Members of the election committee of the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2865 halted ballot counting this weekend due to challenges in the election and claims of fraud.

UAW represents 12,000 graduate students who work as teaching assistants and readers within the UC system.

Challenges to the election came from both United for Social and Economic Justice (USEJ), the incumbent party within the union and Academic Workers for a Democratic Union (AWDU), UAW’s reform party. The election committee opted to refer the challenged 1,500 ballots from UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Merced and UC San Diego to the UAW Joint Council, so a more representative body could make the final decision.

“According to the elections committee, there were a number of challenges to the elections process that were leveled by both sides of the election,” said Daraka Larimore-Hall, UC Santa Barbara graduate student and UAW president. “In addition, folks on the AWDU side publicly stated that they were planning to object to the election before it even started.”

However, AWDU claims that election officials stopped counting ballots in order to keep the AWDU slate from winning the election.

“We won’t know if AWDU won the election until all the votes are counted, but it’s hard to understand why else the current union administration would abandon the vote count without having counted nearly half the ballots cast in the election,” said Cheryl Deutsch, AWDU candidate for president.

Many AWDU members agree, and hope that officials will continue to count all of the votes.

“Graduate students are demanding that the union officials count all of the ballots,” said Charlie Eaton, graduate student at UC Berkeley and AWDU candidate for UAW financial chair. “A lot of us feel like it’s a terrible thing for our union officials to silence the voices of graduate students, when we need to be standing together against budget cuts.”

Eaton said that he felt this issue showed that USEJ members wanted to keep their power as the incumbent group in UAW.

“People say that power concedes nothing without a struggle, and that’s what we’re seeing now,” he said. “Graduate students and the members of this union are taking our union back so that we can fight the budget cuts, and I think that the amount of resistance shows just how far people are willing to go to hang on to the privileges and perks of high paid union positions.”

Deutsch agreed with Eaton, and wondered why UAW would agree to stop counting ballots. Larimore-Hall repeated that the ballot counting was stopped because of challenges made to the election, and pointed out that these challenges came from both USEJ members and AWDU members.

“We want every valid vote to be counted. While all of us wish this contest could be resolved [Saturday night], the bottom line is that a careful, deliberative process is required to make sure that every vote counts, and the integrity of the election is ensured,” Larimore-Hall said in a statement.

As of press time, the uncounted ballots were locked in a conference room at UCLA. AWDU has posted a live stream video of the room online, as to monitor the ballots and make sure they are not tampered with.

AWDU members in Berkeley rallied Monday for the count of all of the ballots from the election.

The contested ballots will be seen by the union’s Joint Council, which will take into account the challenges to the election and make a decision about the uncounted ballots.

HANNAH STRUMWASSER can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

During the first week of April, UC was approved for a $6.9 million loan that can be used to pay for its Online Instruction Pilot Project (OIPP).

The loan is being provided to UC through the UC Strategic Investment Program (UCSIP), which was established by the Chief Financial Officer Division of the UC Office of the President (UCOP) in 2010, according to the program’s website. The program offers internal loans to UC campuses.

“The loan is up to $6.9 million, and I say ‘up to’ because it’s not really a loan where we get the whole lump [sum] in one transfer,” said DoQuyen Tran-Taylor, pilot program manager. “It’s more like funds that we can draw down upon as we need it.”

Through UCSIP, the office of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is able to offer these no-interest loans to support cross-campus collaborations, like the OIPP. It is considered an internal loan because it is being provided through the office of the CFO. And because it is an internal loan, students’ tuition will not be affected.

“The Strategic Investment Program is something that enables the university to go and move forward with initiatives [in] cross-campus collaborations that otherwise wouldn’t be able to move forward,” said UC spokesperson Steve Montiel. “This program makes it possible for the university to [fund] very promising initiatives.”

Although the loan allows for up to $6.9 million to be borrowed, there are plans to seek additional external funding so that the full size of the loan may not be needed, said Kirk Alexander, program manager of Academic Technology Services, in an e-mail interview. The fact that $6.9 million is available doesn’t mean that all of it will be needed.

“Our aim is to continue to raise foundation and other gift funding to offset the need to draw upon the loan,” said Daniel Greenstein, vice provost for Academic Planning, Programs and Coordination, in an e-mail interview.

And as this loan allows the pilot project to proceed according to its planned timeline, the first online courses are still set to be offered on time, Alexander said.

UC recently received a $748,000 grant from the Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) program, and any other grants that UC is awarded will reduce how much needs to be pulled from the loan.

A proposal for a $1.3 million grant for OIPP was recently submitted to the National Sciences Foundation, Tran-Taylor said. The university hopes to hear back from the foundation sometime this summer.

The National Endowment for the Humanities and the Spencer Foundation are two other organizations that are being actively looked into.

How long it takes to pay back the loan depends on how much is taken out of it. This in turn depends on how much external funding UC receives; as more funding is made available, the less needs to be borrowed. It should take five to six years to pay back the loan, Tran-Taylor said.

“It’s a question of at what point does the [pilot] project no longer become a pilot project and just becomes something that the university does,” Tran-Taylor said. “But I don’t think that we’re looking to borrow any more than that [$6.9 million] because we’re hoping that this project will become self-sustaining in the future.”

Similar to already-existing extension programs at UC’s undergraduate campuses, non-UC students would be able to enroll in these online courses for a fee. These fees would go toward funding the project and paying off the loan.

“The big challenge with online instruction is in how we select the appropriate type and level of technology. And that is not a straightforward choice,” said Hemant K. Bhargava, associate dean of the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, in an e-mail interview. “Worse, there is no ‘one size fits all’ answer. Not all technological solutions work well, and even a ‘good one’ may be appropriate for one course and terrible for another.”

This means that there is a risk that UC could spend millions of dollars on online technologies and not get the desired return because the wrong approach was chosen, he said. The big question is whether UC should be an early adopter of this technology – and be a risk-taker – or let other institutions try it out first, and then employ the technologies that work well.

“Given my understanding of UC budget and the state/evidence of online instruction, some caution is appropriate,” Bhargava said. “Yes, there are many examples of high-quality instructional experience through technology. But that is not the same as saying that the quality was achieved at a (substantially) lower cost than the alternative, traditional format.”

TRISHA PERKINS can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Named for the green element of sustainability, the Viridian Apartments of the West Village development are to open this fall quarter, housing both staff and students.

The Viridian Apartments, the sister complex of the widely publicized Ramble Apartments, is set to be the first completely sustainable UC Davis-affiliated housing complex. Viridian is also the first of its kind to offer housing for both staff and students, in two separate buildings, for the same price.

In terms of sustainability, the Viridian Apartments offer everything to promote green living from transportation to appliances.

“We will have high-efficiency lighting technology with solar panels providing all the energy,” said Emily Austin, marketing director for the West Village Apartments. “They also have Energy Star Appliances and a landscape water detention fund.”

In addition, the apartments were designed to provide every means of sustainability, including transportation to and from campus.

“It was built around a bike path to encourage sustainable transportation to school as well as the use of the Unitrans line,” Austin said.

As a part of the West Village living community, the Viridian Apartments are built on commercial land with Zero Net Energy Co., meaning that the apartments make no impact on the energy grid.

According to Mary Hayakawa, executive director of real estate services for UC Davis, being zero impact means the complex will produce enough electricity through natural resources to offset the electricity used by the neighborhood.

“We plan to meet these goals through deep energy efficiency measures and on-site renewable energy generation – solar photo voltaics, fuel cell to be fueled by biogas, etc.,” Hayakawa said.

Every aspect of the Viridian complex is designed to limit energy use and promote a healthier environment, including solar panel rooftops and parking areas, energy-efficient appliances, floor panels designed to capture breeze and oversized windows for natural lighting.

In theme with promoting sustainability, Unitrans has announced that it will be adding in a V-line to and from the West Village complex.

“We’re anticipating that it will be similar to the B-line, which runs every 30 minutes from the Silo,” said Scott Weintraub, assistant general manager of Unitrans. “The line will open as soon as people can move into the apartments.”

In comparison to the Ramble Apartments, the Viridian Apartments have the same general layout with a few minor differences. The Viridian Apartments offer only one- and two- bedroom apartments, while the Ramble offers up to four-bedroom apartments.

“The Viridian has a more urban approach with elevators and a modern interior design,” Austin said. “Quality will remain the same, if not better than the Ramble Apartments.”

A one-bedroom apartment costs $1,299, which includes all amenities. A room in a two-bedroom apartment costs $799.

The apartments are located on campus land west of Highway 113 and south of Russell Boulevard. The West Village leasing center is located at 409 Third St. More information can be found at ucdaviswestvillage.com/viridian/.

CHARLOTTE YOUNG can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Many students at UC Davis face a daily identity crisis in which they are forced to choose a single culture to identify with. In an effort to combat this, the UC Davis Cross Cultural Center (CCC) is hosting its seventh annual Mixed Heritage Week from Monday through May 6.

During the course of the week, the CCC will be holding a variety of events open to all students to promote the idea of mixed heritage as a single identity, as well as to encourage students to embrace multiple cultures outside their own. According to Crystal Charity, the coordinator of Mixed Heritage Week, every event throughout the week is designed to expose students to new and diverse ethnicities.

“It is made up of people who belong to different groups who aren’t always aware that there is a group of people that they can talk to about ethnicity issues,” Charity said.

Beginning Monday, the CCC has scheduled a wide range of events to promote cultural variety on campus, including programs to encourage people of different sexualities to embrace their preferences.

The first event on Monday is the Safe Zone Training, a program designed to encourage the formation of “safe zones” for those of different sexual preferences. It combines both the idea of mixed heritage and varying sexuality into a single event.

“We collaborate with the different culture weeks in recognition of how all of our communities are interconnected and how issues of social justice impact us all,” said Sara Farooqi, the office coordinator for the LGBT Resource Center, in an e-mail interview.

Other events during the week include art exhibits, performances, workshops and panels all centered around either ethnic or sexual diversity, namely the closing event, “Singing with the S.T.A.R.S.” (Students who are Talented and Ready for Stardom).

“The event is intra-cultural work that brings awareness to mixed identity and reach out to different audiences that normally wouldn’t take part in the week,” said Melissa Muganzo, the coordinator of the Singing with the S.T.A.R.S. event. “Mixed Heritage Week is excited for this event, as well as the rest of the week-long events!”

More information about Mixed Heritage Week can be found at http://ccc.ucdavis.edu/culture_weeks/mhw.html

CHARLOTTE YOUNG can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

ASUCD Senate meetings are scheduled to begin Thursdays at 6:10 p.m. Times listed are according to the clock at the April 28 meeting location, the Memorial Union’s Mee Room. The ASUCD president is not required to attend senate meetings.

Meeting called to order at 6:10 p.m.

Adam Thongsavat, ASUCD president, present

Bree Rombi, ASUCD vice president, present

Yena Bae, ASUCD senator, present

Miguel Espinoza, ASUCD senator, present

Emmanuel Diaz-Ordaz, ASUCD senator, present

Andre Lee, ASUCD senator, present

Amy Martin, ASUCD senator, president pro tempore, present

Mayra Martín, ASUCD senator, present

Tatiana Moana Bush, ASUCD senator, present

Darwin Moosavi, ASUCD senator, present

Matthew Provencher, ASUCD senator, present

Brendan Repicky, ASUCD senator, present

Rebecca Sterling, ASUCD senator, present

Eli Yani, ASUCD senator, present

Appointments and confirmations

Christina Ives, Danny Carlson and Lirio Zepeda were confirmed to the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission (EPPC).

Joshua Coronado-Moses and Michael Juarez-Munoz were appointed to the Internal Affairs Commission (IAC).

Unit director reports

Mark Ling, editor-in-chief at The California Aggie, said that the paper is going to make about $50,000 more than it was planning to make this year. He also introduced Jason Alpert, who will be the editor-in-chief next year. Alpert said that he was looking into making The Aggie’s website more user friendly and interactive.

Consideration of old legislation

Senate Bill 69, authored by Andrea Abergel, co-authored by Lauren Damian, Racquel Esqueda and Martin, introduced by Martin, to implement a long-range plan for the Whole Earth Festival, passed unanimously.

Senate Resolution 16, authored by Aaron Giampetro, co-authored by Bihter Ozedirne and Kevin Pascual, introduced by Sterling, to support California Senate Bill 185 authored by California State Senate Member Ed Hernandez, passed unanimously.

Senate Bill 70, authored by Sergio Cano, co-authored by Hannah Kirshner, introduced by Bush, to implement a long-range plan for the Pantry, passed unanimously.

Senate Bill 76, authored by Dana Percoco, co-authored by Cano, introduced by Moosavi, to require special committees to report to the ASUCD Senate, passed unanimously.

Senate Bill 77, authored by Lee, co-authored by Henry Chatfield, Don Ho, Melanie Maemura, Moosavi and Thongsavat, introduced by Lee, to authorize the creation of the ASUCD Entertainment Council Large Show Reserve (Restricted) of $100,000. Before getting to the senate table, the Business and Finance Commission passed the bill, but IAC did not. Jared Hein, chair of Business and Finance Commission, said that he voted no on the bill because he felt that the Entertainment Council had larger problems within the unit that could not be solved with just increased funding. Martin pointed out that while Hein voted no on the bill, the rest of the Business and Finance Commission commissioners still voted yes. Maemura, an IAC commissioner, said she believed that if amendments that were made during the senate meeting had been made earlier, IAC probably would have passed the bill. Hein said that he thought that this bill seems to be rushed, and he thought it could be better if they spent more time on it. Thongsavat said that he felt it is the senate’s duty to be help their units do their best, and this bill would help Entertainment Council be a better unit. Bush said that she thought more people needed to be brought into the conversation and that they should wait to pass the bill until Entertainment Council came up with more ideas about fixing itself internally. Chatfield, productions coordinator with EC, agreed that Entertainment Council has had its issues in the past, but said he has a lot of ideas to restructure the unit. Espinoza said that he would like to see the Entertainment Council functioning well before they were given a large sum of money. Cano, IAC chair, said he thinks that passing this bill would influence how ASUCD will write the budget for next year. Percoco questioned how Entertainment Council was supposed to fix their unit if they didn’t have enough money to put on a concert to show that they can make money. Yani objected to passing the bill. The bill passed in an 8-3-1 vote. Espinoza, Diaz-Ordaz and Yani voted against the bill, Bush abstained.

Senate Bill 78, authored by Cano, introduced by Martin, to further distinguish legislative and initiative ballot measures in the Election Codes, passed unanimously.

Senate Bill 79, authored by Cano, introduced by Moosavi, to properly establish procedures for special meetings for subordinate bodies, passed unanimously.

Senate Bill 80, authored by Cano, introduced by Moosavi, to mandate that various guides of ASUCD to be displayed on the ASUCD website, passed unanimously.

Senate Bill 81, authored by Cano, introduced by Moosavi, to establish a parliamentary procedure guide for members of the public at ASUCD Senate meetings. Lee said that he was concerned that printing the guide each senate meeting or laminating one set wouldn’t be environmentally friendly. Will Quinn, EPPC chair, said that he did not support laminating the guides nor making a big presentation board. The bill passed unanimously.

Public discussion

Martin said that she would prefer it if people said either “yes” or “no” when voting on a bill, and not add their feelings about the bill during the vote.

Bush said she appreciates where the conversations have gone and said she feels that the table as a whole has come a long way since the beginning of the quarter.

Lee said that he wished that the senators had looked at Bill 77 more closely before the meeting so that the debate could be more efficient and pleasant.

Public announcements

Ed Montelongo said that the positions for commissioners for the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission are posted, and anyone who is interested should apply.

Martín said that there will be a screening of the movie Waiting for Superman, a documentary about the education system, this Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in Wellman 2.

Yani announced that he will be resigning from the senate as he is graduating this quarter.

Sterling said that a Day of Service is coming soon and that it will be focused on getting Davis students to provide community service.

Meeting adjourned at 12:36 a.m.

Open positions within ASUCD can be found at vacancy.ucdavis.edu. HANNAH STRUMWASSER compiles the senate briefs. She can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.