UCOD Meeting Notes (January 16, 2024)

UCLA Committee on Disability / UCOD Meeting Notes (January 16, 2024)

UCOD Meeting Notes (January 16, 2024)

UCOD Meeting
January 16, 2024 / 2PM / Zoom

Attendees

Voting Members:
Emily Frake, Michael Garafola, Adam Kipust, Travis Lee, Carolanne Link, Sanaz Nabati, Quinn O’Connor, Sylvia Page, Harold Pimental, Sal Santa Ana, Nicholas Shinghal, Caitlin Solone, Brooke Wilkinson

Absent:
Katie Bogue, Camila Krause, Kyle Udelson

Guests:
Omar Newland, Fang-I Chu, Ariella Morrison, Bill Propst, Ana Majer, Brandie Kirkpatrick, Jane Borochoff, Rob Diaz, Sherrika Carter, Yonit Kovnator, Brian Latham, Linda Demer, Elena Rodriguez, Mike Galvan, Spencer Scruggs, Omar Taleb, Akhila Vimal

Agenda

1. Intros (10 mins)

2. Newsletter updates (15 mins)

a. Open call of articles and events

b. Sign the DSU petition on the Lily Shaw Disability Cultural Center
The funds that have already been raised for the cultural center must be approved every year by each new student government.

Move to next month’s agenda

c. Email address for the newsletter is disability@ucla.edu.

3. Reintroduce the election cycle- Carolanne (10 mins)

a. Open seats: two undergraduate students, two graduate students, one faculty, two staff, one alumi, three floaters (one of these is for one year only)

b. All positions (besides one floater position) are for two year terms.

c. Leadership spots: one chair, two vice chairs, one secretary, one treasurer, one voting facilitator, Physical Spaces Sub Committee Head, Events/DAW Subcommittee Head, Technology/Website Subcommittee Head, Newsletter Subcommittee Head

d. Timeline for election:

2/13-3/17 – Interest in Election Form is Open
4/9 – Speeches for Run-Offs
4/9-4/19 – Voting for Run-Offs open
4/22-4/29 – Leadership Interests form open
5/6-5/12 – Leadership Vote
5/14 – Committee Official Turnover

e. Please consider joining leadership or asking colleagues and friends to join.

4. Finalizing new positions (10 mins)

a. Treasurer Lead

Goal is $8,000 earmarked to spend on an annual basis to run disability programs (DPW, MetaMap, additional event in spring)

b. Events Lead

5. Undergrad concern about accommodations and services (15 mins)

a. Assertion that students’ health and wellbeing needs to be the priority. University approach should be proactive rather than reactive.

b. UCOD can play a role in collating existing resources and information and making them more accessible.

6. Events for spring? (10 mins)

a. Ideas for spring (speaker, movie, in-person)

7. Department updates (5 mins)

a. CAE has a full specialist team and is in the process of hiring an Associate Director. Student involvement in the hiring process includes student reference checks and student interview session.

b. Systemwide Advisory Group for Students with Disabilities is presenting their findings to the Regents on January 24th: January 24th Regents Meeting Notice. Meeting is public and public comment can be given.

8. Voting members discussion on ways UCOD can effect systemic change to improve disabled students’ experiences at UCLA

a. Suggestion to meet more regularly with high level administrators to escalate issues

b. Discussion on compiling existing resources from across campus

c. Suggestion to work with academic counseling on supporting disabled students