By George Fujii
Daily Bruin Staff
The Undergraduate Students Association Council is looking for
some help from its constituents.
Undergraduate students have until 5 p.m. today to apply for
positions on administrative and Associated Students of UCLA
committees, and for positions within USAC.
Applications are available at the Center for Student
Programming, Student Union Operations on Ackerman A-level or
online.
The appointments which USAC seeks to make fall in three general
categories: administrative or chancellorial committees, ASUCLA
committees and USAC positions.
Some of these committees are the Chancellor’s Advisory
Committee on Religion, Ethics and Values, the USAC Election Board
and the Student Health Advisory Committee.
The president recommends prospective appointees to USAC’s
Appointments Review Committee, which consists of the internal vice
president and two council members appointed by the president. ARC
then forwards one candidate for each position to the council, which
must approve the candidate by a majority vote.
This year, ARC consists of IVP Elias Enciso, General
Representative Ryan Bulatao and Facilities Commissioner Steve
Davey. Enciso and Bulatao ran for office on the Praxis slate, and
Davey ran as an independent.
USAC President Elizabeth Houston said while prior experience is
important, it will not be her only appointment criteria.
“What’s more important is that they are hard-working
and may be from groups not represented in student
government,” she said.
Houston said that under previous councils, students may have
found it difficult to get involved with USAC. “That’s
what I’m hoping to change,” she said.
Enciso said ARC will look for quality and experience from
applicants. He added that each position has different needs.
“Some of the positions do require that the person is very
experienced, and there are other appointments where the student can
learn the process,” Enciso said.
Students serve on most committees for one year. But for seven of
the committees ““ including the Student Fee Advisory
Committee, the ASUCLA Board of Directors and the Wooden Center
Board of Governors ““ members serve two-year terms.
Appointments outside USAC include the ASUCLA Communications
Board, which oversees the Daily Bruin and other student
publications, the Student Initiated Outreach Committee and the
Student Conduct Committee.
Within USAC, appointments include the Budget Review Director,
who chairs the committee that gives student groups annual funding
from USAC; and the Finance Committee Chair, who leads the committee
that allocates USAC’s per-program funding.
Bulatao, who served on the Finance Committee this year, said
familiarity with the office is very important for this
position.
“They have to know the back and front,” Bulatao
said, referring to the office. “They have to be aware of
annual programs and their importance.”
This year, the Interfraternity Council appealed its funding
allocation by Budget Review Committee to the USAC Judicial Board,
which rules on whether USAC’s actions follow its Constitution
and bylaws. IFC lost its case.
Enciso said BRC is an example of a position requiring prior
experience. He added that student groups may question BRC’s
decisions if they feel they were funded unfairly. “That
position is really complex and stressful,” he said.
Several positions on J-Board will be vacant due to graduating
members. Houston said J-Board justices, who serve up to four years,
must be unbiased and without an agenda.
Bulatao said appointees need to be more than just
knowledgeable.
“It’s pretty much choosing someone who we feel is
qualified and is a people person,” Bulatao said.
Enciso said ARC plans to move quickly in recommending
appointments.
“We’re going to aim for making quorum Monday,
immediately after deadline,” Enciso said.
USAC will approve its appointments in a series of meetings,
depending on when ARC decides on each of the candidates.
Applications for USAC-appointed positions are available online
at http://students.asucla.ucla.edu/AppointmentsApp.html.