The University Park Allocations Committee (UPAC) plans to hold elections separate from the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), UPAC Chairman Keyur Shah said Tuesday.

Shah said a date has not yet been set for UPAC elections, but packets to apply to be a UPAC candidate should be available tomorrow at the UPAC office in 204 HUB-Robeson Center.

In the past, USG, UPAC and the Association of Residence Hall Students (ARHS) have held elections together. ARHS announced Jan. 31 that it would be holding separate elections.

UPAC is made up of 35 students, 10 of whom are elected by the student body, according to the student activity fee handbook.

USG Senate Vice President Alex Ibrahim said that Shah had not informed USG that UPAC would definitely be holding separate elections.

"He said that it would probably happen," Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim said USG had anticipated a possible UPAC pullout. "We're planning on moving forward as planned," he said.

Senate President Andy Banducci said the USG elections could proceed without UPAC funding. He said this year's elections commission has requested a total budget of between $1,600 and $1,700. He said that Senate has already allocated $1,250 and that more money would be allocated soon.

Banducci said that if UPAC chose to participate in the USG election, USG's costs would be reduced and the elections commission may choose to increase the budget. He said that under the current budget, traditional expenditures like advertisements in newspapers would probably have to be cut to save costs.

The other 25 members of UPAC are appointed by a committee consisting of Shah, a student designated by the vice president for Student Affairs, the USG president and the Graduate Student Association (GSA) president, according to the student activity fee handbook. The USG president approves only undergraduate applicants, and the GSA president approves only graduate applicants.

Shah said that since USG President Galen Foulke was too busy to serve on the committee this year, two Student Affairs representatives were appointed instead.

He said the application for UPAC's appointed members ended last Friday. He said applicants would be interviewed over the next two weeks, and the committee's selections would be announced by the end of next week.

Shah said UPAC had received between 35 and 45 applications. He said UPAC members must reapply each year, and some of the applications are from current UPAC members.

Shah said 22 undergraduate and three graduate students would be appointed.

"We do try to keep a balance," he said.

Shah said the chairman of UPAC would be selected next month in a separate application process. He said the chairman is selected from the elected and appointed UPAC members.

UPAC staff assistant Galen Chelko said there were no plans to change the election format or the numbers of elected and appointed students.

"UPAC is running the same as it has, and it will continue to do so," she said.