Council calls off A-3 election arbitration

Nearly seven months after the still-untallied A-3 Assembly election, the University Council Steering Committee has decided to call off arbitration regarding the election. Although only 22 votes were cast in the October election, results still have not been announced and last year's Assembly members have remained in their positions. Communications Professor Larry Gross explained that attempts to sort out the results of the last election were cut short because delays in getting the parties to the table made the prospect of completing the arbitration before the next election unlikely. At the April 30 Council meeting, outgoing Steering Committee Chairperson Peter Kuriloff, who also chairs the Faculty Senate, said efforts will be refocused toward assuring that the next election -- scheduled to be held later this month -- proceeds smoothly. To that end, Kuriloff appointed Gross, Law Professor Howard Lesnick -- who had been assigned to oversee the arbitration process -- and former Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Chairperson Alex Welte, a fourth-year Physics graduate student, to assist in the upcoming election. And for further insurance, Kuriloff asked Council Steering to approve a proposal next year that would require all constituent groups to provide a statement on their election process and the results of their last election before receiving final approval of their Council seats. While some Council members came out in support of this proposal, others complained about the A-3 Assembly's current representation on Council. At the past few Council meetings, some members have expressed concern that current A-3 Assembly Chairperson Karen Wheeler may have "simply tossed out the results of an election." Wheeler, who was elected to the board in fall 1994, continues to represent the assembly on Council since the lack of election results has prevented the appointment of a replacement. She has refused to comment about the elections, however, to either Council or The Daily Pennsylvanian. School of Social Work administrative assistant Paul Lukasiak, a candidate in the October election, lambasted the decision to halt the arbitration. Since the election, Lukasiak has approached Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, the Open Expression Committee and Council requesting an investigation into the matter. He called ignoring the last election unfair, since candidates are elected for two-year terms. Therefore, the winners of October's election should hold seats for another year and have a vote in the election of the new chairperson. Lukasiak, who will not run again in the May elections, said he does not know of anyone who plans to run and that there has been not yet been an announcement of a date for the elections. "The people who claim to be current board have done a horrible job communicating with the A-3s," he said. "Nobody cares because people feel they are powerless. They feel you can't fight City Hall. I feel you can fight City Hall -- or at least College Hall."