The UA is pleased to announce the results of our Internal Elections, which took place on April 11th, 2010:

Speaker: G.J. Melendez-Torres, Nursing & Wharton ‘11
The Speaker chairs UA meetings and facilitates all internal business, including serving as a link between the executive and the body and managing the associate member process.

Treasurer: Ryan Houston, Wharton ‘11
The Treasurer is responsible for the UA’s own operational funds, the Student Government Budget that appropriates over $1.9 million for all undergraduate government branches at Penn, as well as the UA’s $20,000 Contingency Fund.

Secretary: Cynthia Ip, College ‘12
The Secretary is responsible for record-keeping, communicating to the student body on the UA’s progress through the website and the press, as well as other administration necessary for our operation.

Melendez-Torres, Houston, and Ip will join President Matt Amalfitano and Vice President Mark Pan to form the UA Executive Board.

After months of discussion, the Penn Garden has been given a semi-permanent location on campus: directly west of Rodin College House. Interested students have been working to start seeds for transplant as soon as the garden is completed, as well as other students discussing other operational aspects of the Garden. Furthermore, the Garden committee plans to submit a Management 100 project application for a group of freshmen to work on the Business and Organizational Plan for the Garden next fall. Project members are currently working to ensure the garden is staffed over the summer, and are installing a leadership structure for next year.

Dear Penn,

It is with enormous pleasure that I announce that MATT AMALFITANO will serve as the very first President of the Undergraduate Assembly! In addition, MARK PAN will serve as the very first Vice-President of the UA.

In addition, your UA Governing Body for 2010-2011 will consist of:

UA Executives

MATT AMALFITANO – President of the UA (president@pennua.org)
MARK PAN – Vice-President of the UA (vp@pennua.org)

SAS Representatives

Webley, Alec
Shuster, Jake
Dubler, Grant
Cruz, Chris
Sexauer, Zeke
Jakubowski, Andrew “A.J.”
Monfred, Jon
Young, Amanda
Shahin, Mo
Chen, Mike
Lum, Andrew
Levenstein, Michael
Ip, Cynthia
Pak, Albert
Huberlie, Ali
Bloch, Adam

Wharton Representatives

Houston, Ryan
Cheng, Faye
Horsley, Hunter
Pierce, Michael

SEAS Representatives

Shaeffer, Emily
Sternberg, Matt
Ernst, Tyler
Staniforth, Andrew

Nursing Representative

G.J. Melendez-Torres

It has been a privilege and a pleasure to serve you as your UA Chairman this past year. We now begin the process between transitioning between the old leadership and the new.

This process will conclude at the UA Transition Meeting, which will be held at 6pm on April 11 in Huntsman 350. There, Matt and Mark will officially take office as President and Vice-President of the UA, and the UA will proceed to elect the Speaker, Treasurer, and Secretary that will round out the UA Executive Board. The public is warmly invited to attend!

Best wishes,

Alec Webley

Outgoing UA Chair

Interested in making a change in academic, community or student life at Penn?  Want to get more involved in student representation?  Make your voice heard and come see the 2010 candidates for UA President and Vice President in action.   If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please email the Presidential Debate Commission at pennpdc@gmail.com.

Tuesday, March 15 (TODAY!)

UA Steering – Vice-Presidential Forum

7.00pm in the LGBT Center

A special forum for Vice-Presidential candidates before UA Steering, a peak body of 34 campus coalitions that the winning Vice-President will chair and lead next year.

Thursday, March 18

Politics at Penn – Presidential Forum

12:00 p.m. in the Harrison College House Rooftop Lounge

Sponsored by the Penn Democrats and the Penn Political Review

Friday, March 19

Civic and Community Engagement — Presidential Forum

12:00 p.m. at Civic House

Sponsored by CHAC  - LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED!

Diversity at Penn — Presidential Forum

6:00 p.m. in the ARCH Auditorium

Sponsored by the Latino Coalition, Lambda Alliance, Asian Pacific Student Coalition, UMOJA, United Minorities Council, Penn Consortium of Undergraduate Women, and PRISM

Saturday, March 20

Academic and Residential Life — Presidential Forum

12:00 p.m. in the Harrison College House Rooftop Lounge

Sponsored by the Residential Advisory Board and the University Honor Council

Presidential and Vice Presidential Forum

Sunday, March 21 at 3:00 p.m. in a To Be Determined Location*

Sponsored by the Daily Pennsylvanian

*Please stay tuned for the announcement of this location.

Sunday, March 21

UA and Penn Student Government — Presidential Forum

9:00 p.m. in Ben Franklin Room in Houston Hall

Sponsored by the Undergraduate Assembly

On Sunday, February 28th, the UA approved the 2010-2011 Annual Budget after amending the Budget Committee’s recommendation in ten significant areas. Key features of the 2010-2011 Budget include:

• A major increase in SAC funding: an extra $64,000 for student groups (or 7.77% increase from last year!).
• Restructuring Spring Fling finances: accounting changes mean that while Fling is unchanged its true cost is now reported and accounted for; plus, the recommendation includes a little bit extra for Concert talent.
• A major increase in Connaissance Major Speaker Honoraria funding (from $61,000 per semester to $75,000 per semester).
• Restoration of the SPEC Film Speaker Event with $13,000 of funding.
• Some program eliminations:
  • Dolphin email accounts ($4950)
  • SPEC Concerts Small Show Series ($3000)
  • SPEC Connaissance Philomathean Society Annual Oration Co-Sponsorship ($3000)
  • Minority Scholars Weekend ($2250)
  • SPEC Special Events Third Spring Fest ($2000)
  • SPEC Connaissance Haitian Solidarity Week Co-Sponsorship ($1000)
  • Haitian Solidarity Week Co-Sponsorship ($1000)
  • Holocaust Memorial Day Co-Sponsorship ($1000)
  • GUIDE Co-Sponsorship ($1000)
• Standardization of SPEC Jazz and Grooves and SPEC-TRUM Spring Concert with Fall Concerts, involving cutting:
  • $10,550 from SPEC Jazz and Grooves Spring Concert
  • $7,950 from SPEC-TRUM Spring Concert

The final budget is available in a printable version (for legal-size paper!) or an online Google Docs version.

See below the jump for an itemized list of approved amendments. And tell us what you think in the comments!

Read more…