Student governance at Penn State has a long tradition. However, representation must be transparent and in students' best interests. Undergraduate Student Government (USG) president Galen Foulke's process for starting a new student advocacy organization is none of these, and students should be outraged.

It's important to note that commentary does not pertain to the specific positives and negatives of University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) proposal. Instead, the process Foulke used shows an alarming coziness with the Division of Student Affairs and disregard for his duties as the leader of the students.

In November, USG Senate President Andy Banducci and Academic Assembly President Ashley Harris worked with Foulke to come to a consensus on a process to put the UPUA proposal to a vote. But several weeks later, Foulke abandoned this consensus and submitted a survey question asking for student opinion. The USG Supreme Court ruled this wasn't a referendum question, because questions require explicit policy proposals, and therefore would not be binding like a true referendum question. The court also saw that about 50 of the signatures were invalid.

Foulke was aware that this court outcome was likely. In fact, USG Vice President Luke Adams said, "Andy brought up some good points," regarding the constitutionality of this survey question at a later USG Senate meeting. Thus, the submission of the question wasn't a simple legal dispute, but rather an attempt to paint USG as an obstructionist.

USG Executive Chief of Staff Andrew Reeve then established Students for Real Advocacy. The club's mission is to seek student opinion regarding USG and to attempt to enhance student advocacy at Penn State. This club has become the backdoor that Foulke will use to run his survey on USG. However, running an online survey costs a lot of money. Students for Real Advocacy sought assistance, and Stan Latta, director of unions and student activities, helped the organization obtain $3,000 in "private anonymous donations" to run a campaign decrying USG and surveying opinion. This should raise red flags for students. Two years ago, the administration cut funding for The Lion WKPS-FM (90.7). Maybe Latta could find "anonymous private donations" to provide better computer equipment for the radio station. This doesn't seem likely, and that suggests the administration sees benefits of abolishing USG, an organization that has been critical of tuition increases.

Besides refusing to divulge the source of its administration-solicited funding, Students for Real Advocacy refuses to hold an open meeting or allow students to join. Foulke described the organization as "closed" unless a prospective member were willing to take a loyalty oath to the UPUA proposal. But Foulke believes reasonable people cannot disagree on the best way to maximize student advocacy and fulfill the mission of the new group.

Foulke has used disagreement with his proposals as an opportunity to blast USG as being "riddled with checks and balances" and "out of touch with students." Foulke blamed his failures solely on the structure of USG.

The decision of how to spend this $3,000 was closed to the public. This is also how the UPUA Constitution was devised. Foulke chose Constitutional Review Commission Chairman Jeff Corbets, and Corbets then selected administrators who voiced disgust with USG. It seems the process Foulke has undertaken has been contaminated with anonymous payoffs, secret meetings and closed membership.

Foulke should release the donor names, open membership to Students for Real Advocacy and allow an open debate. This goes beyond the students and administrators who are here today. It is about respecting current institutions and ensuring that our successors inherit a Penn State that welcomes student voice.