Wellness Commission and will also be meeting with UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services administration to give updates on the Holistic Wellness Coalition.
• General Representative 3 Carl King said in a written report that his office met with the Executive Director of Ashe Center to discuss student concerns regarding isolation practices, false-positive COVID-19 tests and the COVID-19 test supply. He added that his office participated in the DSU-led protest as a safety proctor. He also said that his office attended UCLA Administration Townhall and released a recap. King said his office scheduled a follow-up meeting with Vice Chancellor Monroe Gorden Jr. regarding student complaints.
• Academic Affairs Commissioner Angelina Quint said her office is working on a letter calling for academic leniency for upcoming midterms and exams given the recent threats and rising stress level of the student body. She added that her office is starting monthly meetings with the Academic Senate for greater transparency and communication between the Academic Senators and the Undergraduate Student Council. Quint also said that her office is working with the DSU, Facilities Commission and Center for the Advancement on Teaching to create a video to educate professors on remote and hybrid learning options. She said her office’s Access and Equity team hosted a resume workshop with the career center Jan. 31, and her Campus of Care Team is working with the UCLA Library on a syllabi initiative.
• Financial Supports Commissioner Emily Yu said in a written report that her office opened the Academic Materials Rental Program with a new accountability system. She also said that her office will meet with the office of GR2 and the Economic Crisis Response Team director Serifa de la Cruz to discuss the possibility of working with ECRT to help non-California resident students pay for travel fees incurred due to changes in the return to campus procedures for winter quarter. She said that the UCLA Store is holding the Blue Books and Scantron Sheets program that will make these materials available to any student who asks at the UCLA Store counter. She added that her office sat in and slept through the night in Murphy Hall in the Strike for Safety Protest.
• Transfer Representative Herman Luis Chavez said in a written report that his office will be presenting at the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students alongside the Transfer Student Center from Feb. 1 through Feb. 5. He added that his office’s Diversity and Intersectionality Committee attended the Mother Organizations coalition’s town hall meeting and is looking into a potential collaboration with Asian Pacific Coalition. Chavez also said his office’s External Relations committee met with a legislative staffer from the Office of Assembly and hosted Regents Week on social media with the office of the external vice president. He also said that his office hosted two midterm study halls during week four and is also working on events in February for Black History Month and Valentine’s Day.