The Student Programming Association (SPA), a new group that will be responsible for assisting Penn State's student organizations' programming efforts, is seeking students to lead its executive board.

However, SPA's advisor, Darcy Rameker, said yesterday afternoon that she has only received one application for an executive board position. The deadline to submit applications is today at 5 p.m., and there are four seats to fill.

Rameker remained optimistic, however.

"In the last month or so, I've met with several students and talked to them about involvement in the Student Programming Association," she said.

"In my experience, [the applicants] typically come in the last minute, right by the due date."

In July, Vice President for Student Affairs Vicky Triponey told The Daily Collegian that $100,000 of student activity fee funds that would have gone to the University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) would be going to SPA instead.

Since July, Rameker has been working to get SPA up and running. She said she has been promoting the organization at involvement fairs and putting together applications for prospective members.

"We're really trying to get that foundation ready, so, once we get students on board, they can really help shape the organization," Rameker said.

The idea to institute SPA began in January, when Triponey began holding closed meetings each week with students who she chose to propose its organizational structure. Plans for SPA became more public at a series of open forums that were held last year throughout the spring semester.

In regards to the purpose of SPA, Triponey has said, "In addition to hosting their own programs that are campus-wide in nature, they will be helping other organizations be more effective in their programming."

The executive board application states that members will have to attend required SPA meetings, hold office hours and "program diverse events."

Rameker said she would be interviewing prospective board members in the coming weeks.

Applications for SPA's 11 "committee chair" positions will be available in late October or early November, she added.

UPAC Chairman Greg Heleniak said he would be helping SPA interview interested prospective board members for the committee chair positions.

While Heleniak added that UPAC might lose some recruits to SPA in the future, he said he thinks the two organizations will have a "good working relationship."

"SPA is a lot more involved in planning programs and actually executing events," Heleniak said. "UPAC sort of takes a third-party view of it."

UPAC is looking to fill four seats, Heleniak said.

The deadline to apply for the positions was Monday, and they have received eight applications, Heleniak added.