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The face of the largest student-run campus enterprise is evolving to respond to a projected decrease in enrollment figures and a recent turnover in its leadership.

In the coming months, the Associated Students of UCLA will be conducting an intensive review of its goals and functions in response to a formal request by Chancellor Albert Carnesale.

Members of the association hope the process will result in an organization that better meets the demands of the campus population.

The review will occur in four stages, with the last culminating in a draft of a job description for a new executive director. Student Union Director Jerry Mann said the search for the permanent head of the association may not begin until school starts in September to ensure student participation in the process.

The executive director post is currently occupied by Interim Executive Director Bob Williams, who was appointed after the resignation of Patricia Eastman last year.

The association’s self-review process means a permanent executive director may not be appointed until the next academic year, leaving Williams in the interim position until a candidate is chosen.

Williams said he is willing to stay for as long as it takes to find a new executive director and that he “would serve in any capacity that (the board) wanted.”

He added that the association will need to evaluate its operating and budget strategy for different services on campus, including stores, restaurants and services provided in Ackerman Union and Kerckhoff Hall. With student enrollment expected to decrease next year, the association is readjusting its plans to renovate campus service locations to match the reduced potential customer base.

A few programs, such as one where students are asked to evaluate new lines of food and store products, have been implemented to develop a new operating strategy.

“We’re looking at different operating procedures, ways to increase our sales ... and to increase partnership and integration with the campus,” Williams said.

Members of the entities committee, created to facilitate communication among the ASUCLA Board of Directors, the Communications Board, which includes Student Media, and student governments, met last week to discuss the process of evaluating the association’s mission statements.

“We need to craft a better vision of what the association’s functions and goals are. It’s natural to take a look at the structure of the organization when a long-term executive director leaves,” Mann said.

Representatives from the Graduate Student Association said they believe ASUCLA’s evaluation process is beneficial because it will help the association adjust to student needs.

“Having an evaluation once in a while is good for the association to be more adaptive and cater to student needs, as long as the process isn’t done (so) often that it bogs down the association,” said GSA President Hanish Rathod.

While GSA expressed approval of ASUCLA’s steps, its undergraduate counterpart said it is concerned with the scope of the review process and the amount of input from the student governments that the association takes into account.

Matt Kaczmarek, external vice president of the Undergraduate Students Association Council, said board members told USAC they would only be evaluating the association’s services and enterprises functions.

But Kaczmarek said he felt documents presented at the entities committee meeting indicated the association was planning to conduct a review that extends beyond those functions. The student governments need to be included in such discussions, he said.

The association has asked both student governments and other group representatives who attended the committee meeting to submit their comments on the evaluation plan discussed on Thursday.

Regarding Williams’ seemingly extended tenure as head of the association, some of its leaders expressed confidence in his abilities based on his performance so far.

“Bob has done a good job in assuming the role of the executive director. ... He has established good relationships with the university groups and integrated ASUCLA into the university fabric,” said Finance Director Rich Delia, who works closely with Williams on budget issues for the association.

Other members said Williams’ 20-year history working with the association will help him succeed in guiding the association through the current budget crisis.

“Because of Bob’s long tenure, he has the best interests of the association at heart. ... I know that whatever changes are being made are best for the students,” Mann said.