This post was updated Oct. 19 at 11:39 p.m.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council passed six resolutions throughout the summer – including ones defending protections for international students.
Resolutions serve as a way for the council to publicly affirm its stance on pressing issues and signal support for affected student groups. USAC’s summer resolutions affirmed the council’s focus on supporting marginalized communities on campus.
USAC collaborated with numerous student organizations and voices across campus on the resolutions to ensure they feel genuinely represented, said Transfer Student Representative Hyerim Yoon.
“A lot of the work that we do through our resolutions is to ensure that those groups feel supported by us,” she said.
A Resolution in Defense of SEVP Protections and International Security at UCLA
The council passed a resolution condemning the Department of Homeland Security’s revocation of Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program – which blocked its ability to enroll international students – arguing that the revocation politicized immigration enforcement and threatened the security of international students nationwide.
The council called on UCLA to confirm its SEVP certification status, strengthen crisis-response protocols, expand access to legal services and improve communication about immigration-related resources. The resolution also urged the UCLA Academic Senate to allow hybrid learning for students affected by immigration concerns and called for the creation of an advisory board to ensure the ongoing protection of international student rights.
“It was done right after DHS revoked Harvard’s SEVP certification to protect international students at UCLA as well, because it was a time that was jeopardizing our educational continuity,” said International Student Representative Keya Tanna, the resolution’s primary sponsor. “It was done to protect that and to call upon the UCLA administration to publicly reaffirm its status and its protection for international students.”
General Representative Jayha Buhs Jackson, a co-sponsor for the resolution, said it was passed to encourage professors to define a possible hybrid solution while also taking a proactive approach to supporting international students – who may face immigration-related challenges – in a hostile political climate.
A Resolution in Support of Save VIPS Initiative and Rejection of Pausing AAP Access and Retention Programs
The council passed a resolution demanding the continuation of UCLA’s Vice Provost’s Initiative for Pre-College Scholars Program and other related Academic Achievement Program services following the university’s announcement of program pauses and staff reductions due to budget cuts.
The Scholars Program provides academic support, mentorship and college readiness resources for underserved students. The resolution emphasized the VIPS program’s role in supporting Black and Brown students from the Los Angeles Unified School District, as well as promoting retention and student success at UCLA.
USAC called on UCLA administrators and the UC Board of Regents to provide $15,000 in emergency funding for summer 2025 and $200,000 for the 2025-26 academic year, ensure job security for AAP employees and maintain staffing levels. USAC officers wrote in the resolution that they support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and programs that uplift marginalized students amid nationwide rollbacks.
The UCLA Division of Undergraduate Education said in an emailed statement that it remains committed to supporting students through AAP and VIPS.
“While campus wide funding constraints have resulted in changes to some AAP services due to staffing reductions, AAP remains committed to serving students as they navigate all UCLA has to offer,” they added in the statement.
[Related: Academic Advancement Program to pause some programs, reduce staff amid budget cuts]
Resolution Calling for the Recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Day at UCLA
The council passed a resolution declaring June 6 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day at UCLA. The resolution urged the UCLA community to wear orange in solidarity with victims and survivors of gun violence and to honor the memory of Hadiya Pendleton, a Chicago teenager whose 2013 killing inspired the day of national observance.
The council supported the need for community-led and evidence-based solutions to reduce gun violence and reaffirmed its commitment to promoting responsible gun ownership and public safety.
“It was definitely pertinent to everything that’s been going on, not just in higher education but K-12 levels as well,” said Buhs Jackson, a co-sponsor for the resolution. “We wanted to really affirm this is something that USAC is well aware of and wants to work with other political leaders.”
Resolution Condemning the Campus-Wide and Global Rise of Anti-Palestinian, Anti-Arab, and Anti-Muslim Racism
The council passed a resolution condemning the rise of anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism at UCLA and worldwide. The resolution cited incidents of violence, harassment and discrimination on campus and alleged that UCLA’s administration and UCPD have failed to respond effectively.
A UCLA spokesperson said in an emailed statement that UCLA condemns hate and bias in every form and has taken action to ensure that students and staff feel safe on campus.
“There is no place for discrimination of any kind in our community,” they said in the statement.
USAC called on Chancellor Julio Frenk to issue a campuswide statement by fall quarter explicitly denouncing racism and elevating the existing UCLA Taskforce on Anti-Palestinian, Anti-Arab and Anti-Muslim Racism into a permanent standing initiative with funding and staff. The resolution also asked for the implementation of mandatory campuswide training for students, faculty, staff and police officers on recognizing, preventing and responding to anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias, discrimination and hate.
The resolution committed USAC to ongoing anti-racism advocacy, specifically pledging to keep Frenk accountable by asking him to submit quarterly progress reports until the council’s desired measures are fully implemented.
Buhs Jackson, the resolution’s primary sponsor, said USAC already passed a resolution condemning antisemitism, but did not previously have one about anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian or anti-Muslim sentiments. Yoon, a co-sponsor for the resolution, said USAC wanted to ensure marginalized students felt represented and protected.
Resolution Condemning Layoffs and Governance Changes to the Campus Retention Committee and the Student-Initiated Outreach Committee
The council passed a resolution condemning the dismissal of five project directors from UCLA’s Campus Retention Committee and Student-Initiated Outreach Committee following federal scrutiny of DEI initiatives. The resolution highlighted the historic success of these student-led programs in increasing graduation and retention rates for marginalized students.
USAC demanded the immediate extension of project director contracts, the reinstatement of their summer payroll and the protection of student hiring autonomy, while also urging that CRC and SIOC governance remain student-initiated and student-led. The resolution called on UCLA administrators, the UC Office of the President and the UC Board of Regents to safeguard access and retention programs that they called “essential” to the success of underrepresented communities.
UCLA Student Affairs said in an emailed statement that it is working with USAC to establish student-majority committees and that student leadership will play a central role in funding allocation.
“The university and Student Affairs remain committed to continuing vital outreach and retention programs,” it said in the statement. “As we collaborate with USAC on committee appointment and funding allocation processes, the Division of Campus Life will implement a professional staffing model tailored to the needs of selected programs.”
[Related: UCLA lays off some retention, access program staff amid federal DEI scrutiny]
Buhs Jackson, a co-sponsor of the resolution, said she believes the UCLA administration overstepped by making decisions about student-led organizations and projects – especially those that support diverse communities – without adequate student consultation. She added that signed on to the resolution to show her support for those student-initiated programs.
A Resolution Condemning President Drake’s Memo Banning Boycotts Against Countries By UC Student Governments
The council passed a resolution condemning former UC President Michael Drake’s directive prohibiting student governments from boycotting countries, including Israel. The resolution emphasized the council’s belief that Drake’s memo infringed upon First Amendment rights, UC policies guaranteeing viewpoint-neutral student governance and historical traditions of student activism, including divestment and boycott campaigns.
USAC alleged that the ban could potentially suppress student-led advocacy across the UC system.
“I oppose trying to take away the voice of any governing body,” said Yoon, a co-sponsor for the resolution. “This felt especially targeted to our student government at UCLA, so I wanted to make sure that we voiced our discontent.”
[Related: Student governments across UC campuses banned from anti-Israel boycotts]
The council called on then future UC President James Milliken and the administration to uphold federal and UC protections for free speech, ensure transparency in policy enactment, maintain student government’s autonomy and provide support for student activists in the event of reprisals.
USAC said in the resolution that it is committed to pursuing all avenues to protect student expression, advocacy for human rights and ethical business practices, prioritizing student welfare over institutional or reputation concerns.
In Drake’s July 2 letter to chancellors, the UC reaffirmed its opposition to boycotting companies associated with particular countries. According to a written statement from UCOP, financial boycotts are inconsistent with the UC’s commitment to sound business practices, academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas.
Buhs Jackson, a co-sponsor for the resolution, said she does not believe the administration should have any role in how USAC controls student fees because they were elected to serve students.
“Actions like this are playing into Donald Trump’s laundry list of extortion demands to UCLA,” said Adam Peddie, the external vice president of Bruin Democrats, a supporting organization for the resolution. “Just on the principle of the matter, tamping down on the free speech rights of the students at UCLA and across the UC system is against the whole ethos of higher education.”
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