Correction appended: Jan. 28, 2013.
The University Park Undergraduate Association ’s weekly meeting saw changes to the structure of one of its committees and to the passing of legislation.
Two pieces of legislation were voted on at the meeting. Both pieces came from the Internal Development Committee .
Policy 09-07: Expansion of the Student Life Committee and the Diversity Committee was comprised of two parts.
The first part of the policy sought to move athletics under the umbrella of the Student Life Committee.
Athletics has traditionally been under the Student Life Committee. However, it was never formalized, Dray Krishnan , Chair of Internal Development, said.
The legislation, which passed unanimously, officially places athletics under Student Life.
The second part of the policy sought to expand the Diversity Committee.
Krishnan (sophomore-accounting and economics) said UPUA was looking to do more to include international students, but there was no committee to oversee the plans.
He said that the legislation presented tonight solved that issue.
“It puts the responsibility of international student inclusivity into the hands of the Diversity Committee,” Krishnan said.
The second piece of legislation presented to the floor also came from the Internal Development Committee.
Policy 10-07: Expanding Business of the Assembly sought to modify UPUA’s legislative setup.
Policy 10-07 passed 32-1-1.
Prior to the introduction of the legislation, UPUA passed either resolutions or polices. The policy introduced the creation of bills as a third avenue for legislation.
Resolutions passed by the assembly reflect the opinions of the student body or the assembly. Policies are “pertinent only to the assembly,” Krishnan said.
Any other proposed legislation that does not fall into those two categories will now be introduced as bills, he said.
Bills will deal with matters such as program initiatives. Krishnan said bills will be a “catch-all” for programs, initiatives, campaigns and other matters that have spending requirements.
Tonight’s UPUA meeting also served as an example of parliamentary procedure. Student Affairs and Student Activities filmed most of the meeting for a new module.
Spencer Malloy , Chair of the Assembly, said Student Affairs wanted to see how a typical meeting was conducted.
Mary Edgington , the UPUA faculty adviser, is in charge of a new online student leadership learning module that is being created by the university.
She said the module deals with several different topics, including parliamentary procedure and tips on leading a successful meeting.
Edgington said that clips from tonight’s UPUA meeting will be included in the section on parliamentary procedure.
She said the module will “hopefully” be available to the general student population next semester.
At the start of the meeting, UPUA President Courtney Lennartz presented her weekly report.
Included in the report was the news that Katelyn Mullen , UPUA Vice President was chosen as one of three students to sit on the Board of Trustees’ committee that is looking for the next president of Penn State, Lennartz said.
The meeting ended with reports from each committee chair and a report about the upcoming Encampment that is set to take place this weekend.
An earlier version of this article stated incorrect information regarding the purpose of bills as an avenue for legislation. Bills will not be used as a means for forensic discussion, Internal Development Chairman Dray Krishnan said, and instead will be a “catch-all” for programs, initiatives, campaigns and other matters that have spending requirements. The above article reflects the correct information. The Daily Collegian apologizes for this error.
