UCLA Student Affairs In Focus Publication Spring 2010
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Transcript of UCLA Student Affairs In Focus Publication Spring 2010
SPRInG 2010
VolunteeringUCLA Students lend
a helping hand
BruinCorpsCreating Equity and Access for
Elementary and Middle School Students
Student AffairsFunding Student Services and Programs
Active MindsQ&A with Kelly Hitch and Chan Park
Student VoicesInterview with UCLA Students
A PuBLICAtIon of uCLA StuDent AffAIrS
THE UCLA STUDENTtHe uCLA StuDent
2 | In FOCUS mAGAzInE SPrIng 2010
SPRInG 2010
A publication of the UCLA Student Affairs Organization
EDItOR
Kathy Wyer
ASSIStAnt EDItOR
Maria Wilcox
DESIGn
Amy McFarland, Escott Associates
PHOtOGRAPHy
Studio 624
Student Affairs encompasses four divisions under the Office of the Vice Chancellor:
n Student Academic Servicesn Student and Campus Lifen Student Developmentn Student Health
Within these divisions there are more than 20 departments providing a wide range of programs, services and educational experiences for UCLA students.
2131 Murphy HallBox 951405Los Angeles, CA [email protected]
STUDENT AFFAIRS ORGANIZATION
On the cover: Student Farhan Ferozali Banani serves as Commissioner of UCLA’s Community Service Commission:
“Everyone can find a little extra time to give back to the community. It’s a fun and rewarding experience, and a great learning experience, too.”
In this issue:
04 Helping Those In NeedUCLA Student Civic Engagement
08 BruinCorpsCreating Equity and Access for Elementary and Middle School Students
10 Student AffairsThe Allocation of Funds for Student Services and Programs
12 Active MindsQ&A with Chan Park and Kelly Hitch
14 Student VoicesInterview with UCLA Students
124
SPRInG 2010
VolunteeringUCLA Students lend
a helping hand
BruinCorpsCreating Equity and Access for
Elementary and Middle School Students
Student AffairsFunding Student Services and Programs
Active MindsQ&A with Kelly Hitch and Chan Park
Student VoicesInterview with UCLA Students
A PuBLICAtIon of uCLA StuDent AffAIrS
THE UCLA STUDENTtHe uCLA StuDent
THE UCLA STUDENTtHe uCLA StuDent
SPrIng 2010 In FOCUS mAGAzInE | 3
vICE CHAnCELLOR’S mESSAGE
SPrIng 2010 In FOCUS mAGAzInE | 3
a message from The Vice ChancellorAs always, In Focus: The UCLA Student features articles on an array of outstanding programs and individuals who help to make a “UCLA education” such an exceptional and richly produc-tive constellation of experiences in our students’ lives. This issue offers highlights ranging from student community involvement to the crucial importance of our donors in these difficult times, and I commend each of these excellent features to your attention as bright windows into the complexity of UCLA’s world.
However, the events of the past months have, in large measure, overshadowed the ongoing activities and processes that constitute our normal co-curricular programming. The dual impact of budget reductions and student fee increases has been keenly felt by our students and families, including a number of students who find their educational futures in jeopardy because of finan-cial difficulties. Students have been active and vocal in protests related to these issues, the most emphatic of these demonstrations involving a regents’ meeting at UCLA in november that, in some instances, tested the good will of protestors and the UCLA Police Department.
Much more recently, two of our sister campuses have been rocked by incidents of unconscio-nable intolerance – a series of incidents of racism on the UC San Diego campus and homophobic vandalism against the Lesbian gay Bisexual Transgender resource Center at UC Davis. These incidents generated new protests throughout the UC system, including student actions here at UCLA that show the deeply felt impact of these deplorable events on our UC communities.
While the types of issues that have moved our students to action are different in their origins and proposed remedies, they are very similar in terms of emotional content and the critical need for empathetic, creative, result-oriented dialogue among all campus constituencies. In regard to fee increases, we must understand that higher fees will have a much more profound impact on certain student populations than on others, and we must be prepared not only to reach out to the most affected students, but to give full credence and consideration to some of the broader student concerns about long-term access for undocumented or under-represented students, and the impact of other budget-related variables.
The incidents on the San Diego and Davis campuses have been denounced by our University’s leadership, and UCLA is moving ahead on a number of fronts to reassure affected student groups and our entire community that we will do everything possible to ensure the well-being of all community members. We are committed to decisive responses when needed, to on-going dialogue with concerned students, and to multi-faceted educational efforts that will help us all understand the positive, unifying power of respect: inclusiveness and constructive engagement versus the destructive effects of intolerance and bigotry.
I believe that this issue of In Focus offers further insights into the quality and expanse of educational opportunities at UCLA, and I will close by requesting your continued support for our campus and the critical work of the University as we move into the future.
Janina monterovice Chancellor of Student Affairs
“ this issue offers highlights ranging from student community involvement to the crucial importance of our donors in these difficult times, and I commend each of these excellent features to your attention as bright windows into the complexity of uCLA’s world.”
12
4 | In FOCUS mAGAzInE SPrIng 2010
Students Farhan Ferozali
Banani, Lydia Avila, and
Anthony Nguyen volunteer
regularly for different campus
causes, and lead student-run
community service initiatives.
SPrIng 2010 In FOCUS mAGAzInE | 5
StUDEnt vOLUntEERISm
Some of the benefits of community service work are
obvious and quantifiable: volunteerism carries social
networking potential, where one can meet others and
make new friends; there’s the possibility of gaining pro-
fessional experience while also learning new skills and
expanding one’s contact network; or discovering within
oneself a hidden potential for true leadership, and an
ability to motivate and inspire others to bring about a
positive change. But mostly the rewards of community
service can be found in a fulfillment that comes from
simply extending oneself for the betterment of others,
and the discovery of an innate capacity within to give
without looking for anything in return.
Yet even though UCLA’s standards for personal and
academic excellence are high and achievement within
the classroom is a priority, learning outside the class-
room is also valued. Underscoring the real value and
significance of community service, fourth year student
Anthony Nguyen, who as a member of the Student
Task Force helped establish UCLA’s Volunteer Center,
suggests: “You learn things about others and yourself
that you can’t read in a book, and you can only gain
by experience. It enriches your perspective on life and
balances out all the other academic and social obliga-
tions we have. It is important to distinguish between
community service, the noun, and serving the com-
munity, an action. The latter is something we should
all strive to do.”
For students, there are many pro bono causes to
consider, both on campus and off. The University has
an astonishing 947 student-run groups, many of which
offer volunteer opportunities. All have online portals
that coordinate their efforts through OrgSync.com,
a commercial entity contracted by the University of
California to provide a centralized infrastructure for vol-
unteer initiatives, including a search engine that tracks
volunteer opportunities. OrgSync.com engages stu-
dents for volunteer work by sending volunteer opportu-
nities posted throughout the system directly to UCLA’s
Volunteer Center website, where visitors can identify
causes for which they might like to lend a hand.
Overseen by Executive Director, Antoinette G. Mon-
gelli, UCLA’s Volunteer Center draws from the Student
Task Force, a steering committee that helped bring the
Volunteer Center to life. Comprised of student leaders
from various community service organizations, the Stu-
dent Task Force directly connects the Volunteer Center
to UCLA’s student population and meets weekly to
share and enact ideas to strengthen campus volunteer-
ism by providing support to hundreds of student orga-
nizations. The Student Task Force helps with all aspects
of managing the Volunteer Center, including designing
its website and providing resources for volunteers.
“The Volunteer Center brings into focus an already
strong campus commitment to service, which is one
of the core values of being a Bruin,” Mongelli said.
“We provide a place for those who want to serve to
find where they can make their most valuable contri-
bution. Our ultimate goal is to put out into the world
a whole new generation of leaders committed to
changing and bettering society in innumerable ways.”
For Mark Dakkak, a fourth year Mathematics ma-
jor, volunteering has become integral to campus life.
In addition to giving time to UCLA’s Project Literacy,
the Community Service Commission, Mobile Clinic,
and the Global Health Equity Initiative, Mark has
served on the Student Task Force since May of 2009,
working with directors of the Volunteer Center to help
promote campus civic engagement.
Speaking about the work of the Student Task Force,
Volunteerism, also known as community service or civic engagement work, has a long tradition at UCLA, and in many ways defines the very essence of what it means to be a Bruin. For anyone who has given of themselves or lent a hand to help those less fortunate or in need, there’s a recognition that the rewards of such service are often far greater than what one ever has to give.
Helping Those In Need: UCLA Student Civic EngagementBy Kathy Wyery Wyer
HOw YOU CAN HELp...If you are looking to
establish a campus
organization, you will
first need to register it
through the Center for
Student Programming,
where you can also sign-up
with OrgSync and reach
advisors. Contact: www.
studentactivities.ucla.edu
To find campus volunteer
opportunities, please visit:
www.volunteer.ucla.edu
6 | In FOCUS mAGAzInE SPrIng 2010
Dakkak says: “We look at
all the different compo-
nents of programming
and implementing volun-
teer events in an effort to
understand what types of
relations we can establish
to help groups, includ-
ing providing publicity,
transportation, liability
coverage, food, and vari-
ous other things. Being
part of a new UCLA initia-
tive such as the Volunteer
Center, we recognize that
we are in a unique posi-
tion to create these relationships.”
Support for student civic engagement and commu-
nity service goes well beyond the campus Volunteer
Center. The Center for Student Programming (CSP), a
department within UCLA’s Student Affairs Organiza-
tion, which itself provides essential support services
and special programs to students, is charged with a
number of critical directives, among them advising
campus organizations, registering new and continu-
ing student organizations, and offering programming
assistance and leadership training. One of the primary
initiatives for the Center for Student Programming
is its collaboration with the Community Programs
Office (CPO), and together both offices help advance
student volunteerism.
According to Associate Director of the Center of
Student Programming, Kenn Heller: “The advising staff
in Center for Student Programming works closely with
the advising staff at the Community Programs Office to
help ensure that student projects within the community
are well run and provide service to beneficiaries and
safe environments for volunteers. The two offices have
worked very closely together in facilitating Student Risk
Education strategies to promote safe practices while
volunteering. By working closely together, the two of-
fices effectively manage many of the interactions that
community service projects have with the University.
The cooperative approach to advising helps to ensure
that programs and projects receive the resources they
need to carry out their service visions.”
The Community Programs Office Student Associa-
tion (CPOSA), chaired by fourth year student Lydia
Avila, serves as the governing and advisory board of
the Community Service Projects within the Community
Programs Office. CPOSA oversees more than 25 major
student-run projects, and the collaboration among stu-
dents is the driving force towards success. Says Avila, “I
strongly believe in the work that every single Com-
munity Service Project does. My interaction with all the
wonderful people that participate in the projects and
work at the department is something I really enjoy, and
I feed off of their energy and belief in social change.”
UCLA students dedicate themselves to causes
large and small, and address issues that have an effect
both directly within the campus community, as well
as beyond; homelessness is one such issue. Shahida
Bawa, a fourth year pre-med and political science
student, is the Undergraduate Student Association In-
ternal Vice President for UCLA as well as Co-Founder
and Advocacy Director for BruINTENT, an initiative
dedicated to alleviating homelessness.
Similar to the University’s Economic Crisis Response
Team, the group advocates for students in financial
distress who may be struggling to meet basics such as
room and board, and offers a number of much needed
services, including a campus food bank, temporary
housing, and even financial assistance in the form of
scholarships created by both the Undergraduate Stu-
dent Association Council (USAC) and BruINTENT.
“These people are not defined by their misfortune;
they are not “the homeless,” but simply struggling
with an issue at hand,” says Bawa. “There are many
contributing factors behind their plight, ranging from
unemployment, strained familial economic matters,
or undocumented status which hinders them from
receiving any federal aid. I have seen their faces and
heard their stories, and feel compelled, if not obli-
gated, as a human being who has been blessed in life,
to help as much as I possibly can.”
An initiative dedicated exclusively to student civic
Student Mark Dakkak has given time to various pro bono groups, including UCLA’s Student Task Force, Project Literacy, the Community Service Commission, Mobile Clinic, and the Global Health Equity Initiative.
“When I walk into Kerckhoff Hall everyday, I realize how devoted and committed students at UCLA really are. This makes me proud and happy to be a Bruin.”—Student Farhan Ferozali Banani, Community Service Commissioner
engagement is The Community Service Commission, an
Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC) of-
fice, which provides oversight and resources for a num-
ber of service projects within the greater Los Angeles
area. Projects offer support for literacy training, working
with incarcerated youth, preventative health care, and
helping orphanages, among other service efforts. The
Commission also produces large-scale service events
such as Promoting Individuality through The Arts (PITA),
and Community Service Days, which send volunteers to
various sites around Los Angeles to lend support.
Student Farhan Ferozali Banani serves as Com-
missioner of the Community Service Commission.
“In general, CSC addresses the general concerns for
service groups around campus, such as safety, risk
management, best practices and liability, as well as
funding,” says Banani. “As students, we may be in
a difficult situation with fee hikes and financial aid
battles. We may also be struggling to find jobs in a
market of increasing unemployment. But we must re-
alize that in a time like this, the marginalized in society
are still suffering, perhaps more than ever.
“We are working in Los Angeles six out of seven
days of every week. Our work addresses a variety of
the needs of greater Los Angeles. I am very fortunate
to be able to work with such an inspiring and hard
working group of people in these organizations, as
well as an extremely hard working staff. When I walk
into Kerckhoff Hall everyday, I realize how devoted
and committed students at UCLA really are. This
makes me proud and happy to be a Bruin.”
One of the largest volunteer events at UCLA is the
annual Dance Marathon, a 26-hour student initiated
fundraiser for the Pediatric AIDS Coalition, which
looks to educate the campus community about both
the worldwide pandemic as well as how individu-
als can protect themselves from contracting AIDS.
Thousands of students have participated in the event
every year, and in 2009, UCLA students raised more
than $362,000. Students pledge to stay on their feet
to raise money for the cause.
Christina Brown, a fourth year Physics and Political
Science double major, serves as Director of the organi-
zation, and leads a 115-person committee that works
throughout the fall and winter quarters planning the
event held in February. “The event brings in students
from all parts of campus to participate as “dancers,”
who pledge to stay on their feet for the entire 26
hours and each fundraise $208. A shot of Nevirapine,
which cuts the rate of mother-to-child transmission
of AIDS in half, costs just $8, so each dancer raises
enough to buy one shot for every hour they dance.
Close to a thousand students this year will once again
take a stand against Pediatric Aids.”
A member of both the Volunteer Center Student
Task Force as well as External Chair for the Community
Programs Office Student Association, Anthony Nguyen
was required to do community service in high school,
so volunteering was familiar ground to him when he
entered college. Yet his preconceived notions about
service work shifted dramatically after his first year
on campus, and revealed to him a deeper meaning
of service.
“It wasn’t until I took classes at UCLA that focused
on the disparities certain communities face that my
perspective as to why I did this kind of work com-
pletely changed,” says
Nguyen. “As you immerse
yourself in a culture of
service, you become more
conscious of your sur-
roundings, your privilege,
and your ability to effect
change.”
Christina Brown would
agree: “There are so
many people who truly
care and are willing to
give so much of them-
selves, and these people
are all around us here
at UCLA.” n
Student Shahida Bawa serves as Internal Vice President of UCLA’s Undergraduate Student Association and is Advocacy Director of BruINTENT.
StUDEnt vOLUntEERISm
“As you immerse yourself in a culture of service, you become more conscious of your surroundings, your privilege, and your ability to effect change.”—Anthony Nguyen, Fourth year student, member of the Student Task Force
8 | In FOCUS mAGAzInE SPrIng 2010
As a service-learning program within UCLA
Student Affairs, BruinCorps helps advance equal
access to educational opportunities for elementary
and middle school students in underserved
communities in the greater Los Angeles area.
BruinCorps engages approximately 125 UCLA
undergraduate student volunteers who serve as
tutors, teaching language arts to elementary school
students, and pre-algebra and algebra to middle
school students. Through its Volunteers In Service
To America (VISTA) component, BruinCorp also
sponsors a College Career Center project in middle
schools and community based organizations, to
help cultivate and support a college-going mindset
in young students in these communities.
Debra Pounds, Director of BruinCorps and
UCLA’s Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP),
which helps provide training services for volunteers
and VISTA members, suggests: “The program really
makes a difference for a lot of young students who
otherwise would fall behind in learning reading
and math, and also helps make real the possibility
of going to college someday, which unfortunately
for many isn’t even a consideration.”
The tutoring initiative of BruinCorps helps to
improve reading and math, two key academic skills
for elementary and middle school students. An
outgrowth of President Clinton’s “America Reads”
challenge, which operates in collaboration with the
Los Angeles Unifed School District (LAUSD) and
local community based organizations, BruinCorps
facilitates the training and service work of UCLA
undergraduates who provide tutoring in read-
ing to elementary school students in grades 3 –5.
Tutoring sessions, which are offered weekly and are
held either in-class or after-school, help elementary
school participants who are classified as “below
basic” in English proficiency to increase a full grade
level in their reading skills.
The math component of the BruinCorps tutoring
program also prepares UCLA undergraduates to pro-
vide tutorial services in pre-Algebra and Algebra to
students in grades 6 - 8. Middle school students are
tutored in the essentials of understanding Algebra,
and through weekly sessions held either in-class or
after school, increase their level of math ability from
“below-basic” to proficient.
New performance measures to assess students’
progress have recently been put in place, and were
developed by UCLA and AmeriCorps, which offers
funding for the BruinCorps program. Because the
initiative works to move students who perform
below California state standards for academic pro-
ficiency to a proficient level in reading and math, it
BruinCorps
Creating Equity and Access for Elementary and Middle School StudentsBy Kathy Wyer
SPrIng 2010 In FOCUS mAGAzInE | 9
BRUInCORPS
is essential to assess outcomes of student
performance effectively.
BruinCorps has proven to be a genuine
learning experience for both undergradu-
ate student volunteers as well as student
participants from under-resourced com-
munities; while the program helps foster a
lifelong commitment to community service
for volunteers and trains them to serve as
education advocates, the program also
prepares student participants within inner
city communities for educational success
by enhancing essential academic skills.
Undergraduate student volunteers
receive a small stipend through the Uni-
versity’s Financial Aid Office work-study
program for working 10 hours a week as
tutors, and after completing 300 hours of
service, volunteers receive an educational
award – a grant – which helps offset the
cost of their student fees.
Justyn Patterson, Program Manager of
the BruinCorps Tutoring Volunteers, sug-
gests that the service aspect has a positive
effect on undergraduate tutors: “Many of
our undergraduate student volunteers are
not from the communities they serve, so
the experience raises their consciousness
about education and social issues. It turns
them into advocates for education.”
The BruinCorp tutoring program
provides support to 14 sites, including el-
ementary, middle schools and local neigh-
borhood agencies in underserved com-
munities in Los Angeles, including 42nd
Street and 59th Street elementary schools,
Audubon and Belvedere Middle Schools,
and the Hope Street and Mar Vista Family
Centers. The elementary tutoring program
serves 400 students, while the middle
school tutoring program reaches approxi-
mately 320 students.
Every spring quarter, BruinCorps vol-
unteers coordinate a “Family Involvement
Day,” and bring participating middle school
students and their parents to UCLA’s cam-
pus for a gathering focused on education
and student-centered fun activities. The day
includes a campus tour, along with game
activities and food, as well as an educa-
tional component that delivers college
preparation information. The experience
helps cultivate greater awareness around
the prospect of attending college for partici-
pating middle school students, and fosters
aspirations and dreams for many. This year’s
Family Involvement Day is tentatively sched-
uled for the week of May 3rd.
The College Career Centers, another
vital component of BruinCorps, is funded
by a grant from Volunteers In Service To
America (VISTA); through this program, re-
cent graduates of UCLA and other colleges
and universities local to Los Angeles work
to establish college and career centers at
various middle schools and community
agencies, with the intention of cultivating
a college-going mindset for middle school
students in those local communities.
VISTA volunteers help disseminate col-
lege admissions information and provide
application assistance at approximately
10 sites, including Bret Harte and Carver
Middle Schools, The Boys & Girls Club of
San Fernando, and the East and South Los
Angeles YMCAs, among others.
Participating VISTA members, who are
all graduate students of UCLA and other
local colleges and universities, are a diverse
group, and have a range of academic
interests; some are engaged in studying
post-secondary education, pre-law, or
social work, and all have a commitment
to increasing equity and access to higher
education opportunities.
VISTA members plan to establish eight
College and Career Centers in 2009-2010,
and offer a minimum of five types of
college preparation services, such as A-G
workshops, college advising and indi-
vidual academic plan development, guest
speaker workshops, college field trips, and
also provide college preparatory materials
at each site. VISTA members write grant
proposals and are planning fundraising
events to help support the various College
and Career Centers. n
For more information, please visit: www.bruincorps.ucla.edu
“ ”The English Conversation ProgramLEArNING TO SPEAk LIkE A NATIVE
Aiming to build English fluency of international
students and scholars, the English Conversation
Program (ECP) is an 8-week series of group ses-
sions that strengthen the conversation skills of
individuals through more inclusive and informal
discussions.
Providing a forum in a relaxed environment
where students can improve their English speak-
ing skills while also sharing global perspec-
tives on world events and cultures, the English
Conversation Program offers classes at no cost
to UCLA students and at a low cost of $25 to
non-UCLA students.
When students register, they may choose
from either two levels of classes – Intermediate
and Advanced. By utilizing in-depth discussions
and activities, the English Conversation Program
helps students expand their vocabulary and
conversational expressions, while refining their
pronunciation.
“The program serves a diverse population that
includes UCLA international students, visiting
scholars, and spouses of students and scholars,”
says Sarah E. Cohen, M.A., English Conversation
Program Coordinator.
Held once a week for two hours in Tom
Bradley International Hall, the classes are limited
to 20 students and are led by UCLA student
volunteer instructors who are trained to teach
ESL, or English as a Second Language. The English
Conversation Program benefits both students
and instructors alike, who gain valuable hands-on
teaching experience by creating their own lesson
plans and leading small group discussions on
varied topics.
The program offers details that students often
find invaluable. UCLA law student Da Silva Zam-
boa, who hails from Brazil pointed out, “Teachers
give some tips to avoid embarrassing situations,
and help you learn some slang to better under-
stand your new environment.”
— Daysi Alonzo, Third Year Student
For more information visit:www.internationalcenter.ucla.edu
10 | In FOCUS mAGAzInE SPrIng 2010
Comprised of 25 departments and approximately 900 employees, UCLA’s
Student Affairs Organization offers a number of critical services and programs
that provide support to students, and oversees key components of campus
life such as Financial Aid, Campus Recreation, Counseling and Psychologi-
cal Services, Community Programs, academic preparation efforts, as well as
many others. Such services mean the difference between students having an
ordinary college experience and an exceptional one, and the capacity to enjoy
the extraordinary richness, quality, and depth that UCLA has to offer.
The complex and ever worsening financial situation in California has had
a profound impact upon the University of California, UCLA and specifically
Student Affairs in the last year. For Student Affairs, 2009-2010 brought several
budgetary challenges, including a 5% decrease in state general funding, a
shortfall that has resulted in unavoidable changes for some programs and ser-
vices, as well as salary reductions and furloughs for staff. The 5% state general
fund reduction resulted in lost allocation of nearly $830,000, while the salary
reduction target amount was approximately $1.79 million. These budgetary
challenges follow a 1.2% reduction, or a loss of $185,000, from state general
funding in fiscal year 2008-2009.
As a University entity, Student Affairs receives funding from several sources
and uses these allocations to cover expenditures from its many departments.
Permanent allocations to the organization are made at the beginning of each
fiscal year on July 1st and are disbursed to the various Student Affairs depart-
ments through their Adjusted Budget, a department’s operating budget. The
Adjusted Budget must be funded sufficiently to cover all on-going expenses
for a department (such as employee salaries) to ensure that these expenditures
will be paid appropriately. Temporary funding amounts may also be allocated
to various Student Affairs departments, either as one-time temporary funding
commitments or as a “continuing temporary commitment.” The important
distinction between these two funding sources is that, unless other funding
options are secured, temporary funding allocations are not sufficient to cover
on-going expenditures.
Student Affairs:The Allocation of Funds for Student Services and ProgramsBy Monroe Gorden
ECOnOmIC CRISIS RESPOnSE tEAm: Students in Economic Distress Receive Crucial Assistance
Virtually every member of
UCLA’s campus community
– students, faculty, and staff
alike – has felt the impact of
California’s financial crisis, each
one affected in areas of serious
and vital concern. But for a small
number of students, the situa-
tion has gone beyond “serious”
to “critical.”
Enku Gelaye, Executive Of-
ficer for Student Affairs, recalls,
“We started finding out about
these situations in Fall 2008,
students who couldn’t afford
to stay in their residence halls
or apartments, ‘sofa surfing’ at
friends’ apartments, sleeping
in their cars, eating every other
day so they could afford books,
things like that. It was shocking
and heart-breaking.”
Forming the Economic Crisis
response (ECr) Team, Chancellor
Gene Block moved immediately
to set up an emergency fund
with the help of two private
donors. The ECr Team aims to
identify undergraduate and
graduate students in extraordi-
nary financial distress – whether
because of loss of funding,
financial crises impacting par-
ents/families, extra demands
on parenting students, or other
causes – and work out strategies
to relieve both immediate and
long-term financial stressors in
their lives.
2008-2009 STUDENT AFFAIrS rEVENUE BY FUND SOUrCE
31.9%Student Aid (USAP)
$55,211,094
27%Contracts & Grants
$46,794,209
13.6%General Funds$23,513,946
13.2%Registration Fee Funds
$22,948,687
10.6%Sales & Services
$18,443,725
2.2%Gifts & Endowments
$3,798,238
1%Student Referendum Fees
$1,650,6530.5%Student Academic Preparation
$839,708
Total: $173,200,260
SPrIng 2010 In FOCUS mAGAzInE | 11
StUDEnt AFFAIRS FUnDInG
Student Affairs departments receive various forms of funding, whether
permanent or temporary in nature, to cover budgetary expenditures. The
funding types include registration fees, state general funds, gifts, contracts
and grants, and sales and service funds.
STATE GENErAL FUNDS are primarily intended to be used for general
operating purposes, such as the University’s mission in teaching, research
and public service. The majority of these funds are provided by the State, as
designated in the California State budget, with additional funding coming
from fees collected by the University, such as the application for admission
fee, nonresident tuition, and a portion of the prior year’s indirect cost recovery
from federally funded projects. Several Student Affairs departments receive
state general funds, including Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with
Schools, the Registrar’s Office, and the Financial Aid Office, to name a few.
Although provided as state general funds, the University Student Aid Program
(USAP) monies are allocated through the Financial Aid Office to support need-
based grants, as well as loans and work-study awards to undergraduate and
graduate students.
THE UNIVErSITY rEGISTrATION FEE is a mandatory fee charged
to each registered UC student. The fee is set by the Regents of the UC and
is currently the same amount for all students at all UC campuses (currently
$300 per quarter). The Registration Fee is allocated through the Student
Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC), a student majority advisory committee to
the Chancellor. In addition to registration fees, SFAC reviews and makes
recommendations on all proposals for new student fees and non-inflationary
increases in existing fees. Income from the University Registration Fee is used
to support those services that benefit students and complement, but are not
directly a part of, the instructional program. These programs create a sup-
portive learning environment and provide general student enrichment. The
majority of Student Affairs units are funded through the University Registra-
tion Fee as, for example, the Community Programs Office, Counseling and
Psychological Services, the Bruin Resource Center, the Career Center, and
others. Student Affairs works very closely with SFAC regarding budgetary
decisions for registration fee funded departments.
SALES AND SErVICE ACTIVITIES are non-profit campus-affiliated
business enterprises that provide quality services and goods at rates that
are reasonable and equitable. A number of Student Affairs departments
have established sales and services accounts in their provision of services to
our campus constituencies. For example, Cultural and Recreation Affairs,
the Arthur Ashe Health and Wellness Center, and the Dashew Center for
International Students and Scholars have established fees for some specific
services. Sales and services fees provide the additional necessary funding to
allow some Student Affairs departments to continue to offer the high quality
programs and services that general funds or registration fees cannot cover.
Student Affairs has started to rely more on individuals, foundations and
corporations to contribute much-needed funding in support of student
services and programs. These contributions come in the form of gifts or
through contracts and grants. In general, gifts are awarded by individuals or
organizations external to the University, without any expectation of a quid
pro quo and without any contractual obligations imposed upon the Uni-
versity. By contrast, contracts and grants are typically awarded in response
to a call for proposals from a sponsor, with specific performance expecta-
tions and an obligation that the University provide deliverable services on a
particular timetable.
Prior to budget reductions in fiscal year 2008-2009, Student Affairs
began implementing efficiency and costs saving measures for the organiza-
tion. For example, Student Affairs moved aggressively to consolidate those
departments where duties and purpose would benefit from a common
infrastructure. In addition, Student Affairs is working actively to identify ad-
ditional external funding to bolster grant funding where appropriate. Finally,
like most organizations, Student Affairs always reevaluates open senior
positions and in most instances has reassigned duties to use the funding for
operational needs. n
Multiple campus departments
pool their resources under the
Team’s umbrella. responses may
include processing emergency
loans, reviewing financial aid
needs, helping with finding on-
campus employment, researching
housing options, clarifying the
food stamp process, and even
providing an on-campus “food
bank” in the Community Pro-
grams Office funded by campus
community donations.
“We are all strongly commit-
ted to making sure our students
have the best possible educa-
tional experience at UCLA,”
says Vice Chancellor of Student
Affairs, Janina Montero. “We’re
taking a proactive approach
to supporting and helping our
students, and looking for ever
better ways to be responsive to
students’ concerns and needs as
they arise and evolve.”
–Dennis Lyday
12 | In FOCUS mAGAzInE SPrIng 2010
UCLA’s Active Minds, a local chapter of a nationwide initiative dedicated to promoting awareness and understanding of mental health issues on college campuses, is affiliated with and sponsored by Counseling And Psychological Services (CAPS), a department within UCLA’s Student Affairs Organization. Originally established more than 35 years ago as the Peer Helpline, a telephone crisis hotline took calls from students in emotional distress, the organization recently transitioned into service as Active Minds, delivering a more extensive campus outreach effort which now hosts special events, workshops, and movie screenings.
Active MindsAn Interview with KELLy HItCH (current Executive Director) and CHAn y. PARK (former Executive Director) of UCLA’s Active Minds
By Kathy Wyer
For more information, please visit: www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/psn
SPrIng 2010 In FOCUS mAGAzInE | 13
ACtIvE mInDS Q&A
Counseling And Psychological Services lends students sup-
port as a resource of information and expertise on mental health
issues, and provides clinicians who advise student volunteers for
Active Minds on a number of fronts. Although not officially sanc-
tioned to serve as a peer counseling service, Active Minds offers
material and other information related to many different issues
related to mental health, including addictive relationships, coming
out, stress management, test anxiety, and developing confidence.
In Focus sat down with two outstanding students involved with
Active Minds – former Executive Director Chan Y. Park, a fifth year
student, and current Executive Director Kelly Hitch, who is in her
third year, to learn more about this critical campus initiative:
What have been some of the challenges you’ve faced?CHAn PARK: The unfamiliarity with mental health on campus is
probably the biggest challenge. Controversial issues regard-
ing race, gender, and other concerns are talked about, but
the seriousness of mental health on college campuses is
something students don’t feel comfortable talking about.
The stigma is a challenge; nobody wants to be seen as the
“crazy” one.
KELLy HItCH: Because of liability issues regarding peer
counseling, we’re unable to offer such services. So in order
to maintain a personal and empathetic relationship with
students on campus, we’ve come up with more events,
workshops and meetings that give students the same sense
of openness to talk freely about the issues they are facing.
Where do you see room for growth?CP: We need more active publicity through flyers and networking
with other student organizations. With more publicity and
efficient planning of events, we can grow to spread the word
about mental health and its implications on our campus.
KH: We would love to see a greater appreciation for mental
health advocacy on campus. We hope to improve our stu-
dent attendance at Active Minds events, as well as provide
students with information and resources to further educate
them about issues surrounding mental health.
What kinds of work do volunteers do?CP: There’s a variety of work volunteers can do. We are divided
into three committees – workshops, events, and training –
with different committee directors, and each volunteer can
choose a committee they would like to work with.
KH: We typically recruit and train new members one to two
times a year and encourage all majors and ages to join.
Aside from events we put on for the campus and commu-
nity, we have several dinners, retreats, and social events
we enjoy together as a chapter.
Do you have an accomplishment of which you are most proud? CP: “Post Secret,” which was part of an art exhibition in con-
junction with the Hunger Project, where students posted
secrets anonymously online and in “Post-Secret” boxes
around campus. Although they were anonymous, some stu-
dents would comment on others’ secrets, and it made me
smile when I saw that students realized they weren’t alone
in going through a tough time.
KH: “Post Secret”– students were allowed to anonymously blog
online about their deepest feelings. It is gratifying to see so
many people take advantage of the event – we had close to
1,000 entries!
What would you like to communicate to the campus community?CP: It is important to understand that as much as will power
is important, mental illness consists of biological and
psychological components in a person’s life. People
with depression can’t just snap out of it, and once such
misconceptions disappear, there will be fewer stigmas for
people with mental illness.
KH: I was shocked to hear how prevalent depression and anxiety
problems are among college age people. Yet students are
not alone in dealing with such a large amount of stressors
at this time in their lives, and there are many great resources
on UCLA’s campus that improve mental health.
What kind of service work might you like to pursue in the future?CP: I enjoy working with people. Currently, I am also working as
a peer counselor in AAP (Academic Advancement Program),
and I would love to be involved in service work that involves
counseling and interacting with other people.
KH: I am pursuing a career in genetic counseling, a growing field
that requires some of the same interpersonal skills that I have
developed throughout my years as a member and officer in
Active Minds. I would love to continue working with Active
Minds, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), and other
mental health advocacy organizations.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?CP: Bad things can happen in life and at times we will be
depressed and we will feel like we’ve lost balance, but if
students can realize that they are not alone in this, that will
encourage more students to seek the help they need rather
than struggle on their own, without direction.
KH: Active Minds receives a limited amount of funding from
CAPS. Beyond that, we do our own fundraising events on
campus. From bake sales to blood drives, we are always
looking to improve our funding so that we may continue to
carry out more and more events!
14 | In FOCUS mAGAzInE SPrIng 2010
tREvOR FInnEmAn UCLA Law Student
I am hard-of-hearing, and the only
such student in the UCLA School
of Law. To be a legal advocate,
I must first complete my legal
education; through a referral
from the Office of Students with
Disabilities, I have received the Dr.
Bernard Sanghyun Kim Memorial
Scholarship Fund for the Hear-
ing Impaired, which will help me
accomplish that. It will help me to
first empower myself so that I may
in turn use my legal training to
help empower other people with
disabilities, by removing barriers to
both education and employment.
The scholarship has helped
to fund the legal education that
I need to be an effective and
persuasive advocate. More notably,
the scholarship benefactors have
vividly demonstrated to me the
importance of community service
to empowering individuals with
disabilities. They have reminded
me that community service can
change lives for the better. They
have given me an example to
follow. While I have in the past
been an active advocate for people
with disabilities, I hope now more
than ever to empower people
with disabilities with the skills and
confidence they need to succeed
as students, as employees and as
members of a community.
tRISHA HOUStOnFourth Year StudentEnglish Major
I have received two scholarships,
one from the MacDowell Estate
and another, the Dr. Bernard San-
ghyun Kim Memorial Scholarship
Fund for the Hearing Impaired,
through a referral from the Office
of Students with Disabilities (OSD).
OSD is vital to my years at
UCLA, and I couldn’t survive
without them. They made sure I
got the finest interpreters, since
I’m an active listener and partici-
pant in class. I used their note-
taking services for a class where
it was difficult to focus on the
interpreter, PowerPoint screen,
and the professor. Not only that,
but OSD has been able to provide
me with interpreters for some
off-campus services but that still
relate to school, such as attend-
ing a lecture one of my professors
gave at a museum, along with
museum tours.
Student voicesIn these challenging fiscal times, UCLA has looked to the added support provided by generous donors and benefactors who have helped advance students’ academic and personal growth by establishing scholarships and providing much needed additional funding for special programs and services. In Focus talked to several students who have benefitted from such donations made to two departments within UCLA Student Affairs – the Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars and the Office for Students with Disabilities – and who have experienced first hand the difference that these gifts can make. Here’s what they have to say:
By Maria Wilcox and Kathy Wyer
SPrIng 2010 In FOCUS mAGAzInE | 15
StUDEnt vOICES
mAURICIO COmAS GARCIA Ph.D. StudentPhysical Chemistry
A fundamental donation I’ve
benefited from is the one
given in support of the Da-
shew Center of International
Students. I’m from Acapulco,
México, and the Dashew Center
has many programs that help
foreign students integrate into
UCLA and American society. I
think without them, it would
be really hard, and donations
have created an amazing place
to interact, learn and be part
of UCLA. There is no way I can
express my gratitude towards
the people that work at the
Dashew Center.
CHRIStInE O’KEEFEPh.D. StudentSocial Research Methodology
I have received several referrals
through Office of Students with
Disabilities (OSD), including
to the Will Rogers Scholarship
Committee, which has funded
software purchases such as the
Kurzweil Education Systems
software, which converts text to
audio. This has been indispens-
able for my progress through
my graduate program.
The OSD staff has been
wonderful, and in particular,
Dan Levitt has played a key role
in my graduate career. His en-
couraging words and indispens-
able advice have been crucial
in helping me get this far, and
I cannot thank him, OSD, and
the Will Rogers Scholarship
Committee enough for their
support. We are very lucky to
have the OSD and the resources
they provide.
yUSUF yUCELPh. D. StudentEngineering
I am from Ankara, Turkey
and have benefited both in
academic and social aspects
by donations that are given to
programs. When I first came
here, the Dashew Center for
International Students and
Scholars contributed in lots of
ways for my adaptation here
and for meeting new people.
The orientation program that
they have organized and the
trips they have arranged helped
me to adapt to both UCLA and
Los Angeles, and I was able to
make new friends and get used
to life at UCLA.
The opportunities that
donations provide are priceless.
Thanks to them, students have
more research opportunities
and can be more successful in
their academic life. Also, the
social resources that come from
these donations provide relief
from the stress of academic life
and help students improve their
social skills in different areas,
and to have different views of
life. Donations are a crucial part
of school and education life,
and have helped every single
student in some way.
“DUnCAn” KOnStAntInOS PALAmOURDASPh.D. StudentMathematics, Logic
First and foremost, a huge part
of my scholarship is coming
from donations. And since that
kind of financial support was
absolutely essential to me in
order to come and do research
in the States, since I am from
Greece, I consider these dona-
tions a generous academic gift!
Secondly, the Dashew Center
for International Students and
Scholars was founded with
the aid of donations. And the
people in Dashew Center have
helped me multiple times in
many different ways, through
visa issues, tax issues, and extra-
curriculum activities, etc. As a
foreign student, there are a lot
of bureaucratic issues that you
have to deal with and lots of
cultural/social differences that
you need to overcome. The
Center helped me with both,
and provided the opportunity of
developing a healthy network
throughout their amazing social
events! I am grateful for that. “Donations are a crucial part of school and education life, and have helped every single student in some way.”–Yusef Yucel, Engineering Ph. D.
PresortStandard
u.S. Postage
PAIDuCLA
UCLA STUDENT AFFAIRS ORGANIZATION
2131 Murphy Hall Box 951405 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1405
www.studentaffairs.ucla.edu
An initiative of Chancellor Gene Block, Bruin Parents + Families is a recently established program formed to provide information to new Bruin parents and help them get involved in their college students’ campus experience. The program is a collaboration between UCLA’s Student Affairs Organization, the Division of Un-dergraduate Education, and the Department of External Affairs, all of which share an interest in creating a great relationship between UCLA and students and their families.
Jacquelean Gilliam, Director of the Office of Parent and Family
Programs, oversees the program. “Parents have become engaged in a variety of ways,” says Gilliam, “There are a number of different things parents do – they reach out to faculty, help negotiate roommate conflicts, and offer advice. Getting involved also brings parents into the greater UCLA community, where they can become more familiar with the campus and all its services.”
The program serves as a first-stop for parents seeking campus information. Parents may call the Parent Helpline directly at (310) 794-6737, email: [email protected], or visit UCLA Parents at
Facebook.com. The UCLA Parent & Family Association also provides an online newsletter – Bruinlink – which posts resources and other information that parents may find useful.
Although the program serves as a primary gateway for parents seeking campus information, Bruin Parents + Families also engages in direct outreach to students and their families, including helping to establish a direct connection between UCLA and parents of students who may be the first in their families to attend college. Oftentimes, par-ents of first-generation students
may want to get involved or help their college-going child adjust to campus life, and Bruin Parents + Families provides a great place to start.
The program is also exploring creating a number of new opportu-nities for parental involvement. In the past, Bruin Parents + Families hosted a series of Welcome Recep-tions, and a number of experi-enced Bruin parents opened their homes near various UC campuses to nearly 150 new Bruin parents. Parents may also get involved through volunteer opportunities at UCLA’s annual Parent Weekend, held in October of each year.
Bruin Parents + Families