UCLA Student Affairs In Focus Publication Spring 2009

A publication of UCLA Student Affairs

StudentParticipation in

UniversityGovernance

SPRING 2009

STUDENT AFFAIRS ORGANIZATION

W elcome to another edition of In Focus: The UCLA Student, dedicated to all our students and the greater campus community.This special issue provides a close look at the truly extraordinary

contribution that UCLA students make every day to University governance,and explores some of the many ways that students demonstrate their com-mitment to campus life and to their own lives, by helping to guide UCLA and its students towards continued success.

Our In Focus feature, “UCLA’s Finest,” illustrates the numerous ways thatstudents participate in the governance of UCLA, as well as the UC system. UCLA boasts a larger proportion of studentinvolvement in University governance than any of the other nine UC campuses, and we’ve interviewed several out-standing students who have been influential.

Also on these pages you will find some short news and information articles, including two written by students:“IDEAS: Improving Dream Equality Access and Success,” by second-year student, Jennifer Lopez, reports on some ofthe issues facing undocumented students. Third-year student, Devna Shukla, writes about “Camp Shalom,” a two-dayretreat program offered by the Office of Residential Life in which students come together to converse about diversity.

Another highlight: “ASUCLA” examines the nationally recognized student association, while “EmpoweringCommunities” takes a look at how the Student Affairs Community Programs Office fosters leadership opportunitiesfor students from diverse backgrounds.

In Focus sat down with UCLA student leaders Jesse Melgar and Monica Sanchez, who each serve as External VicePresidents for the Undergraduate Students Association Council and Graduate Students Association, respectively.Melgar, a fourth year undergraduate, and Sanchez, a doctoral candidate in Education, share their unique perspectiveof their experiences in student government in an In Focus Question & Answer interview.

And our on-going “Student Voices” section offers up some candid responses from students to an In Focus inquiryon what they think about students’ contribution to University governance.

We hope you enjoy this issue, and that you will take some time to visit the websites and other resources listed tolearn more about the virtually countless opportunities available on campus. We encourage everyone to participatefully in the many wonderful services, programs, and events UCLA has to offer.

Janina MonteroVice Chancellor Student Affairs

a message from THE VICE CHANCELLOR

In Focus: The UCLA Studentis a publication of the UCLA Student Affairs [email protected] Editor: Kathy Wyer, Student Affairs Communications DirectorAssistant Editor: Maria WilcoxDesign: Amy McFarland/Escott Associates • Photography: Joel Mark

www.studentaffairs.ucla.eduStudent Affairs encompasses four divisions under the Office of the Vice Chancellor:Student Academic Services; Student and Campus Life; Student Development; andStudent Health. Within these divisions there are more than 20 departments providinga wide range of programs, services and educational experiences for UCLA students.

3 UCLA’S FINEST: Student Participating in Governance

7 NEWS & INFO

8 WHO’S IN CHARGE?Associated Students of UCLA (ASUCLA)

10 EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES: UCLA’s CommunityPrograms Office

12 INTERVIEW:USAC and GSAExternal VicePresidents

14 STUDENT VOICES: Governance and the UCLA Student

inside:

www.studentaffairs.ucla.edu 3IN FOCUS: THE UCLA STUDENT

By Kathy Wyer

Students play a significant and necessary role in

the governance of UCLA, as well as the University

of California system, and have a vote and a say in

issues that relate to virtually every aspect of campus life,

while helping to determine both academic and non-

academic programs and policies. Dependent on a high

degree of student activism, University governance

unfolds through an exchange of ideas and a sharing of

information that comes together in a decision-making

process informed by the voting power of a number of

key constituencies. Students form a powerful voting

bloc, and through their participation on numerous

committees and governing boards, contribute widely to

the University’s success. Additionally, students who

participate in University governance lay an energetic

foundation for their own political activism later in life,

and some go on to serve in government at the city, state,

or national level within the United States. continued on page 4

UCLA’s Finest:StudentsParticipating inUniversityGovernance

“It’s incredibly important for students to be involved inand a part of University governance. Students know ourneeds best, and so are in a position to advocate forchanges and improvements...”—Cindy Mosqueda, Education Ph.D. candidate

continued from page 3

Student participation in Universitygovernance generally flowswithin three basic channels.

The first is institutional governance,comprised of either student-only gov-erning entities, such as the Under-graduate Students Association Council(USAC) and the Graduate StudentsAssociation (GSA), governing bodies ofwhich every single UCLA student is amember, or the Associated Students ofUCLA (ASUCLA), an entity governed bya student-majority board that managesthe University’s student-owned commer-cial enterprises, including the StudentUnion, bookstores and restaurants.

Both the USAC and GSA oversee anumber of influential forums and com-mittees, such as those concerning aca-demic councils, alumni relations, andcampus policy, as well as StudentInterest boards that represent key stu-dent groups, including AmericanIndians, Asian Pacific Islanders, andinternational students, among others.

The second key channel involvesstudent representation in Universitygovernance, where students serve byeither being elected or appointed to anumber of leading committees and

boards—many of which are constitutedby a student-majority—which addressissues relating to UCLA directly. Thereare numerous examples, but some ofthe most prominent include the stu-dent-majority governing boards of theStudent Fee Advisory Committee, JohnWooden Recreation, and the StudentActivities Center.

The third channel addresses the gov-ernance of the University of Californiasystem as a whole, where students servethrough appointments for entities thatplay a system-wide role, such as the UCBoard of Regents and the University ofCalifornia Students Association.

It takes exceptional motivation andcommitment for any student to givetime and energy to anything beyondmaintaining a “normal” schedule filledwith attending classes, studying,engaging in extracurricular activities,and finding time for a social life. Yetthe ways that students contribute toand participate in University gover-nance are countless and invaluable,and the students who do so are someof UCLA’s finest. Not surprisingly, gov-erning boards where students holdmajorities have become a driving force.

Mick Deluca, Director of UCLARecreation, Department of Cultural andRecreational Affairs, which overseesJohn Wooden Recreation and theStudent Activities Center, both ofwhich are governed by student major-ity boards, believes students’ role inUniversity governance is essential:“The concept of having student major-

ity boards is to ensure students wouldhave both an active voice, and sub-stantial input and influence into on-going operations. Their involvementhas truly shaped both the day-to-dayoperations and delivery of service, andis also the foundation for providingservices and meeting needs for thefuture. The commitment of student

4 IN FOCUS: THE UCLA STUDENT SPRING 2009

”It is students’ obligation to remind decision makers oftheir responsibility to serve all students, especially theneediest students within the UC system.”—Brandon Harrison, Fourth-Year History Major

fees that go into these facilities, andthe significant on-going role of stu-dents and the boards, is a gift thatkeeps on giving. Their input is a clearguiding force in planning and decision-making for the University.”

A fourth year student majoring inPolitical Science, Cinthia Flores is a for-mer Board Chairperson of the StudentActivities Center. As Chair, she helpedforge a major partnership between theSAC and UCLA Student Affairs, to fundthe South Campus Student Center.Having also worked on several other

University governing committees,Flores says of student activism: “Itenriches the college experience, and isa good way to build a support systemamong students on campus. I have metsome of the greatest people throughmy participation in student governance,and I’ve gained critical leadership andorganizational skills as a result.”

In addition to facilities management,students also have a majority vote inthe application of mandatory fees,which affect every single student atUCLA. Funds from fees cover a variety

of costs the University incurs,including those associatedwith registration, facilitiesmanagement, and coursematerials. The Student FeeAdvisory Committee (SFAC),first established in 1969 asthe Registration FeeAdvisory Committee underthe initiative of then UCLAChancellor Franklin Murphy,holds a turnkey position inUniversity governance.Because students under-stand first-hand the burdenthat fees place on them, the

SFAC advises the Chancellor on howsuch fees should be used, and its scopeencompasses core/institutional pro-grams that are student-service innature. Four undergraduate and fourgraduate students form a majority-vot-ing bloc on the governing board of theSFAC, which also includes four non-stu-dent members appointed by theChancellor. The SFAC weighs in onmatters relating to university wide-fees,which apply to students at all ten cam-puses in the UC system, as well as feeswhich are campus-based.

The 2008-09 Chair of the SFAC,Cindy Mosqueda, a Ph.D. candidate inEducation, brings experience to hercurrent position from her former seatas Vice President of External Affairs forthe Graduate Students Association,where she addressed affordabilityissues relating to student fees andfinancial aid at a statewide level. Nowfocusing on such issues at UCLA,Mosqueda says: “It’s incredibly impor-tant for students to be involved in anda part of University governance.Students know our needs best, and soare in a position to advocate forchanges and improvements.

Oftentimes, even administrators whowork in Student Affairs have little con-tact with students directly and thusonly know about these issues in theaggregate, while the student represen-tative on a committee such as theSFAC can discuss her own experiences,as well as those of her peers.”

While issues relating to UCLAdirectly may be of obvious concern,those relating to the UC system overallaffect every student, as well. A UCLAstudent committed to system-wide UCgovernance is Brandon Harrison, afourth year undergraduate Historymajor, who serves as the 2008–09Chair of the Legislative AffairsCommittee for the University ofCalifornia Students Association. TheUCSA is enormously influential in mat-ters relating to all ten UC campusschools, and has national visibility.Harrison, who advocates for a moreaffordable and accessible Universitysystem, is currently working towardsestablishing regular statewide districtlobby visits with state legislators, andhe hopes to produce a newsletter toinform policy makers and students alikeon legislative issues affecting studentsin the UC system. Says Harrison,“Student participation in Universitygovernance is intrinsic to a healthyUniversity system. It is students’ obliga-tion to remind decision makers of theirresponsibility to serve all students,especially the neediest students withinthe UC system.”

continued on page 6

www.studentaffairs.ucla.edu 5

“I want to be a part of a movement that strivesfor change, seeking the betterment of societyon an everyday basis, knowing that togetherour efforts will translate into bigger change.”

—Elaine Reodica, Fourth-Year Political Science Major

continued from page 5

Elaine Reodica, a fourth yearPolitical Science major who serves asFinancial Supports Commissioner forthe Undergraduate StudentsAssociation Council, a student-onlygoverning Board at UCLA, also worksto ensure that students’ financial needsare met. Helping to alleviate the day-to-day financial burdens that studentsface, Reodica has been activelyinvolved in establishing a new text-book scholarship funded by the USAC,and has helped secure $20,000 forsuch a purpose. Says Reodica, “Myinvolvement has given me a deeperunderstanding of what it means to beof service to others, and I find being ina position of service to be a privilege. Iwant to be a part of a movement thatstrives for change, seeking the better-ment of society on an everyday basis,knowing that together our efforts willtranslate into bigger change.”

The opportunities for students toparticipate in governance are count-less, and the ways they do so areunique. Joel Laguna, a fourth yearPolitical Science major, serves aselected president of Delta Lambda Phi,a National Social Fraternity for Gay, Bi,and Progressive men. A student-onlyorganization, its members are dedi-cated to philanthropy relating toLesbian Gay Bi-Sexual andTransgender (LGBT) issues, includingsupporting an annual AIDS Walk.Laguna’s emphasis this year is on theTrevor Project, a social initiative look-ing to establish a University-wide semi-

nar to address suicide among youth.“The statistics on youth our age whoattempt suicide are staggering, andmany people are just not aware of theissue. By having a seminar, we hope toeducate people campus wide on howto help themselves and others, as away of saving lives.”

A group working on a personalizedlevel is Hermanas Unidas de UCLA, astudent-run organization overseen byAnalee Villalpondo, a third year under-graduate who serves as president.

While Hermanas Unidas is Latina-based,it is open to everyone who shares in thebelief of “Poder de La Mujer,” or thepower of the woman. Villalpondo says,“We are a familial organization provid-ing academic support, community serv-ice, and social networking, and look tohelp members become well roundedwomen, as well as future leaders.”

Whether the issues are social orfinancial, academic or non-academic,students’ work on University governingcommittees and boards can also nour-

SPRING 2009

The United States presidential elections heldin the fall of 2008 sparked a high level of stu-dent interest in national politics and saw thecreation of The Ultimate College Bowl, an ini-tiative that brought together the largest voterregistration organizations nationwide. Its goalwas to see that every U.S. college studentregistered and voted in the 2008 election.

The Ultimate College Bowl asked college campuses nationwide to compete tosee who could register the most student vot-ers for the 2008 elections. UCLA, with itsown “8,000 in ‘08” drive, ranked thirdamong colleges and universities nationwide,and exceeded its goal by registering 8,587student voters. Two other UC schools placedfirst and second: UC Santa Barbara, whichregistered 10,266 student voters, won firstplace, and UC Berkeley, which registered9,822 student voters, came in second.

THEULTIMATECOLLEGE BOWL:Student Voter Registration


UCLA students are serious about theiracademic studies, and virtually identicalaverage final Grade Point Averages(GPAs) of undergraduate and transfer stu-dents prove it. In fact, the average finalGPA for both native freshmen and trans-fer students is well above a B average (3.00).

With 97% of entering freshmenreturning for the second year of study,UCLA students show an exceptional commitment to their academic careers. And notsurprisingly, such persistence among students has led to UCLA holding the highestoverall graduation rate of any campus in the UC system.

Once again, UCLA’s transfer students and their native freshmen cohorts show a closematch in the number of those who have attained degrees and graduated:

Also worth noting is attendance at Summer Session courses, which offer students away to catch-up, retake, or complete their coursework in less time. Recent studies showthat over 25% of students entering from high school attend Summer Sessions followingtheir first year at UCLA, while about 50% attend following their second and third years.Among transfer students, more than 50% attend Summer Sessions after their first year atUCLA. In recent years, over 80% of all students receiving baccalaureate degrees fromUCLA, whether as native freshmen or transfers, have attended Summer Sessions at somepoint during their undergraduate careers.

– Kathy Wyer

Data compiled by UCLA’s Office of Analysis and Information Management Fall 2007.

ish their professional careers, and per-haps even serve as a springboard intonational politics. Melanie Ho, who grad-uated in 2008 with a Ph.D. in English,contributed time to numerous initiativeswhile at UCLA, including serving asChair of the governing board of ASU-CLA, and volunteering for the UCLAAlumni Association. Her considerableexperience also encompasses workingas the graduate student representativeon the College of Letters and ScienceFaculty Executive Committee (FEC),which has authority over new courses,course revisions, and changes in degreeprograms, and serving as a student rep-resentative on the Academic SenateGold Shield Faculty Prize Committee,which selects the recipient of a presti-gious teaching award. She now worksas a higher education consultant forThe Advisory Boards Company inWashington, D.C., which provides bestpractices research and strategy servicesto senior administrators at colleges anduniversities nationwide.

Ho’s long resume of contributing tothe missions of so many committees andinitiatives related to UCLA’s governance

and student welfare could very wellstand as an expression of studentactivism itself. “I believe it’s important togive back to the communities that shapeus,” she says. “We gain so much fromour UCLA experiences largely becauseothers before us have built the Universityinto the outstanding institution that it istoday. As students, we often have usefuland unique perspectives, but if we wantthese voices to be heard, we also haveto step up and take responsibility. I thinkthat’s what University governance, or anygovernance, is about: caring about thefuture—and the present—of ourUniversity enough to come together tofind the ideas and solutions that willmake it better.”

Such activism may grow out of a wishto simply help others. Says HomairaHosseini, President of the Under-graduate Students Association, “Themost rewarding aspect of my work is tohave students explain how they areaffected by an issue and know that youcan actually help them solve a problem.I am rejuvenated when I hear studentsexclaim, “Yeah, I hate it when ‘such-and-such’ happens—so, you can fix that?” IF

“We [Hermanas Unidas] are a familial organizationproviding academic support, community service,and social networking, and look to help membersbecome well rounded women, as well as futureleaders.”

—Analee Villalpondo, Third-Year Undergraduate

UCLAUndergraduates Earn TheirDegrees!

Freshmen 65% in 4 years or less86% within 5 years90% within 6 years

Transfers54% in 2 years or less85% within 3 years88% within 4 years


By Nancy Sokoler Steiner ’85

When UCLA students becameaware of poor working con-ditions faced by laborers

picking tomatoes for Taco Bell, theyadvocated closing the chain’s UCLAoutpost. On most campuses, the finaldecision would land squarely in thehands of the university’s administration.But not at UCLA.

Here, the issue came before theAssociated Students of UCLA (ASU-CLA), a provider of services, programs,products and facilities for the entireUCLA community, and its Board ofDirectors, where eight of the ten votingmembers are students. The Boardsolicited student and staff input, and

met with repre-sentatives fromTaco Bell.Ultimately, theBoard decided toclose the campusrestaurant; whenTaco Bell subse-quently reached

an agreement with workers, the restau-rant re-opened.

Student members of ASUCLA’sBoard “have a lot of influence in whathappens on campus,” says BobWilliams, ASUCLA’s executive director.“This is not an advisory board. This is auniquely functioning Board of Directorswhich oversees the operations andstrategic direction of the Association.”

The Board determines strategy,planning efforts, capital expendituresand budgeting for all of ASUCLA’s com-mercial services and enterprises, whichincludes the Student Union, bookstoresand restaurants, as well as trademarksand licensing. ASUCLA is larger inscope than many public and privatecompanies: Associated Students gener-

ated $80 million in sales last year andemploys approximately 1500 students.

It might seem risky putting students insuch positions of authority, but Williamssays it ultimately benefits the university.“Management really partners with themto make sure they understand what theyneed in order to make decisions. We relyon them and recognize that they providea perspective that helps guide the organ-ization in a way that would be lackingwithout student input.”

The Board’s four committees overseeeverything from labor decisions to hoursof operation. When students requestedthat fair trade coffee be sold at UCLAfacilities, they were advised to approachASUCLA’s Services Committee. So theygot the issue on the agenda and pre-sented their argument. In response, thecommittee requested an analysis fromstaff, then studied the issue and its impli-cations. They subsequently forwarded arecommendation to the ASUCLA Boardof Directors for consideration.

“It’s really a collaborative process,”notes Williams. “The Board works closelywith management, but they have the ulti-

mate decision making power. It’s a greatdeal of responsibility that they take veryseriously. There are exceptional studentson the Board, and I’ve found that theyprotect the Association very carefully.”

Jared Fox, a graduate student whoshares the two-year chairmanship of theboard with his undergraduate counter-part, Dave Karlik, says that not all of theBoard’s decisions boost ASUCLA’s fiscalbottom line. Rather, some are based oncore values of the Association and thelarger community it represents. In 2006-2007, for example, the Board voted tolower text book prices by $400,000.Last year, they lowered prices byanother $250,000.

In addition, student wages have beenincreased three times since August of2006. “We pay student workers a highwage to support their ability to fund theireducations,” says Fox. “This is the onlyplace on campus where students have thiskind of authority.”

The three additional entities underthe ASUCLA umbrella—the Under-graduate Student Association, GraduateStudent Association and Student

Who’s In Charge?Through ASUCLA Involvement, Students Influence a Broad Array of Issues


Media—also provide high profile posi-tions for UCLA students.

The voices of students on campus,the Undergraduate Student Associationrepresents the University’s more than24,000 undergraduate students, whilethe Graduate Students Associationspeaks for almost 11,000 graduate students. Both influence all aspects ofstudent life, including academic issues,facilities issues, events, and communityservice programs.

Homaira Hosseini is President of theUndergraduate Student AssociationCouncil (USAC), the governing body ofthe Undergraduate Students Association.While the Council includes appointedrepresentatives of the administration,alumni, and faculty, only the 13 electedstudent members may vote. Resolutionspassed by the Council carry the weight ofthe entire undergraduate student body.

In addition, Hosseini appoints morethan 70 undergraduates to administra-tive committees such as the Student FeeAdvisory Committee, CommunicationsBoard, Transportation Task Force, andStudent Health & Advisory Commission.

“Student appointees are involved ina broad range of issues,” says Hosseini,who plans to focus on sustainabilityissues this year. One of her goals is tohave residence hall dining facilitiescompost their leftovers, rather thanthrowing them away.

Other examples of USAC influenceinclude laying the groundwork to have

a Business Minor, as well as workingwith the Darfur Action Committee topromote divestment from Darfur.

Jamal Madni leads the GraduateStudents Association. “We advocate onbehalf of graduate students to Regents,the Chancellor and administration,” hesays, noting that more community build-ing and providing affordable housing areamong the organization’s current priori-ties. GSA, he says, is concerned thatmonthly rents at new UCLA housingfacilities in Culver City, Palms and WestLos Angeles exceed the monthly salaryearned by graduate student researchers.

Madni, who began Ph.D. studies inBiomedical Engineering this fall, hasalso served as Chair of theCommunications Board. This bodymanages Student Media—the fourthmajor component of ASUCLA—cur-rently consisting of the Daily Bruin,seven magazines, and the university’sradio and television stations. Last year,the Communications Board put mecha-nisms in place to allow for the establish-ment of new publications.

Madni and the other students whotake time from their studies and otherobligations to help govern ASUCLA feelthe commitment is worth the time. “It’simportant to be a well-rounded studentand make an impact on campus,” saysMadni. “We take so much from the uni-versity . . . It’s imperative to give back tothe campus and leave it in a little bettersituation than it was when we came in.”

While many retreat to a campground for rest and relaxation, UCLA’sOffice of Residential Life (ORL) takes a two-day trip to the nextlevel. In 2007, ORL established an initiative known as Camp

Shalom with support from Student Affairs Vice-Chancellor Janina Montero'soffice, to improve campus climate with a two-day experience dedicated to a dis-cussion of diversity. Held in August of each year at a campground in Malibu, theendeavor is not without its challenges. As ORL residential director MarisaHerrera noted, “The challenge is really how to get people who think they arealready diverse to talk about diversity.”

At the camp, students and staff members alike take part in traditional camp-ing activities, such as hiking and sitting around a campfire, while also engagingin a dialogue that highlights various similarities and differences between partici-pants. ORL then takes the dialogue started in the campground back to UCLA’sWestwood campus, where exercises and discussions are continued in special res-idential life programs throughout the school year. Herrera notes that the maingoal of the session is ultimately, “To create a safe space to understand differentidentity components, and to plant the seeds as to how student leaders and resi-dential assistants can program better, while being culturally responsive.”

With the success of Camp Shalom, ORL looks forward to continuing a dialogueon the issue of diversity while connecting UCLA students to one another throughtheir own life experiences.

—Devna Shukla is a third-year undergraduate and political science major

Camp Shalom

IF


By Nancy Sokoler Steiner ’85

Her oldest sister attendedUCLA, so it seemed naturalfor Patricia Alfaro to followsuit. But Alfaro, now a fifthyear undergraduate major-

ing in Chicano Studies and History,found the transition difficult.

“School didn’t prepare me for therigorous academic expectations of theuniversity,” she said. Nor did Alfaro feelconnected socially, as she was livingoff-campus with her sister. “I was lonely,depressed and homesick,” she recalls.

Alfaro’s sister steered her to a student-run academic support projecttargeting Latina/o and Chicana/o students. There, she took part in theprogram’s peer counseling, mentorshipand internship services. “They askedhow I was doing, about my family, andtook a holistic approach that was aboutmore than just my academics.”

The project—MEChA Calmecac(Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano deAztlan; Calmécac is a Nahuatl word thatmeans institute of higher learning) —is

an undergraduate student organizationthat advocates for the needs ofLatino/Chicano students at UCLA, and ispart of the Student Retention Center, aservice of UCLA’s Community ProgramsOffice. Alfaro found MECha Calmecacso helpful that she went on to becomethe group’s Retention Coordinator. Lastyear, she became Chair of the CampusRetention Committee.

Many students from communities ofcolor share the experience of feeling outof step upon entering college. It is oneof the core concerns of the CommunityPrograms Office, founded in 1970 as ameans of encouraging students to raisetheir consciousness through communityservice. Today, the Community ProgramsOffice serves UCLA’s diverse populationthrough three wide-ranging efforts: theStudent-Initiated Access Center, StudentRetention Center, and CommunityService Projects. Together, these pro-grams offer 37 student-initiated, stu-dent-run projects reaching more than4,600 recipients.

“The Student-Initiated Access Centerbrings underserved students to the uni-versity; the Student Retention Centerretains and graduates them; andCommunity Service Projects help thembuild character and develop the desireto be of service to their communities,”says Antonio Sandoval, CommunityPrograms Office Director.

In October 2003, with the cooperation of students, faculty, and administrators,Improving Dreams Equality Access and Success officially became a student governingbody at UCLA. IDEAS originally served as a support network for undocumented indi-

viduals, who faced paying out-of-state tuition fees. With the passage of the AB-540 CaliforniaState Law in 2001, undocumented students that met certain criteria could pay resident fees.

Open to all students, IDEAS evolved over time into a student organization and com-munity outreach project dedicated to immigration and advocacy issues. Co-chaired bytwo presidents, this student body has four components: membership, advocacy, commu-nity service, and fundraising. Appointed leaders take charge within their given depart-ment, and help host their assigned activities.

During the summer of 2004, IDEAS established the AB-540 project, which providesinformation regarding AB-540 legislation through workshops, student panels, and com-munity events. In 2008, they hosted the Immigrant Youth Empowerment Conference inMay and the California Relay for Education Conference in August.

Not only has IDEAS been involved with the Los Angeles community, it also hasplayed an active role at the state and national levels. Becoming members of theCalifornia Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Network in2006, they have kept their commitment of influencing public policy. IDEAS continued tohave their voices heard in 2008 with their publication “Underground Undergrads,” pro-files of eight undocumented UCLA students.

With support from private donors, such as the Salvadoran American Leadership andEducation Fund, IDEAS awarded 38 scholarships in 2006 to undocumented students at UCLA.This number nearly doubled the following year. With much dedication and support, IDEAScontinues to encourage and promote the education of undocumented students here at UCLA.

—Jennifer Lopez is a second-year undergraduate currently undeclared.

IDEAS:Improving Dreams Equality Access and Success

EmpoweringUCLA’s CommunityPrograms Office helpsstudents from diversebackgrounds attain positions of leadership


Student Initiated Access CenterThe Student Initiated Access Center (SIAC)opens the door to higher education forcommunities that have historically beenunderrepresented in the university setting.Programs provide peer advising, tutoringand community connection efforts.

A student-chaired governing committee comprised of ten studentsand one administrative representativeis charged with disbursing funding,evaluating projects, and coordinating

sponsoring organizations.“When I graduated from Inglewood

High School in 2003, I was one of onlyfour students and the only Black malefrom my school to go to UCLA. Last year,UCLA admitted 11 students fromInglewood High,” says Daniel Farris,director of SHAPE (Students HeighteningAcademic Performance throughEducation). “We help students navigaterelationships and resources to attain theirgoals and empower them to develop aself- and community identification.”

Student Retention CenterThe Student Retention Center (SRC) pro-vides peer-initiated support for students’graduation. Services—available to allUCLA undergraduate students—includepeer counseling, mentorship programs,internships, a writing assistance program,study hall and free van service for stu-dents who live off campus in the WestLos Angeles area.

The student-chaired SRC’s governingCommittee, comprised of nine studentrepresentatives and one administrativerepresentative, administers funds, eval-uates programs and staff, and coordi-nates with sponsoring organizations.

It was through the StudentRetention Center that Patricia Alfarobecame connected to UCLA and itsdiverse communities. “Working forcommon goals across communities isvery motivating,” she says. “We have amoral obligation to the people whohave come before and those who willbe coming to the university after us.”

Community Service ProjectsCommunity Programs sees students asengines that can drive social change. Soits third and oldest component—Com-munity Service Projects—helps studentstransform theory into action throughyouth, health, and community-orientedprojects. Students fund, evaluate, and par-ticipate in projects that provide a varietyof services, such as dental care, and tutor-ing homeless and incarcerated youth.

The projects do as much for the students as for the community, notesCommunity Service Advisor Vusi Azania.“Students develop empathy and gain

professional skills. Many have embarkedon careers in medicine, teaching, andsocial work as a result of their passionfor these issues.”

Community Service Projects arevolunteer-driven, with no paid staff. Thefive-member student oversight commit-tee directs administration, policy, andprocedures.

A Haven and A GatewayThe Community Programs Office ishoused in the Student Activities Center, arecently remodeled building featuring acomputer lab, lounge, library, and confer-ence room. “This is a hub for students ofcolor on campus,” says Sandoval, whoestimates that about a thousand studentsvisit the Center in the span of a week.

The 26 full-time staff members areall recent students who were involvedduring their undergraduate or graduateyears. The student chairs of CommunityPrograms’ three branches—SIAC, CRCand Community Service—meet regu-larly with Sandoval to set overall poli-cies and procedures, and are leaders ofthe department.

Community Programs participants“go on to become leaders in planning,education, government and politics,”says Sandoval. “They are on Boards ofEducation and City Councils.”

Community Programs gives studentsa home at UCLA as well as a direction fortheir lives beyond the university. PatriciaAlfaro, who felt lost her freshman year, iscurrently applying to graduate programsin education and law. “I’m not sure whatwould have happened if I hadn’t foundthem. I would have been lost.”

Communities

IF

by Teresa Valenzuela ‘94

UCLA’s principal student governing bodies—the UndergraduateStudent Association Council (USAC) and UCLA Graduate StudentAssociation (GSA)—manage several key relationships students havewith the greater campus community. Each association has a seat attheir council for an External Vice President, who engages with anumber of important external constituencies, such as communitygroups, Alumni Relations, and the University of California StudentAssociation (UCSA), a UC system-wide student governing body.

Jesse Melgar, a fourth year Political Science major, serves as theUSAC’s External Vice President, while Monica Sanchez, a doctoralcandidate in education, works in the same capacity for the GSA.Both Melgar and Sanchez bring extensive experience as activists instudent government on issues related to higher education.

Melgar’s position as External Vice President for the USACfocuses on advocacy issues within higher education, and includesensuring greater affordability and accessibility for prospective andenrolled students of the University of California system.

In her position as Executive Vice President for the GSA,Sanchez serves as the University Affairs Chair for the UC StudentsAssociation, and she sits on the governing Board of the UCLAAlumni Association.

Both Melgar and Sanchez attend all UC Regents meetingsand participate in local lobby visits with legislators, where theyaddress funding issues related to the University of California, aswell as financial aid, such as the Cal Grant. This past fall theyspearheaded the UCLA-wide coalition for the Students Vote pro-gram, an initiative to register 8,000 student voters for the 2008November election. In Focus sat down with Melgar and Sanchezto talk about their experiences:

An interview with USAC and GSA External Vice Presidents

JESSE MELGARMONICA SANCHEZ

&


IF: What has been the greatest challenge you’ve faced in your position so far?

JM: There’s a lot of work to do. It’s a challenge to get volunteers to go toeach of our actions or rallies, and to get students interested in our lobby-ing process. Some are hesitant to get involved. But these are challengesI welcome. Once people are exposed, they’re hooked and become ded-icated. Once we put into perspective the work we’re doing on a daily

basis, get students invested inwhat we’re trying to do.MS: We have so many issuesand we have a limited staff, lim-ited amount of money, or lim-ited amount of time. We justhave to decide where we wantto put all of our efforts. It’s hardbecause we have a lot ofturnover, every single year.That’s why I stayed another year;one year you learn what you’resupposed to be doing, and thenext you can help guide more ofthe action.

IF: What do you hope to accomplish during your term?JM: I hope to make the office really transparent, as many students are

unaware of what we do. I hope to educate students on the decisionmaking process within the Regents, UC Office of the President, andhow much power students have to actually influence policy andchange things we don’t like. At the end of the year I’d like to havemore students invested and educated about how important it is forthem to get involved.

MS: My goal is to get our diverse students to be able to vocalize theirexperiences or concerns to the administration, Chancellor, andRegents. Some of them don’t have experience with public institutions,or have attended private school or may not understand the UC systemfrom a student’s perspective. I’d like to get students to actually vocal-ize more and get the Regents to pay attention to those students.

IF: Do the responsibilities of your position relate to your career goals?

JM: Just this past summer I decided to apply to law school. I want tofocus on immigration law, and it’s not a very popular career sincethere’s not a lot of money in it and not enough attention is paid tothose issues. Using everything I’velearned here and in life, like my lob-bying skills and being able to be aneffective advocate, I feel I would beable to assist people. I’ve done a lotof work within the immigrant com-munity here and in Riverside, andI’m in such a privileged position, butit’s not taken for granted.

MS: My interests are in higher educa-tion policy academically, so I’velearned a lot about the administra-tive inner workings of the University while attending the Regents meet-ings, and from listening to recommendations to University admissionspolicy. I hear students, mostly Latinos, first generation, and low-income,say they want to come to a university like UCLA, and then I hear admin-istrators ask how they can bring more diverse students to the campus;I’m trying to bridge that together.

IF: Who has influenced your participation in student government?JM: My mom and dad and my family have influenced me; mom grew up

in Central California and was picking grapes throughout her childhood,and my dad is an immigrant from El Salvador. Seeing everythingthey’ve had to sacrifice for me to be in this position, I don’t take itlightly. I’ve also been fortunate to have the help of many communitymembers aside from my parents. People have been incredibly helpfuland generous, and I hope to one day give something back.

MS: I wasn’t really involved as an undergraduate student, and in my firstyear as a graduate student we didn’t have any type of orientation, sowe worked to create a mentoring program and developed the gradu-ate student orientation. You get involved and it’s a snowball effect,and before you know it, you’re the chair of a UC-wide committee! Ifyou’re passionate about at least one issue, you should try to get moreinvolved and it will help contribute to your education.

“

a”

I hope to educate students on

the decision making process

within the Regents, UC Office of

the President, and how much

power students have to actually

influence policy and change

things we don’t like.

—Jesse Melgar, USAC External Vice President

“a”

My goal is to get our diverse

students to be able to vocalize

their experiences or concerns

to the administration,

Chancellor, and Regents.

—Monica Sanchez, GSA External Vice President

IF


Devna Shukla Junior Major: Political Science

“UCLA is an extremely active, yet inclusivecampus in terms of the governanceprocess. No matter what your personalbelief or political agenda, there is a grouphere for you. During the 2008 PresidentialPrimaries, students were forming variousgroups to support politicians in numerouspolitical parties. Yet the most remarkableaspect of this involvement is how respect-ful each group was of alternative opinions.

“The involvement of UCLA in both cam-pus and national governance is absolutelyvital. At UCLA, we are lucky to have somany bright minds—and many are des-tined to be the leaders of tomorrow. It isimportant for a diverse student populationsuch as UCLA’s to be involved in gover-nance in order to ensure that a diversity ofopinions are expressed, and that impor-tant issues are addressed. Nationally,involvement is critical due to the extraor-dinary challenges we face as a country.Students need to continue to act as stake-holders in the future of domestic andinternational policy changes, and to makesure their opinions are collectively heard.”

With the 2008 elections having gener-ated greater awareness of the demo-cratic process, In Focus asked UCLA students to speak about their feelingsspecific to student involvement inUniversity governance and of their interest in national politics overall.

The responses that follow representa sampling of some of the most diverse,and they bring to light some distinctlydifferent points-of-view which studentshave about how they view their roles inboth campus and national government. Although not everyone may share thesame opinion, it is clear that as UCLAstudents look to contribute to the worldand to make a difference in others’ lives,they continue to be active participantsin governance in all of its varied forms.

—Maria Wilcox ‘86

STUDENTVOICES:Governance and theUCLA Student

Jonathan TsaiSeniorMajor: Civil & Environmental Engineering Minor: Geography/Environmental Studies

“As the Student Welfare Commis-sioner of the UndergraduateStudents Association Council, I'vecome to realize that unlike its highschool counterpart, University gover-nance is more than just a popularitycontest. It involves millions of dollarsand impacts thousands of people.

“If people want to see positivechange for themselves and other students, they must get involvedwith the Undergraduate or GraduateStudents Association. With variousgroups lobbying for their own inter-ests and agendas, student govern-ment represents a dynamic councilthat expresses the voice of the student population.”

Claudia T. Padilla SeniorMajor: Art HistoryMinor: English Literature

“I think a large number of UCLA students are involved in student government. Student governmentaffects us directly, so we try tobecome involved because we feelwe can make a difference. For toomany of us, voting is not our priority,especially when politicians do notoffer our demographic enough reasons to vote.

“I believe that students should bemore involved in politics. I havevoted in student elections, and Ivoted earlier this year in the presi-dential primaries. But I know that Iam not part of the norm. Studentsshould stop making excuses abouttheir supposed reasons for not voting, and go out and vote.”

Ryan RobertsGraduate StudentAncient Near Eastern Civilizations

“Student participation ensures theuniversity has a balanced perspec-tive, and in turn, students are morevested in their school since theyknow their voice matters. On impor-tant issues like fee hikes, sustain-ability, and use of campus resources,student input helps remind the university of its primary focus—students—while students themselvescome to understand the tensions ofthese decisions.

“What makes UCLA great is that allof us are part of making it better. As forward thinking students, weadvance knowledge in a much morehands-on way.”

Cynthia Macias SeniorMajor: HistoryMinor: Education

“When it comes to student gover-nance, I think UCLA students have thesame track record as American votersin general. I would not argue thatUCLA is all together devoid of studentpolitics, but I would contend that themajority of our student body puts littleif any priority to such matters. I thinkthe majority of student priorities lay inacademics, financial matters, and socialactivities. I would even argue thatbecause of current national problems,students are more involved in nationalpolitics than they are in their own stu-dent governance.

“Ideally every student should beinvolved in all aspects of school affairs,but realistically, unless student govern-ment can reduce tuition and fees, andeliminate grades and exams, it is notgoing to happen! On the other hand,UCLA students do have a strong recordof community involvement and studentactivism outside of campus. If I had tochoose between local and nationalinvolvement, I would gladly stick withour community-involved campus.”


ON THE COVER:

Joel LagunaJoel Laguna is a fourth-year political science major and president of DeltaLambda Phi, a National Social Fraternityfor Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender(LGBT) issues. He also participates inUCLA’s Early Academic OutreachProgram as a Bruin Advisor.

Presort

Standard

U.S. Postage

PAIDUCLA

UCLA STUDENT AFFAIRS ORGANIZATION2131 Murphy HallBox 951405Los Angeles, CA 90095-1405

www.studentaffairs.ucla.edu

UCLA Student Affairs In Focus Publication Spring 2009

Documents

Transcript of UCLA Student Affairs In Focus Publication Spring 2009