UA adopts new 'three strikes' attendance policy this week

According to a new Undergraduate Assembly rule, it's three strikes and you're out. After a term with continuously low attendance at meetings, the newly elected UA members voted this week to adopt a new attendance policy. Article III, Section G of the body's bylaws now reads: "If a member is absent from three Undergraduate Assembly meetings per term without previously notifying a member of the Executive Board with a legitimate excuse, that member may be asked to resign from the body if so approved by a majority vote by the Undergraduate Assembly." UA members hope the change will put an end to the previous attendance problems. Last term alone, 17 of the 33 members missed 20 percent of the meetings, and 12 members missed two of the four recorded votes. And at this term's transition meeting -- when the new Executive Board was elected -- only 18 of the 25 members were present for all the voting, with two members failing to show up at all. The body passed the attendance resolution by a vote of 20 to two, with only College freshmen Matt Chait and David Goldberger opposing the change. "I think that the people that come to meetings anyway won't be affected," Chait said. "And the people who need the incentive don't care if they're kicked out anyway." Goldberger added that he didn't think the policy could be enforced. "In principle I agreed with it," he said. "But frankly, I don't think it will affect anyone." Although the policy asks members with poor attendance to resign, it does not require a resignation; the UA cannot vote to unseat elected members. Additionally, it does not define what is a legitimate excuse for missing a meeting. But according to UA chairperson and College sophomore Noah Bilenker, the UA is currently working with the Nominations and Elections Committee to possibly make the policy binding "by looking into the wording" of the body's constitution. Bilenker stressed that he thinks attendance will be good this term and that the poor showing at the transition meeting was due to circumstance -- the meeting started an hour late and encountered technical difficulties. And UA Secretary and College sophomore Olivia Troye said she thought the policy change made a statement that UA members cared about their positions, adding that "the new UA has faced some doubts, but this says the UA is committed." Bilenker added that "there is no reason for [UA members] not to go [to meetings]," noting that the meetings are held at a convenient time and "after The Simpsons."