Dong Chen

Member for Wharton

Wharton ‘11 (Finance)

UA Historydongc

1st Term: Member for the Freshmen, Student Life (07-08)

Associate Member, Student Life (08)

2nd Term: Member for Wharton (09-10)

Candidate Statement (2009)

I’d like to start with a quote from a childhood hero of mine. He’s a great English intellectual and professor–Albus Dumbledore. Now, Albus once quipped, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” We are living in very harsh and uncertain times, with the world economy falling to unrecognizable lows and Wharton plummeting to #3 in business school rankings. But throughout all this, we mustn’t forget that we are not completely helpless and without a voice. If I am elected to the UA, I will seek to strengthen the voice of our students through programs such as PhotoVoice, which will allow students to take pictures of items that they find fault with in our university and submit it to a website monitored by university administrators. With this and many other initiatives, I will make your ideas heard.

Voting Record

KEY: Result (#Pro / #Con / #Abstain) OR (UNAN)imous

2009-2010 (Session #37, Webley)

Date Proposal Vote Result
9/13/09 University Council Seat Resolution PRO PASS (UNAN.)
9/13/09 Attendance Policy Revision PRO PASS (22/1/0)
9/13/09 Ivy Council Relations Amendment 1 — Change to strike part of an enactment that would commit the UA to following this policy in the future CON PASS (13/7/3)
9/13/09 Ivy Council Relations Amendment 2 — Change to strike an enactment addressing relation with Vice Chair External and UA Steering CON PASS (13/10/0)
9/13/09 Ivy Council Resolution PRO PASS (22/0/1)
9/27/09 Climate Action Plan Resolution PRO PASS (UNAN.)
10/4/09 SFS Feedback PRO PASS (UNAN.)
10/4/09 International Student Housing Amendment 1 — Change to strike enactment clause 2, which would obligate university to waive or reduce the housing fees CON FAIL (3/14/1)
10/4/09 International Student Housing Resolution — Commit to Committee PRO PASS (15/3/2)
10/4/09 ECAASU Letter of Support PRO PASS (19/0/1)
10/11/09 International Student Housing Resolution PRO PASS
11/1/09 Ivy Council Amendment 1 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from $0 to $1410 – FAIL
11/1/09 Ivy Council Amendment 2 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from $0 to $730 – FAIL (12/16/0)
11/1/09 Ivy Council Amendment 3 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from $0 to $1310 – FAIL
11/1/09 Ivy Council Amendment 4 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from $0 to $530 – FAIL (13/15/0)
11/8/09 PennCard PIN Resolution – PASS (UNAN.)
11/8/09 MERT Housing Proposal PRO PASS (UNAN.)
11/8/09 Textbooks Letter to Faculty PRO PASS (UNAN.)
11/15/09 UA Reform Amendment 1 — Change provision to read: “In the case of the President ONLY, the candidate must have at least six months of service …” CON FAIL (4/17/4)
11/15/09 UA Reform Amendment 2 — Allow freshmen to run for President (while barring transfer students) CON FAIL (8/17/4)
11/15/09 UA Reform Amendment 3 — Lock out both freshmen and transfers from running for President CON FAIL (9/16/4)
11/15/09 UA Reform Bill PRO PASS (25/1/3)
11/15/09 Objection to Consideration on Open Letter on Constitutional Changes (Vote to stop discussion on the bill) CON FAIL (15/13/1)
11/15/09 Dismissal of Open Letter on Constitutional Changes PRO PASS (22/3/4)
11/22/09 Support of Native Students at Penn PRO PASS (28/1/2)
12/6/09

 Student Representation PRO

 PASS (UNAN.)
12/6/09 NEC Request for Contingency Amendment 1 — Cut the $500 DP ad CON

 FAIL (11/16/0)
12/6/09 NEC Request for Contingency PRO

 PASS
12/6/09 Recycling Bins Budget Request Amendment 1 – Full funding for the project PRO

 PASS (23/0/3)
12/6/09 Recycling Bin Request PRO

 PASS (23/1/2)
1/17/10

 SCUE White Paper PRO

 PASS (UNAN.)
1/24/10

 Bylaws Amendment, Amendment 1 – Replace Trustee on Committee of Budget and Finance from (1) NEC to (1) UA CON

 PASS
1/24/10 Bylaws Amendment: University Committee Appointments PRO

 PASS
1/24/10 Wharton American Sign Language PRO

 PASS (UNAN.)
1/24/10 Omnibus Recycling PRO

 PASS
1/31/10 Budget Request: Undergraduate Research Symposium PRO

 PASS (UNAN.)
1/31/10 Green Events Checklist Amendment 1 – Change “UA Green Events” to “Green Events Certification” CON

 FAIL (1/27/0)
1/31/10 Green Events Checklist PRO

 PASS (23/2/2)
2/7/10 Upgrading Academic Testing Environment N/R

 PASS (14/4/4)
2/7/10 Contingency Budget Request: Lunar New Year N/R

 PASS (UNAN.)
2/28/10 Suspend: Brooking Amendment – Suspend the rules to consider amendment N/R
 PASS
2/28/10 Brooking Amendment: Original – Removal and Redistribution of Ivy Council Funding to SCUE items ABS
 FAILS
2/28/10 Brooking Amendment: Lum – Decrease SCUE New Member Orientation, increase CURF Undergraduate Advisory Board, Increase SPEC Spring Co-Sponsorship, Decrease Philomathean Society, $111 to SAC ABS
 FAILS
2/28/10 Brooking Amendment: Ernst – Change Philomathean Society Spring Co-Sponsorship to Spring Non-Annuals in SPEC ABS
 FAILS
2/28/10 Brooking Amendment: Budget Committee – redistribute funds to SCUE banner, toner, and Telephone, remainder to SAC PRO
 PASS
2/28/10 SCUE New Member Orientation Amendment PRO
 FAIL (10/18/1)
2/28/10 SCUE CURF Undergraduate Advisory Board Amendment PRO
 PASS (30/1/0)
2/28/10 NEC Student Government Information Session Handout Amendment: Original CON FAIL (9/19/3)
2/28/10 NEC Student Government Information Session Handout Amendment: Horsley – fund flier, decrease funding for Spring candidate packs PRO
 PASS (22/4/5)
2/28/10 NEC State of the School Reception Amendment CON
 FAIL (4/21/3)
2/28/10 NEC Midnight Breakfast Amendment CON
 PASS (10/10/2)
2/28/10 SPEC Contingency Amendment: Original CON
 FAIL (4/22/3)
2/28/10 SPEC Contingency Amendment: Sternberg – add a condition to the extra $20,000 (must be used only in emergency situations) CON
 FAIL (7/20/4)
2/28/10 SPEC-TRUM Amendment PRO
 PASS (UNAN)
2/28/10 SPEC Connaissance Muslim Students Association Amendment PRO
 PASS (28/0/2)
2/28/10 SPEC Connaissance Amendment: Philomathean Society – fund Philo line item, cut SAC CON
 FAIL (4/25/2)
2/28/10 SPEC Connaissance Amendment: Liu – Move $3000 from Spring Non-Annual Co-Sponsorships to Philomathean Society line item CON
 FAIL (5/23/2)
2/28/10 SPEC Connaissance Amendment: Sanchez – Increase SPEC Spring Non-Annual Co-Sponsorships by $3000, cut from SAC PRO
 PASS (20/5/6)
2/28/10 SPEC Fall Fest Amendment – Increase Fall Fest by $2000 from SAC CON FAIL (7/18/6)
2/28/10 SPEC Connaissance Amendment – Increase Spring and Fall Non-Annuals by $2250 each, cut SAC by $4500 CON FAIL (5/22/3)
2/28/10 UA Dolphin Accounts Amendment PRO PASS (UNAN.)
2/28/10 UA Ivy Council Amendment – Ivy Council Fall Conference CON FAIL (5/23/3)
2/28/10 Class Board: Sophomore Skimmer Increase Amendment CON PASS (19/10/2)
2/28/10 UA Annual Budget 2010-2011 PRO PASS (UNAN.)

2008-2009 (Session #35, Karsh)

Date Proposal Vote Result
UC Attendance Bylaws – amendment to reduce the allowed absences for UA University Council seat holders from 4 to 3.
 N/R PASS (16/3/1)
N/R PASS
AM Attendance Policy (note AMs were called VCMs at this time)
 N/R PASS
N/R PASS
GAPSA Octobus Funding Request – votes in favor affirmed the budget committee recommendation to fully fund the Octobus.
 N/R PASS (18/0/1)
PRO PASS (28/2/0)
PRO PASS
Amendment to the Bylaws: Open Forum – amendment to place Open Forum before all reports, rather than between reports and New Business.
 CON FAIL (5/20/2)
Amendment to the Bylaws: Open Forum PRO PASS (26/1/0)
N/R PASS (24/1)
NYTimes Readership Program Budget Committee Recommendation – votes in favor affirmed the recommendation to not fund the NYTimes Readership Program.
 N/R FAIL (2/18/3)
NYTimes Readership Program Funding Request – to fund the NYTimes Readership Program at $3000.
 N/R PASS (15/6/1)
N/R PASS (30/0/2)
N/R PASS
Public Safety Omnibus Resolution – amendment to call on DPS to increase ease of reporting bias incidents engaged in by police.
 CON FAIL (3/17/1)
Public Safety Omnibus Resolution – amendment to strike language referring to increasing Penn Transit coverage of the west of campus.
 CON PASS (13/3/5)
PRO PASS (20/0/1)
PRO PASS
PennGreen Pre-Orientation Program Resolution – amendment to remove language committing the UA to funding the program in the future.
 PRO PASS (20/3/5)
PennGreen Pre-Orientation Program Resolution – amendment to refer the question of funding the program to the UA before the end of the session. PRO PASS (20/0/3)
PRO PASS (32/1/0)
PRO PASS
2008-2009 Governance Budget – amendment to cut SCUE research fair funding by $1,500 and reallocate that to Preceptorials to make up for a $3,000 cut made to the whole program in consequence of the Wine Tasting preceptorial.
 CON PASS (15/14/0)
2008-2009 Governance Budget – amendment to increase all SPEC-TRUM co-sponsorships to reflect inflation, total $493, taken from UA Contingency.
 ABS FAIL (20/4/1)
2008-2009 Governance Budget – affirm the budget committee recommendation to not fund the NYTimes Readership Program.
 N/R FAIL (2/24/0)
2008-2009 Governance Budget – amendment to fund NYTimes Readership Program at $15,000.
 PRO FAIL (12/13/0)
2008-2009 Governance Budget – amendment to fund NYTimes Readership Program at $12,400.
 CON PASS (18/6/1)
2008-2009 Governance Budget – to re-allocate $6,400 from UA Contingency and $6,000 from SPEC Fully Planned to fund the NY Times Readership Program.
 PRO FAIL (10/13/2)
2008-2009 Governance Budget – to re-allocate $6,400 from UA Contingency for the 07-08 AY (not the 08-09 AY) and $6,000 from SPEC Fully Planned to fund the NY Times Readership Program.
 PRO PASS (18/4/2)
2008-2009 Governance Budget – affirm the budget committee recommendation to fund not PennArts.
 CON PASS (7/9/8)
2008-2009 Governance Budget – approval of the whole budget.
 PRO PASS
PRO PASS
Sustainable Paper Products Proposal – amendment to expand the certification recommendation to more than just Green Seal Recommended.
 PRO PASS (26/0/1)
PRO PASS (25/0/2)
PRO PASS (26/0/1)
PRO PASS
2008 Penn Dining Omnibus Resolution – amendment to weaken language calling for opening the Kings Court Dining Hall on weekends for brunch and dinner.
 CON FAIL (5/14/0)
2008 Penn Dining Omnibus Resolution – amendment to remove language calling for opening the Kings Court Dining Hall on weekends for brunch and dinner.
 CON PASS (13/8/0)
2008 Penn Dining Omnibus Resolution PRO PASS
Free Printing Resolution – amendment to remove a recommendation that the university invest in security systems to prevent the theft of printer paper.
 CON PASS
PRO PASS
PRO PASS (20/0/1)
PennGreen Pre-Orientation Funding Request – affirm budget committee’s recommendation to fund PennGreen at $3234
 ABS FAIL (3/23/1)
PennGreen Pre-Orientation Funding Request – to fund PennGreen at $4234
 PRO PASS (28/6/0)
ABS PASS
PRO PASS
PRO PASS
PRO PASS (24/0/1)
PRO PASS
PRO PASS

Attendance Record

All UA members are required to comply with the UA’s absences policy, which requires that they attend 75% of all general meeting and committee meetings.

2009-2010 (Session #37)

General Meetings Attended 17/19 (89.5%)

Committee Meetings Attended 13.5/14 (96.4%)

2007-2008 (Session #35)

General Meetings Attended 14.5/16 (90.6%)

Committee Meetings Attended 17.5/19 (92.1%)

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