Debate over two differing versions of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) constitution heightened Friday as USG Academic Assembly President Mark Levin filed a grievance against USG President Galen Foulke.

The two copies of the constitution differ because one gives the assembly the power to pass executive orders, while the other includes no clause granting that power.

The assembly passed three orders this semester, each of which instructed Foulke to take specific courses of action.

Levin said Foulke remains in violation of one of those orders because he failed to schedule a meeting between USG branch heads at a time when all branch heads could meet.

Foulke said he could find no time compatible with everyone's schedule and instead chose Sunday evenings, when eight of the nine branch heads can meet.

In the grievance filed with the USG Supreme Court, Levin claimed the power for the assembly to pass executive orders was added to the constitution in 1998 and was later omitted in 2001 because of "unauthorized tampering."

Foulke, who has until Friday to file a written response to the grievance, said it is questionable whether the amendment to the constitution actually passed in 1998.

Levin attached meeting minutes from the Senate meeting at which the amendment was discussed, but he said the assembly minutes for that time are missing.

Even if the amendment passed, Foulke said it is invalid because it was never filed with the Office of Student Activities. The version on file there does not grant the assembly the right to pass executive orders.

Judy Albin, associate director of unions and student activities, said in an e-mail message that any change to a student group's constitution must be filed with the Office of Student Activities.

"The official constitution of any student organization is the latest version that has been filed with the Office of Student Activities. It's not gray at all," she said.

But Levin said it is impossible for Student Activities to know if a group's constitution has been altered since it was approved.

"If this amendment passed and the Senate and assembly think this has to be in the constitution, then by all means, let's get it in there," Foulke said, adding that the process would not be official until a version was given to the Office of Student Activities.

Foulke said he thought the matter could have been handled outside of the court, and he described the grievance as the "same-old, same-old in USG that the student body has been complaining about for years."

He added that the process has distracted him from other work. "It was a huge hindrance having to research the constitution myself," Foulke said. "I'm not going to let this distract my attention from the important things here."

Levin's complaint asks the Supreme Court to change the constitution on file with the Office of Student Activities in addition to determining that Foulke must follow all executive orders from the assembly. "They have the power to rule for or against him in this case. They do not have the authority to force him to comply. They don't have the ability to punish," Levin said. "That ability lies within the legislative branches."