In the Nov. 7 editorial, the Daily Bruin deemed the
Undergraduate Students Assocation Council to be “slow
moving” in its decision making and fulfilment of campaign
promises (“USAC required to fulfill its duties
promptly,” Viewpoint).
It is important that students understand how USAC functions.
This council has demonstrated repeatedly that it passes resolutions
with the idea that they be followed by action. When council passed
a resolution opposing Proposition 54 earlier this year, we followed
with a massive voter registration and education campaign. We worked
with numerous coalitions to register over 1,500 student voters,
precinct walked in the Los Angeles community, and brought
inspirational speakers like the Rev. Jesse Jackson and a full-blown
Welcome Concert to mobilize the campus.
When we passed a resolution in support of same-sex marriages,
several councilmembers were already organizing with the Queer
Alliance to contribute to National Coming Out Week. The
“Embrace Our Diversity” concert combined the struggles
of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community with the
need for students to vote and was an incredible success.
As a whole, USAC operates on two levels: as a collective
decision-making body during council meetings, and through services
and programs provided by each councilmember’s office.
The work done during council meetings is only a narrow channel
for serving the campus if nothing is being produced in the offices.
It is through our offices that USAC works directly with our
constituents to address the needs and issues that affect UCLA
students. Much of our work goes unpublished: 50-plus student
empowerment interns, student advocacy collectives and forums, a
student-initiated class on developing proposals for alternative
admissions, community service and health welfare carnivals and
fairs, the planning of a massive diversity conference, a critical
book-lending program, the total revamping of USAC Web sites,
innumerable concerts, movies, shows, speakers, countless more
co-programming, coalition-building, and advocacy work.
This week alone marks the second phase of USAC’s Academic
Empowerment Week, where council staffs have worked diligently in
planning educational events to mobilize students around two USAC
collective action agenda items for the academic year: the passage
of the Diversity Requirement and the repeal of the Expected
Cumulative Progress requirement. With the defeat of Proposition 54,
we are so far one-for-one.
During the Nov. 4 USAC meeting, as The Bruin accurately
reported, council unfortunately tabled the passage of a resolution
in support of organized labor. I want to personally acknowledge my
fault in the delay of such a vital piece of legislation. As
UCLA’s undergraduate representatives, councilmembers are
committed to collective accountability ““ we don’t shun
it ““ and we take the concerns as constructive criticism.
It would have been ideal to have the United Food and Commercial
Worker’s representatives leave last Tuesday with a resolution
honoring their struggle and that of all workers currently
entrenched in fights over the protection of fundamental human
rights, like affordable access to health care. We recognize that
missed opportunity.
However, it should be known by the campus (and unfortunately was
not covered in The Bruin’s article “Council postpones
vote on 2 resolutions,” News, Nov. 6) that council was able
to have two incredibly moving and informative presentations on the
struggles of supermarket and farm workers. It had been my intention
to bring representatives from the different labor struggles before
council to explain the very complex situations that workers
currently face and is often oversimplified by the media. It was my
intent that, after learning about these campaigns directly from the
source, council would feel inclined to collectively pass a
resolution encompassing and supportive of the numerous labor
fights.
Regarding other controversial and complex issues, council must
not act rashly. First, the very purpose of resolutions, or any
legislation proposed for council’s approval, should not be to
write something for the sake of writing (i.e. an empty letter of
support). Far worse is to propose on a whim to unilaterally change
policies that are very complex, such as funding bylaws that have
been shaped by decades of discussion and debate. We must not allow
a desire for instant gratification to overwhelm a careful
exploration of the history and circumstances of any given policy.
It is wrong on a national level and it would be wrong for this
council.
For instance, councilmember Joshua Lawson’s attempts thus
far to erode the significance of Officially Recognized Student
Organizations (and USAC Sponsored Groups in particular) is not a
new campaign. In the 2000-2001 academic year, under the leadership
of former USAC President Elizabeth Houston, council was involved in
bitter disputes over Houston’s attempts to eliminate the
student body’s hard-earned recognition of then-called Student
Advocacy Group status: historically underprivileged and
underrepresented student communities and/or groups that advocate on
behalf of large campus populations.
Thus, there is an incredible amount of history that encompasses
the current debate ““ a history that must be taken into
consideration in any efforts to remedy the situation. At the
statewide level, the University of California Office of the
President is nearing the end of negotiations ““ that notably
includes our External Vice President Matt Kaczmarek ““ for
determining guidelines on how UCs must fund student groups.
At the local level, after long and meaningful discussions
regarding the status and classification of USAC Sponsored Groups
(brought on by a discussion of sponsorship for UCLA Dance
Marathon), USAC committed to review the Constitution and Bylaws in
the historical context of USAC’s sponsorship of groups. This
decision was made for the purpose of analyzing what has changed,
and what criteria remains pertinent, so USAC can finally formalize
a process of sponsorship for interested groups, like Dance
Marathon.
We believe that our actions speak to the true complexity of the
matter and give it its just and due course. The campus should know
that the Dance Marathon leadership is understanding of our decision
to review the bylaws. In the meantime, we will do all we can to
help them continue their invaluable service to the campus
community.
This is your USAC in action. Is there much to improve? Most
definitely. As we continue to develop as efficient organizers, you
can count on USAC to produce even greater results. We thank all
Bruins for the support and understanding they have demonstrated
thus far.
Palma/Saracho is the USAC internal vice president.