USAC’s internal vice president urged students Wednesday to vote in favor of an upcoming referendum – one of the costliest in history – that would increase funding for on-campus diversity programs and initiatives.
The USA Elections Board and the Daily Bruin co-hosted a series of debates between candidates in the upcoming USAC election. Internal Vice President Tommy Contreras presented the Student Success Referendum, which proposes a $55 quarterly fee.
Referendums require a majority of voting students’ support for approval, and referendums that adjust student fees – like the Student Success Referendum – require at least 20% voter turnout from the student body.
The referendum would increase funding for the Latinx Success Center, Transfer Student Resource Center, Veteran Student Resource Center, Academic Advancement Program, LGBTQ Campus Resource Center, UCLA Dashew Center, American Indian Community Center, Black Bruin Resource Center, Pacific Islander Resource Center and UCLA Center for Community College Partnerships.
Contreras, a fourth-year public affairs and political science student, said during the debate that the resource centers included in the referendum play an important role in helping students navigate higher education.
“Students here have an opportunity to step up and ensure that those commitments don’t disappear,” Contreras said.
Passing the referendum will be a way for students to give back to their campus community, Contreras added.
“Investing in these resources is investing in the strength of the entire UCLA student body,” he said. “Students are not being forced into this. We are choosing it. We are choosing to invest in our community, in stability and in each other.”
Students can vote in the election on MyUCLA starting May 8 at 8 a.m. until May 15 at noon.
