Two student leaders contributing to the formation of a new programming board at Penn State hosted an open forum last night to share their ideas and hear students' concerns.

Shaira Morales (senior-health policy and administration) and Colleen Briley (senior-English and communication arts and sciences) opened the meeting by giving the audience a definition of what the programming board will ultimately do at Penn State.

"A programming board is a group of students who help facilitate and co-sponsor programs on campus for all students," Briley told the audience of about 40 people --mostly concerned students from various organizations and some administrators.

Briley said the board would assist programs produced by student organizations with advertising, marketing and planning.

Both Briley and Morales are co-chairing respective groups that are planning the new board.

Briley and Senior Director of Unions and Student Activities Stan Latta are co-chairing a group designed to develop details of the new board, while Morales and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Philip Burlingame are co-chairing a group that will decide how the student activity fee will be allocated.

At last night's open forum, both Briley and Morales presented details about their groups.

Briley said there are leaders from many different organizations represented in the planning process.

"It's a great culmination of different organizations that have come together," she said.

Briley and Morales also presented the audience with a PowerPoint slide detailing a prospective allocation model, though they insisted that it is not final. Under the model, an allocation board, headed by students, would meet to allocate funds to a programming board, the University Park Allocations Committee (UPAC), and also to some university-wide programs deemed to have "big budgets."

Briley and Morales then fielded questions about the board from members of the audience.

Andy Banducci (senior-economics), who is the Undergraduate Student Government Senate president, asked if the programming board would be able to put on events, and if so, how it would remain content-neutral.

Briley told the audience that the board would have the ability to put on programs in areas that are currently underrepresented at Penn State. She said that board members might issue a survey to students to see what types of programs they would like to see more of.

Other concerns raised during the meeting pertained to how many students and administrators would make up the board.

Briley said that they would seek the help of faculty and staff as assistants, but that the new board might have more than 150 students working on it to ensure a variety of student viewpoints are represented.

Angelo Pontillo (junior-crime, law and justice) said that he thinks the process should be more student-controlled, suggesting some type of electronic vote for students to voice their opinions.

"I believe the administration, when they make choices directly involving the students, should have input from the student body as a whole as opposed to a random sample of students," Pontillo said.

Briley and Morales concluded the meeting by thanking the students for their input and urging them to get involved in the new programming board.

"It's up to us as Penn State students to make it worthwhile," Morales said.

Associate Vice President for Student Engagement Felicia McGinty, who works on the group that is developing details of the new board, said that she thought the meeting offered a lot of information.

"I enjoyed hearing students' concerns, and I think that will help shape our work and give us some direction," McGinty said.

Morales said that the programming board would have many benefits for students.

"I think that the concept of it is going to be 100 percent beneficial to students and their organizations," Morales said, adding that the two groups would continue in their planning efforts to "make sure we are representing the student body to the best of our abilities."