During spring quarter the entire campus focuses on student
government elections. Many candidates have made ambitious promises
““ a standard practice at this time of year. Despite
criticisms, the current Undergraduate Students Association Council
officers and commissioners have had a number of collective
victories on which we are continuing to expand.
At the beginning of the summer the council collectively decided
to concentrate on five major goals for the year. These goals
included campaigning against Proposition 54, repealing expected
cumulative progress, implementing a diversity requirement,
developing a budget plan to present to the state Legislature, and
creating a series of subcommittees. I challenge students to use
this piece as a thorough evaluation of the work the council
committed to do.
Over the summer the council created the UCLA Vote 2003
coalition, comprised of Bruin Democrats, CALPIRG and various other
groups. This coalition worked on an intensive two-day voter
registration drive in collaboration with the Office of Residential
Life when approximately 1,500 UCLA students registered to vote. We
continued our efforts with a subsequent voter education campaign.
Internal Vice President Allende Palma/Saracho organized a
“Rock the Vote” concert, which included entertainment,
a lecture from Jesse Jackson and the distribution of information on
voting procedures and initiatives.
Proposition 54 proposed to ban the collection of race-based
information in the state of California but was successfully
defeated by UCLA students and organizers across the state.
More specific to on-campus issues, the expected cumulative
progress requires students to increase their unit loads every
quarter, leaving them with little flexibility for involvement in
other activities, employment or simply one bad quarter.
Since the implementation of this policy the council has
collaborated with the Campus Retention Committee and had meetings
with Judi Smith, acting executive dean of the UCLA College. With
the work of Academic Affairs Commissioner Sophia Kozak, academic
empowerment weeks have taken place every quarter to educate
students about this policy change. Randomized surveys were
distributed to present to the administration statistics
demonstrating the policy’s negative impact on students, and
we are working to incorporate the student voice in all levels of
the process.
Along the same lines, a 17-year struggle will come near
completion on the lawn of Dickson Court this week with
“DiversCity” tent city. This event is part of the
struggle for a diversity requirement at UCLA to require students to
take classes related to diversity issues. The requirement quest has
been rejuvenated by this year’s council. Students should feel
proud that their efforts and hard work have resulted in the
promised implementation of a diversity requirement for fall
2005.
More broadly, the council engaged in a campaign for a
pro-active, progressive budget for California. USAC External Vice
President Matt Kaczmarek and the University and Neighborhood
Learning Outreach Coalition have worked to build a legislative and
direct action campaign to ensure the interests of students are a
priority. From presentations, petition drives, meetings with every
elected official in Los Angeles, and on-campus legislative hearings
to press conferences and rallies, USAC’s cooperative efforts
have made great headway.
In addition to the explicit goals of this year’s council
there are a number of subcommittees within USAC. I will highlight
three. First, the Zara Bukirin-directed Budget Review Committee
““ which allocates base budget funding to student groups
““ increased the number of groups funded this year by almost
50 percent. The second, the Constitutional Review Committee, headed
by Palma/Saracho, revamped the entire constitution to provide more
clarity and a process for sponsorship for groups such as Dance
Marathon.
The final subcommittee I will highlight here, also headed by
Palma/Saracho, is the Student Advocacy Collective. This forum,
designed for student groups to express concerns to councilmembers,
helped establish a formalized relationship with the internal vice
president’s office and a coalition of on-campus student
groups, namely the Interfraternity Council and the On-Campus
Housing Council.
I encourage every student to reflect on the work of the council
this year. As candidates speak of revamping Web sites, please visit
the new and improved USAC Web site. As the discussions of funding
for independent student groups continue, recognize this
year’s council will ensure the funding process is opened up
to any organization that fulfills the criteria before June.
Visit Kerckhoff Hall and have your choice of free books as this
year’s financial supports commissioner, Erica Husse-Jerome,
more than doubled the number of textbooks and readers available to
students through the Book Lending Program. As the visibility of our
council is constantly critiqued remember the first Welcome Week
Concert in Pauley Pavilion in 10 years and a series of movies
across campus brought to you by Campus Events and Cultural Affairs.
Think back to the largest Kerckhoff Hall Open House with guided
tours.
Understand the time put into consistent office hours. Know that
presentations were made to every single resident assistant and
program assistant on the Hill and to the orientation staff. The
council has tabled on Bruin Walk and at orientation and housing
fairs.
Our council was not and is not about pointless five-hour
meetings. We are about reflection and action. While I have seen
this as the responsibility of the council since my freshman year,
our student government was unable to collectively stand by these
concrete victories until this year.
The space provided cannot hold the number of victories
attributed to this year’s council, but please use this
evaluation to provide guidance and insight for next year’s
council.
McKesey is the USAC president.