Zac Byer

Member for the College
College ‘10 (American History)

UA Historyzacb1
Associate Member (06-07)
1st Term: Member for the College, Academic Affairs (07-08)
2nd Term: Member for the College, Vice-Chair of External Affairs (08-09)
3rd Term: Member for the College (09-10)

Candidate Statement (2009)
If there is one thing I have learned during my two years on the UA, it is how to work interactively with fellow students and groups to make positive change at Penn. I served this year on the UA Executive Board, as the Vice Chair of External Affairs. Working with groups from the 5B and minority coalitions, to Greek chapters and religious organizations, I have come to realize that no matter how different we are, we share a common interest: Penn’s ability to function as a home-away-from home for us. A place where we feel welcomed. A place where we feel safe. A place where we can make lifelong friends. A place where we can create a weeklong holiday for ourselves in April. With one year left here, I want to continue working for you to ensure Penn is the place we all want and need it to be.

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 CON 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 PRO 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 PRO PASS (13/10/0)
9/13/09 Ivy Council Resolution PRO PASS (22/0/1)
9/27/09 Climate Action Plan Resolution – PASS (UNAN.)
10/4/09 SFS Feedback – 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 – FAIL (3/14/1)
10/4/09 International Student Housing Resolution — Commit to Committee – PASS (15/3/2)
10/4/09 ECAASU Letter of Support – 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 CON FAIL
11/1/09 Ivy Council Amendment 2 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from $0 to $730 CON FAIL (12/16/0)
11/1/09 Ivy Council Amendment 3 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from $0 to $1310 CON FAIL
11/1/09 Ivy Council Amendment 4 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from $0 to $530 CON FAIL (13/15/0)
11/8/09 PennCard PIN Resolution PRO 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) PRO 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 CON
 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 ABS
 PASS (23/0/3)
12/6/09 Recycling Bin Request CON
 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 N/R
 PASS
1/24/10 Bylaws Amendment: University Committee Appointments N/R
 PASS
1/24/10 Wharton American Sign Language PRO
 PASS (UNAN.)
1/24/10 Omnibus Recycling ABS
 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 CON
 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 PRO
 PASS
2/28/10 Brooking Amendment: Original – Removal and Redistribution of Ivy Council Funding to SCUE items CON
 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 CON
 FAILS
2/28/10 Brooking Amendment: Ernst – Change Philomathean Society Spring Co-Sponsorship to Spring Non-Annuals in SPEC CON
 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 CON
 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 CON
 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 ABS
 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 #36, Tong)

Date Proposal Vote Result
9/14/08
 Website Proposal PRO PASS (UNAN.)
9/21/08 NSO Fraternity Party Safety Proposal PRO PASS (18/4/0)
10/5/08 Standing Orders / Bylaws Proposal PRO PASS (UNAN.)
10/5/08 Move Out Proposal PRO PASS (24/0/1)
10/5/08 IVC Fall Budget Request CON PASS (15/2/8)
10/26/08 PLTV Budget Request PRO PASS (22/1/0)
11/9/08 Bike Sharing Proposal N/R PASS (UNAN.)
11/9/08 Website Budget Proposal N/R PASS (UNAN.)
11/16/08 Zimride Proposal ABS PASS (19/0/2)
11/16/08 UA Winter Airport Shuttle – motion to table the proposal CON FAIL (1/20/0)
11/16/08 UA Winter Airport Shuttle – amendment to require each member to take on at least one hour-long shift CON FAIL (7/14/0)
11/16/08 UA Winter Airport Shuttle – amendment to have absences accrued from not doing the Winter Break shuttles be counted towards fall semester absences and not spring absences. PRO PASS (17/2/1)
11/16/08 UA Winter Airport Shuttle Proposal PRO PASS (21/1/0)
11/23/08 Casino Development Proposal – amendment to remove language from background alleging that discussion around the casino development hadn’t been sufficient. PRO PASS (15/14/1)
11/23/08 Casino Development Proposal – Approve Enactment Clause 1 CON PASS (17/11/1)
11/23/08 Casino Development Proposal – Approve Enactment Clause 2 PRO PASS (23/2/4)
11/23/08 Casino Development Proposal – Approve Enactment Clause 3 CON PASS (17/9/1)
11/23/08 Online Syllabi PRO PASS (UNAN.)
1/18/09 Penn Green and Penn Arts Pre-Orientation Program Funding Request
 PRO PASS (UNAN.)
1/18/09 Open Letter to the Faculty RE Inauguration Day PRO PASS (UNAN.)
2/1/09 Undergraduate Research Proposal PRO PASS (UNAN.)
2/1/09 Bike and Pedestrian Safety PRO PASS (UNAN.)
2/1/09 Ramadan Fast Food PRO PASS (UNAN.)
2/8/09 Perelman Quad Reservations PRO PASS (UNAN.)
2/8/09 Stair Beautification Proposal PRO PASS (UNAN.)
2/15/09 College Day Proposal PRO PASS (UNAN.)
2/22/09 Spring Break Airport Shuttle Proposal - amendment to permit members to “make up” one absence by doing extra shifts on the Spring Airport Shuttles. CON PASS (11/6/2)
2/22/09 Spring Break Airport Shuttles Proposal CON PASS (18/1/0)
3/1/09 2009-2010 Annual Budget – amendment to reduce NEC budget for Williams Hall useage in nominations interviews by $100, redistributing it to food for the State of the School Address. PRO FAIL (9/13/0)
3/1/09 2009-2010 Annual Budget – motion to consider changing the amount of the SPEC Contingency allocation (requires 60% majority to pass) PRO FAIL (9/13/0)
3/1/09 2009-2010 Annual Budget – motion to consider changing the amount of the Senior Class Board allocation (requires 60% majority to pass) PRO FAIL (7/12/1)
3/1/09 2009-2010 Annual Budget – amendment to transfer $3000 from the UA Contingency fund to the SPEC Contingency fund. PRO FAIL (5/17/1)
3/1/09 2009-2010 Annual Budget PRO PASS (18/6/0)
3/22/09 NEC Slate Confirmation PRO PASS (22/1/0)
3/22/09 Latino Coalition — Minority Education Proposal PRO PASS (22/1/0)
3/22/09 Asian Pacific Student Coalition — Minority Education Proposal PRO PASS (UNAN.)
3/22/09 Lambda Alliance — Minority Education Proposal PRO PASS (17/2/0)
3/22/09 UMOJA — Minority Education Proposal PRO PASS (18/0/1)
3/22/09 United Minorities Council — Minority Education Proposal ABS PASS (14/3/2)
3/29/09 PCUW Distribution Proposal PRO PASS (UNAN.)
3/29/09 NSO Night Time Activities Proposal PRO PASS (UNAN.)
4/5/09 Meal Donation PRO PASS
4/5/09 Final Toast Budget Request PRO PASS
4/5/09 Contingency Disbursement PRO PASS
4/5/09 Diwali Proposal PRO PASS
4/5/09 Airport Shuttles PRO PASS
4/5/09 Textbook Proposal Amendment – amendment to add an endorsement of publicizing used textbook vendors through the UA. CON FAIL
4/5/09 Textbook Proposal PRO PASS
4/5/09 Intellectual Property Rights Proposal PRO PASS

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.
 PRO PASS (16/3/1)
PRO PASS
AM Attendance Policy (note AMs were called VCMs at this time)
 PRO PASS
PRO PASS
GAPSA Octobus Funding Request – votes in favor affirmed the budget committee recommendation to fully fund the Octobus.
 PRO 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)
ABS* 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.
 N/R FAIL (3/17/1)
Public Safety Omnibus Resolution – amendment to strike language referring to increasing Penn Transit coverage of the west of campus.
 N/R PASS (13/3/5)
N/R 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)
N/R 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.
 CON FAIL (20/4/1)
2008-2009 Governance Budget – affirm the budget committee recommendation to not fund the NYTimes Readership Program.
 CON FAIL (2/24/0)
2008-2009 Governance Budget – amendment to fund NYTimes Readership Program at $15,000.
 CON FAIL (12/13/0)
2008-2009 Governance Budget – amendment to fund NYTimes Readership Program at $12,400.
 PRO 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.
 CON 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.
 PRO 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)
N/R 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.
 PRO 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
 CON FAIL (3/23/1)
PennGreen Pre-Orientation Funding Request – to fund PennGreen at $4234
 PRO PASS (28/6/0)
PRO PASS
PRO PASS
PRO PASS
PRO PASS (24/0/1)
PRO PASS
PRO PASS

*Voting Rights, Sustainability proposal: I want to reassure everyone that I am as committed to pushing Penn to the vanguard of sustainable practices across the nation’s universities. However, with the limited amount of dialogue and discussion concerning this proposal, I found it necessary to abstain. I am still unaware of the financial implications of all that was proposed, as well as the sheer enforceability of the enactment clause. I am confident that Sarah and Lisa have and will continue to speak to all the right people to answer any more questions the UA and the rest of the Penn community may have regarding sustainable practices here in University City.

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 15/19 (78.9%)

Committee Meetings Attended 11/14 (78.6%)

2008-2009 (Session #36)

General Meetings Attended 17/19 (89.5%)

Committee Meetings Attended 20/20 (100%)

2007-2008 (Session #35)

General Meetings Attended 17/19 (89.5%)

Committee Meetings Attended 16.5/18 (91.7%)

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