On Friday, members of the Off-Campus Student Union (OCSU) will meet with Student Affairs officials to discuss adding their organization to the Division of Student Affairs.

OCSU President Paul Cronin said the union has become an organization designed to help all Penn State students living off campus. He said OCSU is trying to cater to the needs of both undergraduate and graduate students, and he and other members feel that becoming a part of Student Affairs will be the best way to serve off-campus students.

Vicky Triponey, vice president of student affairs, said her biggest concern about chartering OCSU as an organization is funding.

She said she did not believe the group would be eligible for University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) funding under Student Affairs, and the department did not have any available funds for OCSU.

Kristen Kofmehl, OCSU president-elect, said funding has been researched, and OCSU would still be eligible for UPAC funding.

There also may be situations and concerns that OCSU would want to deal with that would not relate to Student Affairs, said Art Carter, assistant vice president of student affairs.

"We think there may be issues that they need to be able to speak independently of Student Affairs on," he said. "They need to retain that right."

Kofmehl said she did not believe being chartered by Student Affairs would strip OCSU of its independence.

The union originally planned to become a student organization by applying for club status on campus through the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Supreme Court.

The organization encountered problems in November when the court denied the group provisional status, citing the group's late application submission as the reason.

Though the club has not had official status, members have still worked this year to establish themselves and work for the needs of off-campus students, Kofmehl said.

She added that OCSU devoted much of its time this year to internal issues.

"This is a brand new organization. We are working very hard to establish ourselves at Penn State and in the community. That is what this year has been about," she said. "An incredible amount has been accomplished. This was our year of setting ourselves up."

Kofmehl said the OCSU's structure has changed greatly this semester. Five departments were added to its executive staff, including the department of commerce, safety and health; transportation and parking; university relations; and housing.

OCSU also recently acquired office space downtown on the 100 block of Fraser Street. Cronin said he feels it is important for OCSU to be near the people it serves.

In addition to internal matters, Kofmehl said OCSU has actively worked this year on lighting and housing issues.

OCSU worked with USG on a downtown lighting initiative, which it presented to the State College Borough Council early this month.

OCSU is also working on providing students with downtown housing information. Cronin said the results of a rental survey sent to students earlier this year have been compiled and are available for students to view in the USG office, 223 HUB.

OCSU members also said they have consistently attended borough council meetings and have begun to make connections with council members.

Council President Tom Daubert expressed his approval of OCSU and its efforts to help town students.

"I think that if they can do what they would like to do, it will be a service to the whole student body and the community," he said.

USG President Ian Rosenberger said he is happy with the progress OCSU has made.

"I am excited about the prospect of having them serve students off campus," he said.

Rosenberger hopes OCSU will work like residence area governments in the Association of Residence Hall Students (ARHS).

"We're an ARHS downtown," Cronin said.