E. campus planning key for UA

In December, thousands of undergraduates weighed in on what leaders of the Undergraduate Assembly call one of their most important tasks -- planning the future of Penn's eastward expansion.

Development of the Postal Service property east of campus will not begin until at least 2007, leaving the UA with the challenge of keeping students interested in a topic "so central to the University mission," according to UA Chairwoman and College senior Rachel Fersh.

"The momentum will obviously get stronger and stronger once development begins," said Fersh. "A lot of students realize that when development actually starts, they won't still be students."

The UA will finish analysis of its campus development survey -- which asked students what they hoped to see in the 24-acre property -- this week. UA members will present recommendations to University administrators tomorrow.

But Fersh said the UA would not stop at the survey.

While it may be difficult to maintain interest in such a long-term project, a variety of initiatives -- including a Web site sponsored by the Campus Development Planning Committee -- will keep students talking, UA Student Development Committee Chairwoman and Wharton senior Cynthia Wong said.

"It's evident from the number of students who answered the survey that even though it won't directly affect them right now, they do care about the future of campus," UA Vice Chairman of External Affairs and Wharton junior Brett Thalmann said.

After the Campus Development Planning Committee -- which is headed by Provost Ron Daniels and Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli -- submits its mid-year report to the Board of Trustees, the group plans to start a Web site to provide information about campus development plans.

The site would include a section specifically relevant to students.

According to Thalmann, future UA meetings will be heavily publicized in an attempt to further engage students on the issue. A town hall meeting to address development is planned for February.

But according to Daniels, these meetings were poorly attended last fall.

Wong said she was nonetheless optimistic about the upcoming meetings, because the survey has helped student leaders get a better sense of students' suggestions for the property.

Surveying the student body on campus development ties into some of the UA's larger ambitions for the year.

"Our goal this year of being more accountable and engaging the student body goes hand in hand with how this survey went through," Thalmann said. "We have over a thousand students reading our e-mails and taking our surveys, and we're acting on what they're saying."

Fersh also emphasized that the UA's development committee ensures continuity on the issue from year to year.

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