In an effort to inform and receive feedback from students regarding the planning of a new programming board at Penn State, three students involved will host an open student forum tonight.

Administrators from the Division of Student Affairs and students chosen by Vice President for Student Affairs Vicky Triponey have held weekly closed meetings each Monday since Jan. 23 to discuss potential details of the new programming board.

Administrators said the new board would exist alongside the University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC),
a student-run organization that allocates funds to student groups for programs, activities and initiatives.

Abbey Rhode, Mark Taticchi and Jacob Dixon, who are all contributing to the planning stages of the new board, will host tonight's meeting, which will be the first opportunity for students to get direct information about the planning of the new board.

Dixon said the idea to hold a meeting began about two weeks ago, when he, Rhode and Taticchi began to hear student concerns about how the programming board might affect the structure of UPAC.

He said he had heard students speculating that small organizations would be disadvantaged, and other inquiries about the potential responsibilities of the programming board. "There's different ideas out there," Dixon said.

Rhode said she was planning to raise awareness about the meeting by sending a message over an e-mail list that includes presidents of all student organizations at Penn State, who could then forward the message to the members of their respective groups.

Stan Latta, senior director of unions and student activities, said he was not aware that Rhode, Taticchi and Dixon were planning to hold tonight's meeting. He added that there would be an official meeting, attended by student affairs administrators and students who have been working on the new programming board, next Wednesday.

Dixon said that he, Rhode and Taticchi would all be present at the meeting next Wednesday, but tonight's meeting would add an extra opportunity for students to ask questions. He said he was not sure if any administrators would be present at tonight's meeting.

Rhode said the purpose of tonight's meeting would be to find out what students are worried about and what they would like to see the committee do in planning the new programming board.

"We just want to make sure, as student representatives on this committee, that we're hearing a wide range of student viewpoints and representing what students want on this committee," Rhode said.

The meeting will begin with an introduction of the new programming board and its purpose, Dixon said. From there, he added, the meeting would be opened up to student questions and concerns.

"As a student representative, I feel as if I would expect students to be able to ask questions, be concerned and look at the positive and negative aspects of this," Dixon said.

Rhode, Taticchi and Dixon, in addition to their duties to contribute to the planning of the new programming board, are all members of the Association of Residence Hall Students.