One year later: UA successes and pitfalls

While some have criticized the Undergraduate Assembly for its lack of visibility and retention, it nevertheless boasts a list of accomplishments for the year under UA Chairman Seth Schreiberg's leadership.

The UA successfully pressured University administrators to change the grading policy for study abroad programs so grades earned away do not count toward the cumulative GPA.

The body worked with food services company Aramark to make suggestions about meal plans, publicize PennCash and bring retail venues such as Chick-fil-A and Ben & Jerry's to campus.

The UA also passed a number of proposals, including a defense of affirmative action in college admissions and a condemnation of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, which tracks foreign college students.

UA Vice Chairman and Wharton senior Ethan Kay said he was impressed with the close-knit group that developed over the course of the year.

"I am extremely proud of our members. We made great strides with dining, with study abroad," Kay said, adding that he was pleased with the proposals the UA created concerning the Higher Education Act and the University of Michigan's admissions policies.

College freshman and UA member Jack Cohen had only one criticism for the organization.

"I feel like the UA doesn't have as much power as it could have... because sometimes, we are afraid of pissing off the administrators.... I regret not doing the UA again," said Cohen, who did not to run for re-election.

However, some outside the body have criticized the UA for more than its hesitance -- the Nominations and Elections Committee conducted a survey indicating that less than 30 percent of respondents knew that College senior Seth Schreiberg was the body's chairman.

And by early in the spring semester, five members had left the body.

But UA members had mostly praise for Schreiberg.

"Seth was a great leader," said UA Wharton representative Cynthia Wong. "He was really objective as chair.... I give him major credit for that. Allowing everyone's views to be welcome, irrespective of his" ideas.

Wong also praised Schreiberg for his work with the freshman members and the easy transition he created for the new members.

"Seth and I started off the year with a shared vision, and he worked his tail off to achieve" our goals, Kay said. "He had a commitment to inspire individual members, as well as to aggressively lobby administrators."

Cohen added that he was impressed by Schreiberg and that he thought the UA was more effective than it had been in past years.

"Within the Ben Franklin Room where we hold our meetings, [Schreiberg] was totally unbiased," Cohen said. "There have been changes... that would not have happened without the UA."

What members said set apart this year from past years was the focus on small initiatives, or "baby projects." Wong said that the great part about this year's UA was that all members worked on their own projects, and the body was still able to come together to take a stance on larger issues.

"It was great to see people working on their own and coming together" to design proposals on larger issues that affect the undergraduate community, said Wong, who has worked on expanding the space available to the minority resource centers.

However, with all three candidates for UA chair promoting more campus relevance and visibility for the UA, it is clear -- even from the inside -- that there is room for improvement.

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