UCOD Meeting Notes (April 8, 2025)

UCLA Committee on Disability / UCOD Meeting Notes (April 8, 2025)

UCOD Meeting Notes (April 8, 2025)

UCOD Meeting
April 8, 2025 / 2PM / Zoom

Attendees

Voting Members:
Christine Craib, Fang-I Chu, Michael Garafola, Cate Gvon, Travis Lee, Carolanne Link (Proxy for Caitlin Solone), Sanaz Nabati, Quinn O’Connor, Grace Overman, Sylvia Page, Aryan Pandey, Harold Pimentel, Emilia Podesta, Sal Santa Ana, Alexa Vaughn

Absent:
Nicholas Shinghal

Guests:
Mauricio Baker Mason, Yasamin Bolourian, Monic Clare, Rob Diaz, Marissa Klymkiw, Raghava Kodavatikanti, Yonit Kovnator, Justine O’Hara, Rachel Rothschild, Spencer Scruggs, Maya Siegel

Agenda

1. Intros (MG, 8 mins)

2. Newsletter update (Newsletter subcommittee, 8 mins)

a. The upcoming issue highlights Section 504 history and includes a profile of Yonit.

b. Discussion of the future of the newsletter: Strategic Communications is committed through June. Current workflow is a lot of labor for the Newsletter Committee. Future options include UCOD continuing and managing distribution, partnering with another department such as Disability Studies, CAE, or EDMS. CAE uses Constant Contact platform. The Newsletter Committee will discuss and bring a plan back to UCOD.

3. Announcing new voting members (10 mins)

a. Cate Gvon, Grace Overman, and Aryan Pandey announced as new members.

b. There was a tie for the general representative position. Current voting members will vote in a runoff election during a closed door meeting.

4. Leadership candidacy announcement (CL, 5 mins)

a. 1 Chair, 2 Vice Chairs, 1 Secretary, 1 Treasurer, 1 Voting Facilitator, 1 Physical Spaces Subcommittee Head, 1 Events/DPW Subcommittee Head, 1 Technology/Website Subcommittee Head, 1 Newsletter Subcommittee Head

b. Change to the by-laws: In order to be eligible to serve as Chair or Vice Chair, candidates must have served as a voting member for at least a year.

c. Contact Carolanne or any other members of the leadership team with any questions.

5. New training from the DCP on SiteImprove Automated Scanner for Websites (TL, 10 mins)

a. An external vendor will be scanning all public domains for the UC.

b. Nicholas in DCP will be providing SiteImprove training on automated scanning on April 23, from 12:30-1:30pm.

6. Open discussion on the topic of service dogs in training living in on-campus housing (CC, 10 mins)

a. Collar Scholars is advocating to change the current policy to allow non-disabled students living in on-campus housing to puppy raise in order to increase the number of service dogs available and ease logistics for owner trainers.

b. Collar Scholars has partnerships with service dog organizations.

c. Currently only emotional support animals and service dogs are allowed to live in on-campus housing with students registered with a disability: Policy 135.

d. Concerns expressed around protecting space for students registered with disabilities, risk management, and lack of institutional infrastructure.

e. Committee will vote during the closed door session on whether or not UCOD will write a letter in support of this proposal.

7. Departmental updates (15 mins)

a. Career Workshop with Student Legal Services on April 23 from 12-2 on disability and employment.

b. Indian Student Union working on making future events more accessible and is interested in resources.

c. Tarjan Center is collaborating with the RISE Center and Autism Goes to College for a live podcast recording featuring neurodivergent UCLA students on April 17, 6pm-8pm at UCLA Tamkin Auditorium. Tarjan Center’s next Distinguished Lecture Series will be “Focus, Feelings, and Frustration: Managing Emotions with ADHD,” on April 14th, from 12pm-1pm on Zoom.

d. CAE’s program review is awaiting the official report which will be shared publicly along with implementation recommendations. CAE is offering special graduation cords, please let students know if interested.

8. End general session at 3:15

9. Closed door voting members session

a. Members vote in a runoff election for the tied general representative position.

b. Members vote on whether or not UCOD should write a letter of support of the proposed policy change to allow non-disabled students to raise service dogs in training (not ESAs) in on-campus housing.

i. Members voted not to write a letter.