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 Homaira Hosseini - President- USAC President's Office - Event Coordinator & Intern- UCLA Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC) - Chair - UC System-wide Council on Student Fees - Chair - Muslim Student Association (MSA) at UCLA - External Vice President Hello, my name is Homaira Hosseini and I am a third year Political Science major with Public Affairs minor. I am the Students First! Candidate for USAC President. Students First! envisions a university that maximizes the student experience at UCLA. In order to achieve this, we will work to support sustainability, ensure student health and welfare, enhance the quality of education and promote student engagement through participation in the campus as well as in the community. As USAC President, I will put Students First! by: Ensuring Accountability! Issue: Currently USAC has been criticized for not being transparent with their appointments and other such other decisions. Students First! understands that transparency is key to having an effective year with increased student involvement. In order to serve the student body USAC needs to be more accessible to the student body. Thus, accountability and accessibility are crucial points for SF! Solution: 1. I will hold a State of the University Address once a quarter where as USAC president I will address the campus at Meyerhoff and update the students on what my office is working on as well as other council members. I will also introduce what my office will be working on in the future to allow students to get more involved if they find an issue that is interesting. I also want to publicize big events on campus to bring attention to activities that students should get involved in which would increase turn outs for student group events as well as student engagement. Through a State of the University address I will ensure accountability of the university as well as inform students as to how USAC will serve them. 2. I will have office hours on different parts of campus, such as the dorms, south campus, northern lights, and the bomb shelter so students have more opportunities to interact with the USAC President. I will also encourage other council members to have USAC office hours in which all council members are present and students can be more exposed to what USAC can offer them. Being able to grab coffee or lunch and address an issue pertaining USAC cultivates a more accessible environment for people to get involved then simply sitting in kerkchoff waiting for students to come. I want to get out the entire student body and have as much exposure to student needs and concerns as possible. 3. I will put the agenda online before meetings. This will ensure that students are aware of what there USAC is doing and if they are interested in a particular issue they will know before hand to come to the meeting. This will also ensure that nothing is voted on without the student body first knowing. Why am I the best person to do this? As current Chair of the Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC) and Council on Student Fees (CSF) I already practice the principals of transparent leadership. The CSF the agenda is posted online before every meeting. In SFAC I purposely do not administer crucial votes if I know that a member will be missing a meeting because I want the most student input while making decisions. As a student I have been in the situation where USAC passed a vote or resolution that I cared about but did not know it was being addressed at the meeting and thus lost the chance to voice my opinion, I want to ensure that this doesnt happen to other students. Fighting for Affordability Issue: At a time when fees are increasing and financial aid is not sufficient, having to pay the full amount of tuition at once presents a heavy burden to a large part of our student body. Credit card debts are rising and students are being forced to work to support themselves instead of focusing on schoolwork. Although lobbying the State legislation is one of the more traditional ways to help alleviate financial burdens and lower fees it is not always achieved. This will also aid students who are not eligible for credit cards. Students need help to support themselves financially and aside from working to cover costs. This can be achieved in simple tangible ways by alleviating the requirement that a lump sum must be due at one time. Having done research I know that other campuses such as UCR and UCSD do have an installment payment plan policy available for students. Solution: 1. Propose an Installment-Plan Policy to administrators with research from other UCs and UCLAs past history as well. I will create a policy that allows students to be able to pay their tuition and fees in installments instead of in a lump sum. 2. I will advocate for an email reminder sent to students who have not paid their URSA fees before their classes are dropped. Students who do not live in the dorms do not use their bruin card as much to know if there is a hold placed on their card. Thus an email reminder will help before it is too late and their classes are dropped because getting into classes is already difficult students do not need extra obstacles to get an education. How: I have already been in contact with Marsha Lovell who is Director, Student Financial Services, about the payment plan and started a series of questions that she helped answer and identified obstacles for this policy to be implemented. I also have a meeting with Tom Lifka who is Assist. Vice Chancellor, Student Academic Services on May 2nd at 1pm, to discuss the issue of debt incurred on credit cards for students to be able to garner support on all different levels of the issue to advocate for it. I have also contacted other campuses and received information on if they do have this type of policy and if so, how do they implement it so there is a blueprint for UCLA to follow. Why am I the best person to do this? As current chair of the Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC) I have already been working on the Payment-Plan policy chair and have already started the preliminary research and ground work. I am very passionate about providing aid to students who need financial support. Also as chair, I administered the formation of a Fee Waiver that will allow students to waive fees from basic student services such as SPS, the Ashe Center and the Career Center. Having already completed a similar task once, I am confident I can do it again! As Chair of Council on Student Fees (CSF) I have connection and access to all the UCs and am able to compile information quickly and have the ability to compare UCLA to other UCs policies and programs. My position in SFAC allows me access to administrators and the ability to call a meeting which I have already done and go in depth about research to aid me in pushing for this proposal to the administration. I have the necessary contacts and research to present this proposal in the most efficient manner. Supporting Sustainability! Issue: UCLA needs to be investing in sustainable energy sources and sweatshop free companies. UCLA is a large shareholder in many companies and can petition a resolution asking companies to have better working conditions and practices, just as Swarthmore College was able to convince FedEx to give partners benefits. This process will help with community development and improves the working and environmental conditions of those people and institutions for which we are responsible as a university of integrity. The UC system is one of the top ten endowments with over 13 billion dollars. If all of this money were to be invested responsibly, the impact on the community and urban planning would be amazing! Solution:: 1. I will further UCLA's efforts of sustainability by proposing a Responsible Endowment Campaign (REC) to ensure that UCLA invests in environmentally conscious companies. I will work toward compelling the Foundation Board of Directors to require the companies to change their work ethic if it does not meet a standard set by the committee or UCLA will pull its shares out. UCLA can change the companies it is currently investing in to ore environmentally friendly and socially aware or who have the same return rate so it will not affect UCLAs endowment. 2. I will advocate for a Responsible Investor Committee (RIC) which will be comprised of is comprised of students, faculty, staff and a Board of Trustee member that will guide UCLA investment toward companies that have acceptable policies. This committee will be an instrument to help advise the foundation board of directors on responsible investment and give students and faculty a voice on the matter. The committee will have a discussion to define "environmental friendly" or "social just" companies. The committee can also use guidelines other schools have to be effective in implementing recommendations and having a blueprint to work off of. How: I have a meeting on May 8th at 11am with Vice Chancellor of External Affairs Rhea Turteltaub, Assistant Vice Chancellors of Finance & Information Management Neal Axelrod and Peter Hayashida to discuss the Responsible Endowment Campaign. I have prepared a PowerPoint presentation that will show the companies UCLA is currently investing in and which ones they can invest in to receive the same, if not better, return rate and support environmentally friendly companies. The Vice Chancellor seems very interested in this proposal and took the initiative to invite the other two assistant Vice Chancellors to the meeting to be able to have the most efficient discussion. Why am I the best person to do this? I have already established support and contacts with administrators who are willing to work on this new campaign. I have already been in contact with the University Responsible investment coalition (RIC) here at UCLA and have started contacting the Foundation Board of Directors to work on this issue. I have recognized a feasible approach to the matter as well as tangible ways to reprioritize UCLAs endowment. I have been in contact with administrators who have the power to make the change as well as student support from UCLA, I have been in contact with Victor Weisberg who is the UCLA organizer as well as Margaret Lee who is the REC UC campus organizer. So I have touched base with both students to listen to what they want and approached administrators with a feasible plan to make the change and get the job done. Promoting Engagement! Issue: Students dont feel engaged on campus or in the community. SF! wants every student to maximize their UCLA experience and not feel like a number in a four-year institution. Student involvement is lacking on campus because USAC has not yet been able to provide a fun and meaningful way to engage students. Solution: 1. BruINTENT: I will establish a spectacular spring-time event that allows students to rent out tents and camp-out for a night of entertainment and food on the IM field. Student groups and DJs will provide the music and entertainment, while vendors will sell food and refreshments. Students will pay $40-50 to rent a tent for 4 to 5 students ($10 a student); the proceeds will then go to a homeless shelter as well as student groups on campus that serve communities in need. By doing this, a Bruin will sleep in a tent for a night to allow someone else to have a bedthus, every Bruin will be IN TENT to help the community and fellow student groups! 2. Bruins in the City! I will promote student engagement by running the Bruins in the City series which will provide a student voice in the Los Angeles community. This program will allow more student representation on city commissions. If we get involved in with City Commissions, we can address issues students face such as parking. If UCLA has students on the transportation committee at the city level we can influence the impact on campus in regard to bus routes and shuttles as well as parking. I want to work to solve the issue with a new approach by going to the source. 3. Bruin Initiative Internship will allow fist years and transfers any other UCLA student to get involved in issues that not only affect the campus but the community. I think it is important to have more socially conscious students who know how to make their education applicable to the real world once they leave UCLA. Working on issues that range from helping student workers to the DREAM act and other campaigns that the students themselves have interest in. How: I have been in contact with Senator Dean Florez who is a UCLA Almuni and former USAC president so he already has a strong connection to the UCLA community. He will be instrumental in advocating for more student involvement in the L.A. community. I also have been in contact with Assemblymember Karen Basss field representative who wants to work on this initiative as well. Having close relations with influential members in the city is how I plan on advocating for this program. Also, I will be on an L.A. commission next year and will see the inter-workings of the system and will have the most opportunity to make changes by experiencing how students are contacted and how much voice they have. Why am I the best person to do this? Having interned for the USAC Presidents office and the General Representatives office, I am aware of the programming that USAC is involved in and know what works and what doesnt. Also, my experience and heavy involvement with a vast array of student groups on campus allows me to bring together the different groups on campus in a meaningful way. My experience putting on similar events comes from having worked on the TGAL conference co-programming the entertainment session, as well as other events. Finally, as the sole undergraduate representative of the UC wide Student Mental Health Committee as well as the Chair of the Council on Student Fees, I understand the importance of sitting on committees and commissions where students can learn from different campuses or organizations and to represent UCLA in external entities. A VOTE FOR HOMAIRA HOSSEINI IS A VOTE TO PUT STUDENTS FIRST! As students, it is imperative that we make student government relevant to us. I will be a new president setting a new precedent that will allow students to get the most out of their UCLA experience. I have the experience, contacts and determination to achieve my platforms as well as feasible plans of action and research. I want to push the envelope for how much influence students have on their campus. I want to support student initiated programs and provide a maximized experience for every student. A vote for Homaira Hosseini is a vote to put Students First! |
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