The 76th Associated Students Senate heard from UC Police Department Interim Chief of Police Matthew Bly regarding bike enforcement updates on Oct. 15. Bly proposed a temporary barricade to prohibit biking off of designated bike paths.
UCPD Interim Chief of Police Mathew Bly updates Senate on bike enforcement program. Shengyu Zhang / Daily Nexus
The UC Santa Barbara administration is designing plans for a bike path between the Interactive Learning Pavilion (ILP) and the UCSB Library with an undetermined construction timeline. In the meantime, the UC Police Department has planned a temporary barricade to stop students from biking between the ILP and the library, which Bly says is to address the “public safety concern” of bike collisions.
The plan also consists of pedlets and manufactured walkways, with the intention of decreasing collisions between bicyclists and pedestrians. UCSB’s Fire Marshal has approved the plans, which are currently pending the approval of other university departments. Bly says the barricades could be constructed within the week.
UCPD proposed a temporary barricade to deter students from biking between the Interactive Learning Pavilion and library. Shengyu Zhang / Daily Nexus
During unit reports, fifth-year economics and communication double major and Associated Students (A.S.) Attorney General Taylor Iden requested $3,600 in honoraria for his office to hire three additional case workers. Iden said he wants to have six caseworkers on his staff so both the defense and prosecution can have a “full bench” in a trial. The Senate passed the request later in the meeting.
A.S. President and fourth-year global studies, communication and Spanish triple major Le Anh Metzger shared that she has begun the process of recruiting the new A.S. executive director. After the former executive director, Marisela Marquez, retired at the end of the 2024-25 academic year, Sean Lieberman stepped in as interim executive director. Metzger is now recruiting A.S. senators and staff as part of the hiring committee to conduct the nationwide search for the position.
Next, A.S. External Vice President for Statewide Affairs and fifth-year psychological & brain sciences major Leiya Kadah shared her quarterly report. Kadah shared that the University Professional and Technical Employees, Communications Workers of America (UPTE-CWA) Local 9119, which represents 20,000 workers, plans to strike in the upcoming weeks for increased job security, pay and better work-life balance.
UCSB houses a collection of Chumash archaeological and ethnographic materials, and while the enactment of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act mandates the return of these materials to the respective tribes, UCSB has reportedly been out of compliance with this process. Kadah is collecting testimonies for repatriation efforts from Indigenous students to present at the November UC Regents meeting.
Kadah is also collecting student concerns over privacy after UC Berkeley provided the names of around 160 students and faculty members to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. This was for an investigation into the University for allegedly failing to adequately respond to reports of antisemitism.
Then, Senators fourth-year political science major Natalia Pascher and third-year economics and philosophy double major Noah Luken presented A Bill to Update Standing Policy 4 of Legal Code to codify that late additions to the Senate’s agenda must be made “belligerently aware” to senators and to remind senators to review the agenda before the meetings. This bill was referred to the liaison committee for further review.
The Senate then passed the Bill to Create Quarterly States of the Association that establishes a quarterly meeting where at least one representative from all A.S. entities present a quarterly report. This bill is meant to increase efficiency as the “existing Senate quarterly report system has become inconsistent and ineffective, often failing to encourage genuine engagement, collaboration and sharing of institutional knowledge,” the bill reads.
A version of this article appeared on p. 3 of the Oct. 23 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
