The Undergraduate Students Association Council appointed two undergraduate representatives to the ASUCLA Board of Directors during its final meeting of the academic year June 4.
The council appointed Ayesha Mirza, a rising third-year computational and systems biology student, and Evan Sang, a rising third-year computational and systems biology and statistics and data science student to the ASUCLA Board of Directors during its Tuesday meeting.
The ASUCLA Board of Directors oversees the executive and financial decisions of the entire student union and is composed of ASUCLA’s CEO and representatives of graduate and undergraduate students, alumni and the UCLA administration.
Every year, USAC appoints two of the four undergraduate student representatives for a staggered, two-year term on the board.
USAC President Adam Tfayli said Mirza and Sang both have impressive educational backgrounds – including volunteering with student-run organizations and employment with ASUCLA – which made them well-suited for the board.
“It’s a combination of involvement in student labor projects and other clubs on campus, especially those that deal with marginalized communities,” Tyfali said. “It’s very important that we represent all students when appointing someone to the board of directors.”
The council unanimously voted to appoint Sang as a full voting member of the ASUCLA board of directors for a two-year term.
Sang, an employee at the UCLA Store, said he has seen the frustration of student workers employed at ASUCLA-affiliated stores. He added that he wants to be an outlet for those concerns and looks forward to improving student working conditions.
“I’ve learned a lot about the horrendous working conditions at Jimmy’s,” he said. “I’ve also seen the same issues in my own workplace, such as just bad management and lack of training.”
Sang said he believes improving the conditions may also improve the quality of service customers receive.
A representative for ASUCLA declined to comment on the allegations of poor workplace conditions.
The council unanimously voted, with one officer abstaining due to a personal connection, to appoint Mirza to the ASUCLA Board of Directors as an alternate voting member. As an alternate voting member, Mirza will have voting rights only when a regular member is absent.
Mirza said she was qualified for the position based on her past experience working for the office of the internal vice president and other organizations on campus. She added that through her involvement on campus, she began to see gaps in ASUCLA’s support for students from underrepresented backgrounds, which motivated her to become a voice for those whose needs were not being met.
“When I was coming into the school year, I didn’t really know a lot of the opportunities or even that much about USAC,” Mirza said. “I definitely want to make sure that underrepresented students are able to engage more and make their voices and their concerns heard and listened to.”
Tfayli said having student representation on the board is important to ensure students’ needs are being met. He added that he believes students should have a voice in ASUCLA’s finance decisions.
Sang said he is excited to see how he will contribute to the board next year and that he hopes to make a difference for students and student workers.
“It’s a student position, and it’s a place where we can advocate for student voices,” Sang said. “I’m really excited to do that.”
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