USAC recap – Nov. 25

The Undergraduate Students Association Council allocated over $15,000 in funding to student groups at its Nov. 25 meeting.

USAC is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings are open to all students and usually take place in person at the Bruin Viewpoint Room and on Zoom every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Students can find the links for the meetings on the agenda posted on the USAC website or watch a livestream on the USAC Live! channel on YouTube.

Public comment:

• There was no public comment at the meeting.

Funding:

• The council allocated $12,543 from the Contingency Programming Fund to two USAC entities and 45 non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $1,046.49 from the Student Wellness Programming Fund to one USAC entity and three non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $2,060 from the Travel Grant Mini Fund to six non-USAC entities.

Special presentation:

• Averie Roice, the chair of USAC’s Student Health Advisory Committee, said the committee’s main functions include spreading awareness about student mental and physical health, acting as a liaison between students and UCLA Health services, such as the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center and Counseling and Psychological Services, and advocating for student access to health care services. She added that its current projects include submitting an editorial to the Daily Bruin and other ASUCLA publications to ensure students know the difference between e-visits, telehealth services and other resources the Ashe Center provides. She added that SHAC is also focused on increasing information about its efforts among the student body.

Appointments:

• The council appointed Odalis Cruz, a third-year political science student, to the Student Initiated Outreach Committee.

• The council appointed General Representative Brett Berndt, a fourth-year political science and urban planning student, to the Transportation Services Advisory Board.

• The council appointed Alysa Ha, a fourth-year public health student, to the Student Initiated Outreach Committee.

Officer reports:

• President Diego Bollo said in his written report that he held a fireside chat with Chancellor Julio Frenk and discussed funding opportunities for Aleph, an undergraduate research journal focused on the arts, humanities and social sciences.

[Related: UCLA cuts funding, class credit status from undergraduate research journal ‘Aleph’]

• Internal Vice President Tommy Contreras said his office has started weekly fundraisers to support student organizations. Contreras added that his office is collaborating with the First Generation Pre-Law Association to hold a Q&A with immigration attorney Kathleen Martinez, who has more than two million followers on TikTok, on Dec. 2.

• External Vice President Sherry Zhou said her office was present at every UC Board of Regents meeting the previous week.

• General Representative Talia Davood did not attend the meeting and did not update her written report for the week.

• General Representative Jayha Buhs Jackson said in her written report that she started planning for a winter quarter student workers’ social, and will also compile a Google sheet to share resources among the employees. She added that she met with Steve Lurie, the associate vice chancellor of campus and community safety, and discussed appointing student representatives to UCLA’s Police Accountability Board. The PAB, which is made up of UCLA staff and students, reviews investigation reports and makes suggestions to the chief of police.

• Brendt said he scheduled a collaborative event with Zhou’s office to discuss Senate Bill 79 on Jan. 20. SB79 made it legal to build more multi-family homes near transit centers such as rapid bus lines and rail stations.

[Related: Professors react to new law, potential impact on LA housing, transport]

• Academic Affairs Commissioner Cristopher Espino said in his written report that his directors of access and equity have scheduled meetings with administrators to review Student Experiences of Teaching, which is designed to improve educational experiences through course evaluations, according to the UCLA Teaching and Learning Center.

• Campus events commissioner Daniel Leal said FUNK’D UP, a free concert that his office held Nov. 20, was a success. He added that the last event of the quarter, Noon Tunes, a Kerckhoff patio concert series, will be held Dec. 4.

• Community Service Commissioner Edison Chua said in his written report that he completed general recruitment for the Basic Needs Coalition, a coalition meant to encourage undergraduate students and administrators to promote basic needs services, and the Youth Empowerment Coalition, a collection of UCLA clubs dedicated to improving the lives of young people.

• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Divine Trewick did not update her written report for the week.

• Financial Supports Commissioner Nico Morrone did not update his written report for the week.

• Facilities Commissioner Joy Huang said her office’s transportation committee met with UCLA Transportation to discuss parking permits being limited.

[Related: Daily student parking permits to be ‘significantly limited’ beginning January 2026]

• Student Wellness Commissioner Hannah Yip said her office will host a town hall in collaboration with Swipe Out Hunger, an organization that works to alleviate college food insecurity, on Dec. 2 in Kerckhoff Grand Salon.

• Transfer Student Representative Hyerim Yoon said in her written report that her office began reaching out to organizations and community colleges with the survey on assist.org – a website that gives students access to transfer requirements and agreements between California community colleges and four-year universities.

• International Student Representative Keya Tanna said she worked closely with UCLA residential life performer scheduling, cultural showcases, script coordination, food and vendor logistics, and tabling for the Bruins Around the World, an annual event that celebrates the cultural diversity of UCLA through performance and food, on Dec. 3.

Agenda items:

• A proxy for Trewick introduced a bylaw change to create a new committee dedicated to providing resources and hosting events for immigrant students. She added that the committee would be student-driven to empower students as advocates for access, retention and success in higher education.

• The council motioned to enter an executive session due to a “personnel matter,” which was closed to the press. Bollo said that no action was taken during the executive session.