The Undergraduate Student Government met Tuesday night to discuss implementing a community artwork project, new funding guidelines, mandatory training modules for Recognized Student Organizations and a new office hours bill. 

USG president Divya Jakatdar presented her monthly report, which outlined her three main objectives: establishing strong standards within USG, promoting transparency across projects and events and better representing the student body’s interests.

“At the end of the day, USG is about advocacy, no matter what format you do that in,” Jakatdar said.

Jakatdar outlined a community village artwork project aimed at encouraging local artists in the greater South Central community to display their artwork and “defy the USC bubble.”

The Senate then heard a presentation from chief financial officer Khalil Daniels, who unveiled new funding guidelines, which include a reduction in the funding maximum to prevent it from running out. 

Over the summer, the funding department passed the budget for the 2024 fiscal year, which involved meeting with relevant stakeholders in order to set the budget. The senate approved a new two-week training program for all directors and associate directors to gain a better understanding of how to process funding applications.

Recruitment for the funding department is currently underway. Daniels plans to hold monthly meetings with programming groups to learn about how they plan to spend their funding. The funding department will also work with the communications department to create content aimed at educating students about the budget planning process.

“We definitely recommend apply[ing] as early as you can because funding is not guaranteed,” Daniels said.

The funding department will track each time a USG planning department applies for funding to ensure they do not exceed the $8,000 budget limit.

Part of the budget restructuring is designed to make more money available to more Registered Student Organizations, and also to increase RSO engagement. The funding department will process applications every Wednesday.

USG approved Zain Saquib as the programming fee control board’s student at large. 

“I decided to choose [Saquib] because he came with very different opinions,” Daniels said. “I knew personally that [Saquib] would be able to make a change and represent students.”

USG introduced SB 143-07 to create mandatory training modules for RSOs to complete during their re-recognition process to educate organization leaders about available USG funds. The module will come out in Summer 2024. Senator Brandon Tavakoli expressed his concern about setting the modules’ topics in writing and having RSOs complete the workshop within the first four weeks of the fall term. This bill passed unanimously.

Jakatdar then introduced SB 143-08, which will amend changes to USG officer office hours and aims to encourage student body feedback. Under the new bill, USG sent out a form that allows students to express which campaign project they care about the most.

“We can get their feedback and prioritize our projects based on that,” Jakatdar said.

These changes are meant to make senators more accessible to the student body at large. USG officers will hold “internal” office hour sessions in-person between 9 am. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. “External” office hour sessions can take place remotely between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m Monday through Friday. 

Officers who complete an “external” office hours session will be required to submit a deliverable to the executive cabinet as proof of completion.