SPRING 95 VOTER'S GUIDE: A1 Constitutional Reform

Constitutional reform proposal A1, written by Undergraduate Assembly member and College senior Dan Schorr and College junior Mike Nadel, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, would radically alter the structure of student government at the University. A1's guiding principle, according to Schorr and Nadel, is that no funding of student activities or nominations of students to University committees should be done by unelected representatives of the student body. The plan aims to combine most governmental functions into one elected body, known as the Undergraduate Senate. The Senate would consist of 39 members, divided by school. The body's responsibilities would include all those currently performed by the UA. In addition, the Senate would fund student activity groups and handle nominations. Currently, activity groups are funded by the Student Activities Council. SAC is allocated a block sum by the UA, and then can divide this money as it sees fit. Under A1, the Senate would do the actual budgeting for each activity. SAC would still exist, largely as a check on the Senate's funding decisions -- it could overturn a Senate budget with a two-thirds vote. The Senate's Finance Committee would make recommendations to the body for funding decisions, similar to the way the SAC Finance Committee currently works within SAC. Nominations to University-wide committees, currently done by the Nominations and Elections Committee, would also be run by the Senate. The Nominations Committee would recommend applicants for appointments, and then the full Senate would decide on their confirmation by majority vote. The NEC's other function, running elections, would be taken over by a new Constitutional Administration Council. The Council would be appointed by the Senate, and would oversee all Senatorial actions to ensure their constitutionality. At any time, the Council could pass a resolution that the Senate has acted unconstitutionally -- at which point the Senate must either comply with the Council's wishes or overturn their resolution by a two-thirds majority vote.