Student government leaders draft reform

A new proposal to reform the Undergraduate Assembly was distributed last night at the monthly meeting of the Student Activities Council. According to its four authors, the proposal combines the most successful procedures from SAC, the Social Planning and Events Committee, the Nominations and Elections Committee and the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education to reform the UA. The new body, called the Student Council on Undergraduate Life, would be smaller than the current UA and elected from smaller constituencies. The Council's agenda would be subject to recommendations by campus leaders from groups such as the United Minorities Council, the Greek umbrella groups and Student Health Advisory Board. The plan would also enable the body to remove ineffective members. Former SAC chairperson and College senior Graham Robinson, UA Vice Chairperson Gil Beverly, SPEC President and College junior Mosi Bennett and former NEC chairperson and recent College graduate Rick Gresh put forth the proposal. The reform plan also calls for work meetings, which would be closed to the public. Parliamentary procedure would be relaxed at these meetings. The reform also recommends the development of procedures allowing body members to gain spots on key University committees and to develop focused areas of responsibility. Another recommendation would allow campus leaders and SCUE members to hold University Council seats. The proposal claims to build on the strengths of the current structure in order to begin cutting down its weaknesses, according to a flier handed out at the SAC meeting. Beverly, a Wharton senior, said the plan attempts to eliminate some of the things holding back the current UA. "This will be a smaller, leaner, meaner group," Beverly said. "It will also increase input and give the government a stronger voice in terms of representation. "The government can go to the administration and say 'Look, we are supported by these 15 or so student group,' " he added. Beverly explained that the authors hoped the changes would create more stable groups, adding that leaders would have to prove themselves before they were elected. The reform plan is the second proposed for the March 26-27 UA elections. The first, a tentative outline to abolish the current UA structure originally proposed by College seniors Mike Nadel and Eric Tienou, has yet to be formalized. Tienou has since said he will not be proposing a plan for the coming election.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.