Although the best way to gain influence here is to get your name on a door in College Hall, there are ways that undergraduate and graduate students make an impact on the way Penn is run.
There are multiple branches of student government, each focusing on a different aspect of student life on campus. And one way of getting your voice heard regarding campus issues is to join them in their efforts.
UA: The Undergraduate Assembly is the largest student organization at Penn and governs the undergraduate student body.
The body, led by College senior Seth Schreiberg, attempts to bring student issues to the administration's attention. Last year the UA:
* Successfully lobbied for a reduced number of required meals for freshmen and for more Dining Dollars with each meal package.
* Allocated a greater number of seats to minority groups.
* Assisted in the creation of a civilian review board for Penn Police.
Eight spots still have to be filled on this year's board. The Class of 2006 will elect eight members of their own in October and will also select their class board representatives and officers.
UMC: The United Minorities Council is the umbrella organization for 15 minority groups on campus.
The body -- led by College junior Papa Wassa Nduom -- is dedicated to advancing the interests and issues of minority students in the undergraduate body. The group also works to bring more minority faculty to Penn.
SPEC: The Social Planning and Events Committee brings speakers to campus and organizes events every year for Penn students. The most notable of the events is Spring Fling, the weekend long party in the Quadrangle that takes place every April.
College senior Lindsay Jaffee leads this group, which organizes campus-wide cultural and social events. For example, last year SPEC's Connaissance branch brought Maya Angelou and Billy Joel to Penn to give lectures.
SAC: The Student Activities Council supervises -- and funds -- all student groups on campus. They also try to induce greater cooperation among the various groups.
SAC is led by a nine-member committee that controls hundreds of thousands of dollars. The group currently distributes funds among 185 diverse groups ranging from community service to club sports teams.
SCUE: The Student Committee on Undergraduate Education serves to improve the quality of academics at Penn by organizing programs and offering suggestions to the administration.
SCUE regularly attends meetings of the Committee of Undergraduate Deans, giving the body the opportunity to talk to leading faculty members and administrators.
College junior Jacob Cytryn is the chairman of the group that has recently:
* Formed the Major Advising Program, which pairs underclassmen curious about a particular major with an upperclassman enrolled in that major.
* Helped create and expand the preceptorials program, which allows professors and administrators to hold intimate ungraded sessions with students on a special interest topic.
