Traditionally, elections for student government officials take place in the spring, but the University Park Undergraduate Association will once again hold elections in the fall, in accordance with its constitution.

"According to the people that wrote the constitution, it will allow groups a more smooth transition," Jay Chamberlin, University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) president, said. "For example, the future Eberly College of Science Representative will be able to have access to the past Eberly College of Science Representative for the fall semester, and in a situation where the president is not graduating in December, like myself, the spring semester as well."

Chamberlin has decided to postpone graduating this spring until next fall to keep his post during the beginning of the fall semester and to be available to help UPUA transition.

There are two other seniors in UPUA. Jacob Digel, Chamberlin's chief of staff, will also graduate next fall and Jake Keefe, public relations chairman, is planning to graduate either at the end of this semester or after the summer semester.

Nick Stathes, Undergraduate Student Government president, said the former student government held elections in the spring rather than in the fall for several reasons.

"If you have elections in the fall, seniors who graduate in the spring are not able to run," Stathes said. "The summer should be a time when student leaders are figuring out what policies and plans they will have for the fall."

Stathes said holding elections in the fall would eliminate the summer as a planning period.

"You essentially have a president who is a lame duck in the summer," he said.

Some members of UPUA are also critical of holding elections in the fall.

"I just think it's a totally mind-boggling system that should be changed," said Tom Shakely, a UPUA off-campus representative.

Changing the time of the UPUA elections would require an amendment to the UPUA constitution. Article 13 of the constitution says that amendments cannot be made until after UPUA has been in effect for one year.