The University of California Board of Regents July 16 approved pro-Israel UCLA student Avi Oved as its student regent-designate, a non-voting position.
As a result of the vote, Oved will serve as student regent in 2015-2016. In that capacity, he will hold “a student vote on the governing Board of UC,” the University of California Student Association (UCSA) website explains.
The selection was not without controversy. In the lead-up to today’s vote, the UCSA voted 10-0 to delay Oved’s confirmation pending an investigation into allegations of improper ties between the UCLA junior and local philanthropist Adam Milstein during Oved’s student government race in 2013. This was despite evidence that no allegations involved violations of any of the UCLA bylaws.
The only dissenting vote against Oved yesterday came from Sadia Saifuddin, a Muslim student from UC Berkeley who supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and is the board’s incoming student regent. She said she had “concerns related to recent allegations against [Oved] of a conflict of interest and lack of transparency,” according to the Daily Bruin, UCLA’s student newspaper.
Oved issued a statement after the vote reaching out to Saifuddin.
“Regent Saifuddin: thank you for welcoming me and serving as a support system throughout the selection process. I am so excited to tag team the UC and the state of California with you.”
The vote took place during a two-day UC regents meeting at UC San Francisco, held from July 16-17.
Statement from Avi Oved:
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