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.

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!

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Every year the UA is given around $1.9 million to allocate to the branches of student government for the upcoming year – money that funds Spring Fling, major speakers, Hey Day, Sophomore Skimmer, free New York Times, and, of course, every student group on campus. Our money comes from the Vice-Provost for University Life, and is pegged to the General Fee.

This year, a low projected General Fee increase meant that the UA’s budget rose by the same proportion as last year (3.7%) and so the UA was given an extra $67,000 to distribute. The actual distribution is done in a two-step process: the Budget Committee (consisting of Sakina Zaidi, UA Treasurer, and UA Members Zac Byer and Ryan Houston) issues a recommendation, which is then considered by the entire UA in a lengthy public process that culminates in a Budget Decision Meeting where the UA at large may amend the Budget Committee’s recommendation before a final vote on February 28th.

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

We hope that you provide comments and feedback on this site! This is your chance to have your say on how your $1.9 million is spent! Check below the jump for a summary of key features of this year’s recommendation:

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At today’s weekly GBM, the UA funded $951 of Penn’s sole undergraduate Lunar New Year celebration, led by a team of dedicated individuals, including UA member Amanda Young. The organization that has traditionally hosted the event pulled out at the last minute, and upon learning of this, an ad-hoc group of students immediately met to ensure that the most important celebration in many countries makes a strong presence at Penn.

Authored by Vinay Rao, Sakina Zaidi, and G.J. Melendez-Torres, the UA also resolved to improve the academic environment for students within testing situations by making a few changes such as ensuring left-handed desks, increased invigilators, adequate desk space, and clear time displays.

Finally, Associate Member Colin Kavanaugh and the Student Life committee is working with the University to prevent identity fraud by promoting the opportunity for students to change their PIN numbers away from the current Social Security Number-based PIN.

Please tell us your thoughts, and check out the full meeting minutes.

Allocation to different branches in the 09-10 Budget

Every year the UA is given around $1.8 million to allocate to the branches of student government for the upcoming year – money that funds Spring Fling, major speakers, Hey Day, Sophomore Skimmer, free New York Times, and, of course, every student group on campus. Our money comes from the Trustees, and is pegged to the General Fee.

This year, of course, the economy ran into a little trouble, but the General Fee went up by 3.9% and so the UA was given an extra $67,000 to distribute. This was important; with budget cutting in every department, students can’t rely on non-student funding sources any more. Plus, the UA Budget Committee and PSG Treasurers found nearly $50,000 in savings from careful cutting of unnecessary and less popular programs.

In the end, our increase and new savings meant that:

• SAC gets another $25,000 boost to student group funding.
• SPEC got more than $28,000 extra for a better Spring Fling concert, SPEC-TRUM concert, and Fall/Spring Major Speakers.
• The UA began funding PennArts and PennGreen, two new and exciting freshman pre-orientation programs.

The full budget is online or in a printer friendly version, as you prefer. For the full low-down on the budget, check after the jump.

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