University Park, Pa. -- A student-led initiative to reform undergraduate representation at Penn State has resulted in a new student governance structure that will serve as the recognized voice for undergraduate students on the University Park campus.
Based on the clear outcome of a recent student body referendum on the future of student government on campus and subsequent discussions with student leaders, Penn State President Graham B. Spanier has designated the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) as the official representative body for undergraduate students.
"The election results have demonstrated a student mandate for UPUA to replace the Undergraduate Student Government as the officially sanctioned representative of undergraduate students," wrote Spanier in a letter acknowledging the status of UPUA.
Election of UPUA officials will take place early in the 2006 fall semester. The organization is expected to be in place and functioning on behalf of students no later than Oct. 15.
The origins of the UPUA concept date back almost two years, when students Galen Foulke and Luke Adams were elected president and vice president of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) in 2004 -- and re-elected last spring -- after having run on a platform to reform USG's structure. As president, Foulke appointed a commission to examine the issue. That commission issued a report last December that served as the foundation of the UPUA proposal and led to last month's referendum.
An overwhelming majority of voting students (82 percent) cast votes stating that they did not believe the USG provided effective representation for students. A second referendum ballot yielded nearly 61 percent of student voters in support of the proposed UPUA representative structure.
Following the referendum, the proposal was forwarded to Vicky Triponey, vice president for Student Affairs, for assessment.
"Throughout this process, University administrators and staff have insisted that the student body itself must determine how it wants to be represented and whether it wants to make changes to the student governance structure," said Triponey. "The UPUA has stood as a progressive proposal supported by a majority of the students who cast votes. There were no apparent, compelling reasons given as to why the University should ignore the will of its students by not adopting the UPUA as the official student voice."
USG, UPUA and hundreds of other student organizations continue to have a right to exist and function at the Penn State. However the determination of which organization serves as the official representative voice of the students based on the expressed desires of the student body rests with the president of the University.