Policy 6.16 Increasing Collaboration with the Department of Finance and Transparency of Bill Spending Amounts.pdf

THE UNIVERSITY PARK UNDERGRADUATE ASSOCIATION
The Pennsylvania State University
16th Assembly
2021-2022 Session
Policy #06-16
October 13, 2021
Be it decided by the Assembly of Student Representatives,
having been brought to the floor by the Steering Committee,
a
POLICY
Increasing Collaboration with the Department of Finance and Transparency
of Bill Spending Amounts
Nature of the Situation:
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The University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) passes an initial budget policy at the
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first General Assembly meeting after internal elections. This budget is a projection of the
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programming weeks, events, and partnerships of the Assembly for the upcoming academic year.
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The UPUA typically must remain very flexible and accommodating to the student body’s needs
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which is why some programming events are developed throughout the year.
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On Monday, September 20th
, UPUA members including Executive Director of Finance Toni
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McFarland, Deputy Director of Finance William Jenkins, Speaker Sydney Gibbard, President
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Erin Boas, Vice President Najee Rodriguez, and Chief of Staff Sarah Jordan met to discuss the
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UPUA’s 16th
Assembly spending and how the legislative body can increase communication with
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the Department of Finance. This conversation covered various plans and methods to ensure that
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the UPUA budget is followed and is designed to maximize careful spending. The members also
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discussed feasibility of each plan and how it could be implemented into the UPUA.
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Despite the flexibility our organization must offer, there is a need for financial transparency and
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limitations to how the Assembly passes spending bills. The budget policy consists of guidelines
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and spending estimates for programs/projects the Assembly plans to have throughout the year,
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and it is important to keep this budget in mind throughout the development of programs and
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execution of legislation.
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Recommended Course of Action:
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The University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) will implement the following changes
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to the UPUA Bylaws and Constitution that will increase collaboration with the Department of
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Finance, checks to ensure compliance with the budget, and emphasize the importance of careful
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spending.
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The revisions to the constitution are highlighted below:
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Add to: “§6.3.5 The Department of Finance shall be a permanent Subsidiary of the Executive
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Branch. Its Executive Director shall be considered the Treasurer of the UPUA. The Department
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shall fulfill the following duties:”
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cl. vi Read all pieces of legislation that relate to the spending of UPUA Type-40
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funds between the time period of Steering meetings ending and the Assembly-
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wide email being sent out with all legislation and provide approval to the Speaker
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of the Assembly if the Department of Finance agrees that the legislation is made
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in acknowledgement of the budget and has been discussed thoroughly.
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pt. a If there is dispute with the amount of spending allocated in a piece
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of legislation, the Department of Finance will present recommendations to
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the cosponsors, the Chair of the committee that the legislation came
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through, and the Speaker of the Assembly before the next General
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Assembly meeting.
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[See Appendix A]
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The revisions to the bylaws are highlighted below:
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Add to: “§2.3.1 The Speaker of the Assembly shall:”
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cl. xv Be required to communicate with the Department of Finance throughout
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the Assembly about management of the budget through the Assembly’s spending.
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pt. a Send the Department of Finance all bills passed through Steering
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for an approval process outlined in §6.3.5 cl. vi pt. a of the UPUA
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Constitution.
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Add to: “APPENDIX A” Bill Legislation Template
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Designation for Project from UPUA Budget Policy: $XX,XXX.XX
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Insert any information regarding project spending, communication with the Department
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of Finance, and budget information.
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[See Appendix B]
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Respectfully submitted,
Sydney Gibbard
College of Engineering Representative
Speaker of the Assembly
Samantha Browne
Chair of Student Life
At-Large Representative
Steering Vote: 4/0/0
Assembly Vote: 34/0/0
Speaker of the Assembly ________________________________________________
President of the Student Body ________________________________________________
The University Park Undergraduate Association
Undergraduate Association
Erin e Boas

THE
CONSTITUTION
of
THE UNIVERSITY PARK
UNDERGRADUATE
ASSOCIATION
Date of Origin: October 2006
Amended: April 28, 2021

The Constitution
of
The University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA)
Date of Origin: October 2006
Preamble:
In the belief that active participation in the governance of our university is a fundamental
and inalienable right of students, essential to the health and well-being of our community,
and best realized through a democratic and independent student government, we, the
undergraduate students of The Pennsylvania State University - University Park, being duly
elected and appointed by our peers, do hereby establish this Constitution of the University
Park Undergraduate Association to serve the Undergraduate Student Body of The
Pennsylvania State University - University Park.
Article I
Principles of Establishment
§1.1 Basis for Authority:
It is recognized that the University is governed by a Board of Trustees that may delegate
governing powers to the students. Additionally, the right of students to manage themselves
in all areas not related to or claimed by the University is affirmed and legitimized through
free and fair elections by the Undergraduate Student Body. These tenants are the legitimate
basis for the UPUA’s authority.
§1.2 Acceptance of Authority:
The UPUA hereby accepts all power granted to it by the University and the Undergraduate
Student Body. The UPUA claims all rights to authorities over matters related to students
not claimed by the University or attributable to other Entities by statute or common law.
§1.3 Distribution of Authority:
All authority attributable to the UPUA is ultimately controlled by the collective power of
the UPUA as integrated by this Constitution. This authority shall be delegated to the

Branches prescribed herein which shall collectively constitute the UPUA. Power granted
to an Branch or Subsidiary is the sole entitlement of that Branch or Subsidiary and cannot
be abdicated or transferred except through this Constitution.
§1.4 Statement on Shared Governance and Independence:
The UPUA recognizes the interdependence of all Members of the Penn State community,
including the students, faculty, and administration of Penn State. In that spirit, all authority
delegated to the UPUA is accepted under the principles of equal and equitable shared
governance. A true partnership, built on communication, cooperation and compromise,
requires all parties to be effective advocates. Therefore, the UPUA asserts and maintains
its independence over all matters within its jurisdiction in the belief that only an
independent student government can best represent the diverse interests of students at
University Park.
Article II
Mission Statement and Guiding Principles
§2.1 The mission of the University Park Undergraduate Association shall be to provide:
§2.1.1 A governing body for the undergraduate student population as legitimized by free
and fair elections.
§2.1.2 A unified and informed voice representing undergraduate students to the
University faculty and administration and, with that voice, advocate on behalf of
undergraduate students.
§2.1.3 A forum for ideas and concerns of students.
§2.1.4 The necessary communications link between undergraduate students and other
Members of the University Park community so that student concerns may be addressed
effectively.
§2.1.5 Event programming that benefits the education and the quality of student life of
undergraduate students at the University Park campus.
§2.1.6 The listing of objectives by no means indicates priority.

§2.2 All actions of the University Park Undergraduate Association and its Membership pursuant
to §2.1:
§2.2.1 Shall strive to have a tangible, positive impact on the student experience and/or
facilitate efforts towards that goal.
§2.2.2 Shall strive to effectively and efficiently utilize the UPUA’s various resources.
§2.2.3 Shall strive to be inclusive, accessible, and mindful of the UPUA’s constituencies.
§2.2.4 Shall strive to be cognizant of the nuances and impacts of the UPUA's activities.
§2.2.5 Shall strive to propose sustainable, long-term solutions to the issues addressed by
the UPUA.
Article III
Membership
§3.1 Membership Types:
§3.1.1 Membership shall include all currently registered undergraduate students at the
University Park campus, including registered Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG)
students who are currently taking one or more undergraduate credits. Membership shall
be divided into General Business and General Election status.
cl. i General Business Membership shall include all students duly elected and
appointed to the various Branches of the UPUA.
cl. ii All Members shall be considered General Election Members.
§3.1.2 Only currently registered undergraduate students, including registered Integrated
Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) students who are currently taking one or more
undergraduate credits, of the University Park campus shall be eligible for General
Business Membership.
cl. i. All rights granted to undergraduate students in this document, including
the right to run for and serve in any position within any Branch or Subsidiary of
the UPUA, shall also be granted to IUG students so long as they are taking one or
more undergraduate credits.

§3.1.3 All Members have the right to refrain from participating in any UPUA activities
based upon personal or religious beliefs, personal values, or moral reserves, as
determined by the Member.
§3.1.4 All interaction and activity between Members and/or new Members will be
limited by guidelines stated by University policy, as well as local, state, and federal laws.
§3.1.5 The UPUA will not restrict General Business Membership based on
characteristics of a student, which are intrinsic to the Entity of that student, and are not
essential to the potential value of that student as a Member of the UPUA and the Penn
State University Community at large. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits
discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color,
disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation,
gender Entity or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff or
students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University.
Article IV
Organizational Structure and Rules
§4.1 Establishment of Branches:
§4.1.1 There shall be three Branches within the UPUA that will serve separable
functions cooperatively to fulfill UPUA’s mission and execute the UPUA’s authority:
cl. i A Legislative Branch, consisting of a General Assembly of Student
Representatives, to decide business.
cl. ii An Executive Branch, consisting of an Executive Administration, to
oversee day-to-day operations of the UPUA, execute Acts of the UPUA, and
provide counsel.
cl. iii A Judicial Branch, consisting of a Judicial Board, to adjudicate disputes
on matters of rule, equity, and governing documents within the UPUA.
§4.2 Rules Pertaining to Branches and their Members:
§4.2.1 All persons taking claims to General Business Membership must be registered as
a Member of one Branch.

§4.2.2 No Member of an Branch may be a Member concurrently of another Branch.
This provision however does not invalidate an individual having rights and
responsibilities in multiple Branches pursuant to this Constitution.
cl. i The President, under extenuating circumstances, may appeal to the
Judicial Board in order to allow General Business Members to serve fully in
multiple Branches.
§4.2.3 Each Branch shall serve to ensure accountability to the collective organization
and the students by means of this Constitution and the responsibilities delegated to the
Branches.
§4.2.4 No Branch may transact business that is expressly or reasonably implied to be
under the jurisdiction of another Branch.
§4.2.5 No Branch may establish, amend, or rescind the rules of another Branch except
through explicit mechanisms defined in this Constitution.
§4.2.6 All Branches and Subsidiaries shall establish written rules for the conduct of their
affairs.
Article V
Legislative Assembly of Student Representatives
§5.1 Powers and Responsibilities:
§5.1.1 All fundamental decision making authority is hereby vested in the Legislative
Assembly of Student Representatives, referred to henceforth as the Assembly.
§5.1.2 The Assembly shall have the power to:
cl. i Determine the opinion of the UPUA and, as such, of the undergraduate
students of Penn State.
cl. ii Regulate the expenditures of the UPUA.
cl. iii Establish general policies and rules for the UPUA, including appointing
those who have decision making authority on other governmental Entities at this
University that do not contradict provisions in this Constitution.

cl. iv Establish rules governing the elections, appointment, performance, and
qualifications of Members of all Branches and Subsidiaries where not defined in
this Constitution or assigned to another Branch.
cl. v Establish Officers and additional Committees of any nature of the
Assembly to facilitate proper function of the deliberative body.
cl. vi Consent to appointments of non-elected offices in all Branches and
express consent in all other areas as this Constitution requires.
cl. vii Have the authority to censure and impeach all General Business Members
and Officers of the UPUA.
cl. viii Fill all student positions on the Faculty Senate and its Subsidiaries
granted to the UPUA via the Faculty Senate Constitution and Standing Rules. The
student voting Seats for the Degree-Conferring Academic Colleges, Division of
Undergraduate Studies (DUS), and the Schreyer Honors College shall be
apportioned to the Assembly representatives from the appropriate constituency
and only with the consent of the appropriate Academic Unit’s governing body.
All other Seats in any Entity of the Faculty Senate may be held by any individual
of the UPUA.
cl. ix Accept and execute any authority not attributable to any other Branch.
§5.2 Membership:
§5.2.1 Representatives:
cl. i The Assembly shall consist of Representatives elected by the
constituencies defined and established herein in accordance with election
provisions set forth in this Constitution and in Acts as defined by the Assembly
which may not supersede the following.
pt. a There shall be one (1) Representative for each Degree-Conferring
Academic College and for the Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS),
and at all times shall these Academic Units and DUS be represented
equally.

pt. b There shall be one (1) Representative from the Schreyer Honors
College.
pt. c There shall be twenty (20) Representatives elected at large by all
full-time undergraduate students at University Park.
pt. d There shall be two (2) First-Year Students Representatives
appointed to the Assembly to ensure appropriate representation of first-
year interests. Such appointments shall occur at a time to accommodate
the constituency. These students shall be defined as having first or second
semester standing at the time of appointment.
pt. e There shall be one (1) Representative from each Community
Group that will fall under student identity as determined by the Judicial
Board and confirmed by the Assembly with 2/3rd approval. Community
Groups that fall under student identity, as defined by §1.2 cl.II of the
UPUA Bylaws and Operational Codes are permitted to request one (1)
seat.
pt. f There shall be at least one (1) Representatives from each
Community Group that fall under inherent identity as determined by the
Judicial Board and confirmed by the Assembly with 2/3rd approval.
Community Groups that fall under inherent identity, as defined by §1.2
cl.I of the UPUA Bylaws and Operational Codes are permitted to request
up to two (2) seats.
§5.2.2 Responsibilities: Representatives shall be required to:
cl. i Attend General Meetings of the Assembly and actively participate as an
informed actor in the discussion and deliberation of business of the UPUA and
other Entities that make decisions on students’ behalf.
cl. ii Attend regular meetings of the appropriate constituency organizations
including but not limited to College Council meetings, College-specific
Registered Student Organizations (RSOs), Academic organizations within their
College Constituency, and Community Group organizations.
cl. iii Attend various programming events and external functions across the
University, in order to support their constituents and have a better understanding
of the campus climate.

cl. iv Serve as a Member of at least one Standing CORE Committee.
§5.2.3 Rights of Representatives: Representatives shall be afforded the right to:
cl. i Speak on behalf of their constituencies.
cl. ii Vote on all questions before the Assembly subject to cases of conflicts of
interest or personal matters.
pt. a This right is expected to be forfeited in the case of conflicts of
interest including RSO involvement, business ventures, and affiliations with
political action committees.
cl. iii Debate and otherwise have floor privileges.
§5.3 Transaction of Business:
§5.3.1 All business decisions shall require a majority of those present and voting to be
rendered unless otherwise specified or dictated by parliamentary authority.
§5.3.2 Acts: Acts shall be generally defined as written forms of business. They shall be
the primary product of the Assembly.
§5.3.3 All Acts shall require perfection to take effect. Perfection shall be the consenting
signature of the President, a 2/3 vote overriding the veto of the President, or implicit
consent through no action of the President within four (4) academic days of initial
decision by the Assembly.
§5.3.4 All perfected Acts shall take effect immediately and be effective in perpetuity.
§5.4 Committees:
§5.4.1 All committees of any nature shall be Subsidiaries of the Assembly and shall
have all necessary power and authority within their jurisdiction to execute their duties
and responsibilities.
§5.4.2 Standing CORE Committees:
cl. i There shall be a set number of Standing CORE Committees as defined by
the UPUA Assembly Bylaws and Operational Code.

cl. ii All Standing CORE Committees shall consist of a minimum of (7)
Representatives.
cl. iii One Member of each Standing CORE Committee shall be the Chair of the
committee and one Member shall be the Vice Chair. Committee Chairs shall be
elected by a majority of non-vacant Representative Seats of the Assembly. The
Vice Chairs will be elected internally within each Committee as prescribed by the
rules of that committee.
§5.4.3 Ad Hoc Committees:
cl. i The Assembly may create and dissolve Ad Hoc Committees as it sees fit.
cl. ii As appropriate, ad hoc committees shall be subject to all general Standing
CORE Committee policies.
Article VI
Executive Branch
§6.1.1 All fundamental executory authority is hereby vested in the Executive Branch.
§6.1.2 The Executive Branch shall have the power to:
cl. i Carry out the will of the Assembly and the UPUA as prescribed by duly
passed Acts and within the President’s discretion.
cl. ii Enter into Contracts provided that they are an Act of the Assembly.
cl. iii Provide services to students in the name of the UPUA and the
Undergraduate Student Body in conjunction with Student Affairs and Acts of the
Assembly.
cl. iv Conduct the day-to-day affairs of the UPUA.
cl. v Represent the UPUA to the University and solicit University support.

cl. vi Facilitate the selection of non-elected officials whose appointments are not
governed and/or determined by Acts and/or the rules of the Branches.
cl. vii Establish rules of procedure for the efficient operation of the Executive
Branch including Department procedures and yearly program instructions.
§6.2 Chief Executive Officers:
§6.2.1 There shall be two Chief Executive Officers of the Executive Branch, a President
and a Vice President. Both officers shall be considered to be officers of the UPUA as a
whole.
cl. i The Chief Executive Officers must be full-time students at the
Pennsylvania State University, University Park campus, at the time of their
election and for at least one Fall or Spring semester of their term in office. The
Chief Executive Officers must be undergraduate students throughout the
Assembly for which they serve.
cl. ii The Chief Executive Officers must fulfill their duties during the summer
session.
§6.2.2 Powers and Responsibilities of the Presidency:
cl. i The President shall be considered the head of the Executive Branch, and
as such, organize and shape the execution of responsibilities of the Executive
Branch.
cl. ii The President shall, with the advice and consent of the General Assembly ,
appoint all Executive Directors of the Executive Branch, all Justices of the
Judicial Board, and Advisors.
cl. iii The President shall be the primary speaker of the Undergraduate Student
Body at The Pennsylvania State University - University Park campus.
cl. iv The President may create or dissolve any Subsidiary of the Executive
Branch necessary to further the mission of the UPUA unless such an action would
be in contradiction to an Act of the Assembly or attempt to dissolve a Subsidiary
prescribed within this Constitution.

cl. v The President or their delegate shall act as the official student
Representative and non-voting delegate, unless otherwise delegated by the
Assembly, of the UPUA to any and all organizations external and internal to the
University.
cl. vi The President shall commit to executing all Acts through the authority to
sign or veto all Acts prior to perfection.
cl. vii The President shall have the authority to submit the mandatory Budget to
the Assembly for consideration.
cl. viii The President shall attend all meetings of the Assembly and present
Executive Branch reports at each regularly scheduled Assembly meeting.
§6.2.3 Powers and Responsibilities of the Vice Presidency:
cl. i The Vice President shall accept and carry out the duties of the President if
and when the President is unable or unwilling to fulfill the requirements of the
Office by voluntary decision, distance or absence from the University, or state of
incapacity.
cl. ii The Vice President shall preside over the meetings of the Assembly, retain
floor privileges, and vote solely in the cases that will influence the outcome of a
tied vote, except on votes to override a veto of the President.
cl. iii The Vice President shall act as an official student Representative and
Delegate of the UPUA to any and all organizations internal to the University in
conjunction and with approval by the President.
cl. iv In addition, they may issue non-binding directives to the Committees of
the Assembly.
cl. v Accept any duties assigned by the President and the Assembly.
§6.2.4 Vacancies and Absences:
cl. i In cases of a vacancy in the Office of the Vice President, the President
shall nominate a new undergraduate student within two (2) weeks of the absence.
pt. a The nominee will be confirmed by a majority vote of the Assembly.

pt. b The nominee is exempt from screening by the Steering Committee if
the nominee currently serves as an Executive Director of the Executive
Branch.
cl. ii In cases of a vacancy of the Presidency the line of succession shall be as
follows:
pt. a Vice President
pt. b Speaker of the Assembly
pt. c President Pro Tempore
cl. iii If both the Vice President and Speaker of the Assembly are unable to
ascend to the Presidency, the Chief of Staff will serve as President Pro Tempore
in order for the legislative process to continue.
pt. a The President Pro Tempore will continue to serve until they are
confirmed by a two-thirds (2/3rds) vote of the Assembly at the next
General Meeting or another suitable candidate is selected and duly
confirmed.
pt. b The Assembly Officers will be charged to find another candidate
should the Assembly reject the President Pro Tempore by the following
General Meeting.
cl. iv Persons filling vacancies in the Chief Offices must meet all requirements
laid out in the UPUA Constitution, Executive Branch Bylaws, and Elections
Code.
cl. v In cases of the simultaneous vacancy in the Offices of President, Vice
President, and Speaker of the Assembly, the Chair of the Academic Affairs
Committee will assume the position of the Speaker of the Assembly. The
Assembly will then open internal elections for a new Chair of the Academic
Affairs Committee.
pt. a In the event the Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee is not
able to fulfill this role, the line of succession will follow the order in the
UPUA’s Bylaws and Operational Code, Article IV, section §4.3.

cl. vi In cases of a vacancy of the Presidency or an absence of the President that
is temporary, such as distance or a state of incapacity, the Vice President shall
assume the powers and responsibilities of the Presidency as Acting President.
pt. a The Vice President shall retain their office as Vice President and all
actions including those as Acting President shall go on record under the
name of Vice President.
pt. b The Assembly shall retain the right to discipline the President. The
Vice President, while Acting President, may select an Executive Director
of the Executive Branch to serve as Acting Vice President and delegate
duties as necessary.
§6.3 Departments and Directors:
§6.3.1 All Subsidiaries of the University Park Undergraduate Association shall be
considered Departments of the Executive Branch. The Executive Directors of these
Subsidiaries shall, along with the UPUA President, the UPUA Vice President, and the
UPUA Chief of Staff, shall compose the Executive Cabinet. This Cabinet shall vet all
Director appointments made by the UPUA President and the appropriate Executive
Director.
§6.3.2 All Departments shall be headed by an Executive Director appointed by the
President through public application located on the UPUA website, and subject to the
confirmation procedures outlined in §6.2.2 cl. ii. This application must be open for at
least seven (7) calendar days. If fewer than five (5) applicants have applied, all must be
interviewed. If more than five (5) applicants apply, the President, the Vice President, and
the Steering Committee shall be required to interview at least five (5) of the applicants.
The President will then nominate the candidate of their choosing to undergo approval by
the Steering Committee. All Executive Directors must be full-time undergraduates
attending classes at University Park unless prescribed otherwise by an Act of the
Assembly.
§6.3.3 Any Department not enumerated within this Constitution may be created and
dissolved at the reasonable will of the President, unless established by an Act of the
Assembly.
cl. i Departments not enumerated within this Constitution may only be
dissolved at the will of the President with the consent of the Assembly.

§6.3.4 All Departments of the Executive Branch shall be bound to aid the Assembly in
the execution of its business to the extent allowed by the duties and responsibilities of the
Departments enumerated herein.
§6.3.5 The Department of Finance shall be a permanent Subsidiary of the Executive
Branch. Its Executive Director shall be considered the Treasurer of the UPUA. The
Department shall fulfill the following duties:
cl. i Develop, with consultation of the President, an annual comprehensive
budget for the Association submitted by the President to the Assembly for
approval.
cl. ii Review all financial Budgets and any requests of any Subsidiary of any
Branch and report on those items to the Executive Branch and the Assembly.
cl. iii Assist, upon request, any Subsidiary of any Branch in preparing an
application for funds.
cl. iv Manage all income and expenditures with Associated Student Activities
(ASA) office in line with decisions of the UPUA.
cl. v Regulate, maintain, and keep account of all tangible assets purchased
through funds of, or donated to, the UPUA.
cl. vi Read all pieces of legislation that relate to the spending of UPUA Type-40
funds between the time period of Steering meetings ending and the Assembly-
wide email being sent out with all legislation and provide approval to the Speaker
of the Assembly if the Department of Finance agrees that the legislation is made
in acknowledgement of the budget and has been discussed thoroughly.
pt. a If there is dispute with the amount of spending allocated in a piece
of legislation, the Department of Finance will present recommendations to
the cosponsors, the Chair of the committee that the legislation came
through, and the Speaker of the Assembly before the next General
Assembly meeting.
§6.3.6 The Department of Records shall be a permanent Subsidiary of the Executive
Branch. Its Executive Director shall be considered the organizational Secretary of the
UPUA. The Department, with its various Directors, shall fulfill the following duties:

cl. i Gather all records of the General Assembly of Student Representatives
and its various Committees, the Executive Branch and its various Departments,
and Judicial Board such as legislation, meeting minutes, agendas, recordings, and
any other Business of any Branch.
cl. ii Make available all documents approved for public viewing or distribution
to the public.
cl. iii Record and make public the general contact information of all General
Business Members of the UPUA, including but not limited to their names,
pronouns, Branch membership, position, and email address.
cl. iv Submit to the University Libraries for archiving the records of the
previous year no later than the swearing-in of the next General Assembly.
Sufficient information should be retained within the UPUA for the conduct of
Business.
cl. iv Compose, in consultation with the President, Speaker of the Assembly,
and the Chief Justice of the Judicial Board, an Annual Business Report (ABR)
detailing the actions of the organization throughout its legislative session.
§6.3.7 The Department of Public Relations shall be a permanent Subsidiary of the
Executive Branch. The Department, with its various Directors, shall be divided into two
distinct sub-departments:
cl. i The Office of Communications shall be a sub-group of the Public
Relations Department, reporting to the Executive Director of Public Relations.
pt. a This Office shall be led by a Director of Communications.
1. This Director shall be granted the same responsibilities and
rights of Executive Directors.
pt. b Maintain the UPUA’s various social media accounts, website, and
all other online and/or digital presences.
1. This includes the maintenance of the UPUA Legislative
Docket on the UPUA website in conjunction with the Committee
on Governmental Affairs.

pt. d Establish and maintain a working relationship with all relevant
media sources and outlets, serving as the primary contact to these
organizations from the UPUA.
pt. d Assist, upon request, any Subsidiary of any Branch in the creation
of marketing and advertising materials for the UPUA and its programs, or
general public relations guidance and advice.
pt. e Including but not limited to the creation of custom graphics,
authoring of press releases, securing advertisements and signage.
cl. ii The Office of Outreach shall be a sub-group of Public Relations
Department, reporting to the Executive Director of Public Relations.
pt. a This Office shall be led by a Director of Outreach.
1. This Director shall be granted the same responsibilities and
rights of Executive Directors.
pt. b Develop and establish the UPUA’s relationships with various
subsidiaries and stakeholders that encompass the University Park
Undergraduate Student Body.
pt. c Oversee the process of the creation of new affiliates from
organizations with which to engage with the UPUA.
pt. d Host various events to publicly engage with the University Park
Undergraduate Student Body.
pt. e Oversee all outreach efforts and maintain a list of organizations
and contacts which may be useful for UPUA collaborative projects in
the future.
pt. f Release a monthly newsletter, in conjunction with the Department
of Communications, showcasing the UPUA’s work to and inviting interest
from the greater University Park Undergraduate Student Body.
§6.3.8 The Department of Environmental Sustainability shall be a permanent Subsidiary
of the Executive Branch. The Department, with its various Directors, shall fulfill the
following duties:

cl. i Ensure that the UPUA is mindful of the impacts and nuances of its
programming and advocacy.
§6.3.9 The UPUA Student and Organization Rights Advisors (SORA) shall be a
permanent Subsidiary of the Executive Branch. The Department, with its members, shall
fulfill function to:
cl. i Provide recommendations and similar assistance to undergraduate students
at University Park related to the disciplinary and hearing processes with the
Office of Student Conduct
cl. ii The UPUA Student and Organization Rights Advisors will internally elect
a Deputy Director.
§6.3.10 The First-Year Council shall be a permanent Subsidiary of the Executive
Branch. The Department shall fulfill function to:
cl. i Educate and engage a select group of first year students, as defined by the
University, at University Park with a vested interest in Student Government, the
UPUA, and Penn State as a whole.
cl. ii Assist the UPUA’s standing CORE Committees and Executive
Department with various projects and initiatives.
§6.3.11 The Department of Committee Relations shall be a permanent Subsidiary of the
Executive Branch. The Department, with its members, shall fulfill function to:
cl. i Host the Executive Boards of each standing CORE committees.
pt. a Executive Boards shall be led by Directors, who shall be granted the
same responsibilities and rights of Executive Directors.
cl. ii Facilitate communication between the various Departments of the
Executive Branch and the standing CORE committees.
cl. iii Assist the logistical and operational aspects of the standing CORE
committees’ various projects, programming events, and initiatives.
§6.3.12 Department Membership and Executive Staff:

cl. i Directors and Department Staff:
pt a. All Directors must be appointed by the President with the consent
of the appropriate Executive Director through a public application. This
application must be open for at least seven (7) calendar days. All Directors
must then be confirmed by a majority vote of the Executive Cabinet.
pt. b The President and the Executive Directors of the various
Departments within the Executive Branch may maintain Directors and
Department staff as necessary unless otherwise prescribed by an Act of the
Assembly.
pt. c Directors and Department Staff do not need to be confirmed by the
Assembly, but may be removed by a majority vote.
pt. d Director and Department Staff openings may not be filled by any
Assembly Representative or Judicial Board Justice.
pt. e Directors and Department Staff may not act on behalf of the
UPUA.
cl. ii Executive Staff
pt. a The President and Vice President may maintain Executive Staff
Members to assist in carrying out their specific duties as necessary unless
otherwise prescribed by an Act of the Assembly.
cl. iii Chief of Staff:
pt. a Is considered the President’s chief Executive Staff Member.
pt. b Is in charge of coordinating the business of the Executive Branch
as prescribed by the Chief Executive Officers.
pt. c Will fulfill the role of Acting Executive Director of Finance and
therefore serve as UPUA Treasurer, should there be a vacancy for the
position of Executive Director of Finance, and given that the application
for Executive Director of Finance be made public no less than 48 hours
following the swearing-in of the UPUA President, or, notice of resignation
from the Executive Director of Finance.

pt d. Will simultaneously fulfill the role of Executive Director of the
Department of Committee Relations and will be responsible for managing
the Department.
§6.4 Commissions:
§6.4.1 A Commission is an affiliated non-Subsidiary of the UPUA Executive Branch
that is established for a specific need or function that cannot be met within the structure
or restrictions of a Department or Committee of the UPUA.
§6.4.2 Establishment:
cl. i A Commission may only be established by the Assembly via the
legislative process.
cl. ii A Commission will be indirectly related to UPUA as a semi-autonomous
body, overseen by the Executive Branch, and regulated by the Assembly.
cl. iii A Commission may be established between the Student Governments
Associations in order to better coordinate policy affecting the entire Penn State
Community.
§6.4.3 Membership:
cl. i General Business Members of the UPUA may serve on a Commission free
from the restrictions of the exclusion clause §4.2.2.
cl. ii Membership of a Commission is not restricted to undergraduate students
and may include administrators, graduate students, and community Members.
cl. iii Membership of a Commission shall be chosen as specified in the
authorizing legislation. The leadership of the Commission must be a member of
the CORE Committee that the legislation enacting the Commission originated
from.
§6.4.4 Criteria for Establishment:
cl. i Commissions can be established for the purposes of investigating,
researching, and reporting on specified issues on behalf of the UPUA.

cl. ii Commissions can be established to carry out a task or event that
necessitates it being indirectly related to the UPUA.
cl. iii Commissions can be established for collaboration between
necessary parties to achieve their assigned goals.
cl. iv Commissions can be charged according to, but not limited to, the above
criteria.
Article VII
Judicial Board
§7.1.1 All authority over matters of dispute between Branches and matters of rule and
equity within the UPUA are solely vested in a Judicial Board.
§7.1.2 The Judicial Board shall have the power to:
cl. i Conduct select Hearings related to disputed matters within the UPUA,
specifically pertaining to Representative removal, election disputes, disciplinary
actions, disputes concerning the interpretation of the Governing Documents, and
Hearings related to student organizational conduct.
cl. ii Review all UPUA amendments to the Governing Documents, unless
otherwise specified, for fairness and equity.
cl. iii Assume all duties prescribed by the Assembly.
cl. iv Vet all Recognized Student Organizations that apply for a Community
Group Representative Seat whose applications will be reviewed every Fall
Session as stipulated in §Section 9.5 of the Bylaws and Operational Code.
pt. a Determine the placement of whether a community group falls
under the categories of student identity or inherent identity
cl. v Meet with a designee of each organization that has applied for a
Community Group Seat.

cl. vi Compile a report recommending to the Assembly which of the Recognized
Student Organizations that have applied qualify for a seat in the Assembly. The
Recognized Student Organizations within the aforementioned report must be
confirmed with a 2/3rd
vote of the Assembly.
cl. vii Ensure every semester that Recognized Student Organizations
representing Community Groups are recognized by the University, and active
while also fulfilling the requirements set by the UPUA governing documents by
communicating with the Office of Student Affairs.
pt. a Revoke Community Group recognition in the event that the RSO has
ceased to fulfill cl i, cl iv, cl v, and cl vi of the vetting criteria listed in
§Section 9.5.2 of the Bylaws and Operational Code.
pt. b Compile a report recommending the Assembly Revoke Community
Group recognition in the event that the RSO has ceased to fulfill any other
part of the vetting criteria listed in §Section 9.5 of the Bylaws and
Operational Code. The revocation of Recognized Student Organizations
within the aforementioned report must be confirmed with a 2/3rd vote of
the Assembly.
§7.2 Membership:
§7.2.1 Justices:
cl. i There shall be nine (9) Members of the Judicial Board, of which there
shall be a head. Collectively, they shall carry out the Business of the Judicial
Board.
cl. ii All Judicial Board Members must be full-time undergraduates attending
classes at University Park.
cl. iii The Judicial Board Members shall be appointed to their Offices by the
President and confirmed by the Assembly. The process of appointment shall be as
follows:
pt. a The President or designee shall interview the President’s selected
nominee with an invitation given to the advisor of the Judicial Board and
the current Chief Justice of the Judicial Board to attend said meeting.

cl. iv The Justices shall serve one-Assembly long terms, but may be reappointed
for as long as they are eligible members of UPUA.
pt. a Judicial Board Members shall serve these terms provided a Judicial
Board Member is not removed from office on reasonable grounds or does
not step down voluntarily.
cl. v Only Justices may exercise the powers and responsibilities vested in the
Judicial Board.
Article VIII
Meetings
§8.1 General Meetings:
§8.1.1 General Meetings shall be defined as the convening of the voting General
Business Members of a Branch for the purpose of transacting business.
§8.1.2 The Assembly and Executive Branch may not have more than six (6) academic
days pass between any two general meetings, work session meetings, or any combination
thereof. In a semester, the number of general meetings must exceed the number of work
session meetings.
§8.1.3 All general meetings of all Branches are to be public. The business of Branches
shall be made available to the public along with information establishing basis for
transactions. The meetings shall be advertised and designed to accommodate the public
interest as appropriate. Representatives’ votes shall be made public online.
§8.2 Work Session:
§8.2.1 The Assembly may have work session meetings. At these work sessions meetings
all Standing CORE Committees will meet to discuss pertinent matters.
§8.3 Summer Term:
§8.3.1 No Subsidiary of any Branch shall convene in any form during the summer
without first establishing rules for the transaction of Business.

§8.4 Quorum shall be a majority of the non-vacant Seats of a Branch or Subsidiary.
Article IX
Finances
§9.1 Money Management:
§9.1.1 All UPUA Funds will be deposited in and handled through the Associated
Student Activities (ASA) office. All Funds shall be generally maintained in the “general
account.”
§9.1.2 All expenditures shall be approved by the Assembly. The Assembly may
demand, when extreme cases warrant, the reversal of transactions. The UPUA shall not
be responsible for losses suffered by General Business Members for transaction reversals.
§9.1.3 The Assembly may provide the President during the Fall and/or Spring with an
Account for disbursement at the President’s discretion without approval of the Assembly.
This Account may not be used for funding items rejected by the Assembly. The books of
the Account shall be closed and monies returned to the general Account at least at the end
of each academic year.
§9.1.4 The Assembly may permit the establishment of Sub-Accounts with pre-approved
purposes to the Unrestricted Account and may be assigned to an Branch or Subsidiary
outside of the Assembly. Funds appropriately transferred to a Sub-Account by the
Assembly may be disbursed for pre-approved purposes without action of the Assembly.
§9.1.5 The Assembly, as an extension of its regulatory authority, shall be responsible to
ensure that all Branches and Subsidiaries are appropriately funded for the execution of
their mission through a Budget. This implies due consideration to all funding requests by
Departments and Associated Groups.
§9.2 Dues:
§9.2.1 Dues shall not be required for Membership or General Business Membership.
This provision shall not invalidate the power to acquire student monies through
University Entities.
§9.3 Summer Term Funds:

§9.3.1 The Assembly shall at the conclusion of each Spring Semester, establish a
Summer Term Fund. This Fund shall include a portion spendable by the President. If no
form of the Assembly is available, all Funds shall be spendable by the President. The
books of the Account shall be closed on the day of Summer Graduation. All unspent
Funds shall be returned to the UPUA General Account.
Article X
Elections and Terms of Office
§10.1 Application and Time for Elections:
§10.1.1 Elections or appropriate democratically-based processes shall be applicable to
Assembly Representatives and the Chief Executive Officers of the Executive Branch.
§10.1.2 Annual student public Elections shall occur on the Wednesday thirteen (13)
academic days after the conclusion of Spring Break of the year in question.
cl. i In the event there is no Spring Break in a given year, the Election
Commission shall have the discretion to set the date of the election. The Elections
Commission must notify the Assembly at least six (6) weeks before the decided
date.
§10.1.3 The Representatives for students of first and second Semester standing shall be
appointed no later than the Thursday of the 5th
academic week of the Fall Semester for
the term of that Fall Semester and the Spring Semester of that Academic Year.
§10.2 Terms of Office:
§10.2.1 Unless set forth elsewhere in this Constitution, terms of Office for elected
General Business Members serving in a given Academic Year running Summer to Spring
shall begin following Election Day after reciting the affirmation/Oath of Office and shall
end with the sweaing-in of the next President, Vice President, and Assembly.
§10.2.2 Terms of Office for Executive Directors shall begin following confirmation by
the General Assembly after reciting the affirmation/Oath of Office and shall end with the
sweaing-in of the next President, Vice President, and Assembly. Executive Directors
wishing to return to the same Office must follow the appointment procedure outlined in
§6.3.2.
cl.i Executive Directors from the previous Administration may remain in their
Offices as Acting Executive Directors at the discretion of the newly-elected

President for a period of no longer than four (4) weeks after the official end of
their term or until they reapply are re-confirmed to their Office by the next
General Assembly in order to ensure the continuity of necessary organizational
operation.
§10.2.3 Directors, Judicial Clerks, and Staff Members of any Branch or Subsidiary may
be retained for a term at the discretion of their respective Branch head given that these
members remain eligible Members of the UPUA.
§10.3 Election Rules and Elections Commission:
§10.3.1 All elected Officials must be elected by an appropriate Constituency defined by
the Assembly.
§10.3.2 Elections rules shall be established by the Assembly. The Assembly shall also
establish policies for the filling of Seats subject to other processes.
§10.3.3 There shall be an Elections Commission to administer all Election related matters
throughout the year. It shall be governed by the rules of the Assembly and managed by
the Judicial Board.
§10.3.4 Candidates who qualify as winners shall be eligible to take Office. Eligibility
shall be extended to remaining Election participants until Seats have General Business
Members sworn in.
§10.3.5 All Offices filled by Election shall be elected popularly by student public vote
except as contained herein:
cl. i Each Seat for the Community Groups determined by the Judicial Board
and confirmed by the Assembly must be elected for each new UPUA Assembly in
a democratic manner.
cl. ii The Election process, while up to the Community Group organization,
must be approved by the Judicial Board when looking over the organization’s
application to ensure compliance with the UPUA Elections Code. It cannot violate
the spirit of the UPUA Elections Code.
pt. a The election process for this shall be overseen by the organization
with a member of the Elections Commission present to ensure compliance
with the UPUA Elections Code.

pt. b All members of the Community Group must have the ability to
vote in the election.
cl. iii The terms of Office for these Seats shall be no longer than one UPUA
Assembly.
§10.4 Appointment Process:
§10.4.1 In cases where Representative Seats become vacant after the departure of a Seat
holder for the Academic Year in question or was never filled, and only in such cases,
Representatives shall be appointed with the following constraints:
cl. i Academic Unit Representatives being appointed by their respective
Academic Unit Student Councils.
cl. ii All other Representatives being appointed by the Assembly or as
prescribed by the Assembly.
§10.5 Affirmation/Oath of Office:
§10.5.1 Before any Member of all Branches within UPUA shall take Office or their duly
appointed Position, they shall recite the following affirmation/oath:
cl. i “I promise to faithfully uphold the Constitution of the University Park
Undergraduate Association and to defend the rights of each individual student
while working toward the betterment of student life. I shall perform, to the best
of my ability, the responsibilities and duties that have been entrusted to me by the
University Park Undergraduate Student Body through virtue of the Office which I
hold.”
Article XI
Member Discipline and Removal
§11.1 Discipline Policy:
§11.1.1 Each Branch may establish discipline policies for matters not covered by other
sections.

§11.2 Censure:
§11.2.1 The Assembly, by a two-thirds (2/3rds) vote, may censure a Member as the
highest non-removal sanction imposable on any Member.
§11.3 Removal:
§11.3.2 Processes:
cl. i General Business Members of the UPUA may be removed by a three-
fourths (¾) vote of present and voting Members of the Assembly for failure to
fulfill the duties of their Office, violation of University policies, or any other
reasonable grounds.
cl. ii Committee Chairs of the UPUA may be removed from their role as Chair
by a three-fourths (¾) vote of present and voting members of the General
Assembly, but may remain in their role as a Representative.
cl. iii Representatives of the UPUA may be removed through a two-strike
process for failure to fulfill the responsibilities and duties of their Office as stated
in the governing documents. The power of the removal is at the discretion of the
Chairs and Speaker of the Assembly.
pt. a The first strike shall be a written warning provided by the Speaker
of the Assembly. Before the strike can be assigned, the Chair(s) shall
explain to the Steering Committee why this Representative is being
considered for a warning. If the Representative votes on two committees,
the Chair of the second committee will speak to the work of the
Representative. In order to assign the warning, a vote of three-fourths (¾)
is required of Steering.
pt. b The written warning shall include the reasoning, specifically
naming which responsibilities outlined in the bylaws were not maintained.
Additionally, it requires the signature of the Speaker of the Assembly and
at least one (1) Chair of the committee(s) of which the Representative is a
voting member. The written warning shall be provided. If the
Representative is from a community group, the organization representing
the community group’s highest governing body must also be notified.

pt. c In order for a second and final strike to constitute, the
Representative must continue to fail to carry out their responsibilities
following a minimum of ten (10) academic days from when the first
written warning was given. The second strike shall be brought forward to
Steering. The process will follow as outlined in 11.3.2 cl. ii pt a, however
for this strike the Chair shall additionally explain how the actions of the
Representative have not changed. If the Representative is a voting member
on two committees, then the second Chair is also required to comment. In
order to assign the second strike, thus removing the Representative as a
member of the UPUA, a vote of three-fourths ( ¾ ) is required of Steering.
pt. d The Representative has the option within five (5) academic days of
their removal to either accept their removal or notify the Speaker of the
Assembly that they wish to appeal to the Judicial Board as to why they
should be reinstated.
pt. e The Chief Justice of the Judicial Board shall oversee the appeal
process. Within one (1) week of the appeal, the Chief justice must conduct
a hearing. The hearing shall provide the opportunity for both the
Representative and Steering to explain their cases. The Justices shall
reference Section 2.3.3 of the Bylaws and Operational Code of the UPUA
to base their decision. A majority vote of the Judicial Board Justices is
required in order to reinstate the Representative.
pt. f If a Representative is reinstated by the Judicial Board, the second
strike shall be removed with the first strike remaining on the record. In
order to assign a second strike, the former policy outlined in this section
shall be followed.
pt. g If a Representative is not reinstated by the Judicial Board, the
individual cannot return to the General Assembly as a Representative, in
any capacity, during the remainder of the Assembly year.
pt. h The strikes shall be recorded and kept by the Speaker of the
Assembly.
cl. iv For proceedings on Members of the Judicial Board, the Vice President
shall preside. If the Vice President is unable to preside, the Assembly shall elect a
Representative to preside.

cl. v For proceedings on Members of the Executive Branch, the highest ranking
Member of the Judicial Board shall preside.
cl. vi If it is found that a member of UPUA, regardless of their branch
affiliation, is currently on probation with a notation on their transcript for offenses
including but not limited to: sexual misconduct, hazing, or harassment, they shall
hereby be removed from UPUA and shall be notified of their removal by the head
of their branch.
pt. i Suspensions by the University shall also be considered grounds for
removal.
pt. ii The member will be given the opportunity to resign from the role
before the student conduct record and reasoning for removal becomes
public.
pt. iii Filling the vacancy shall undergo the processes set forth in the
Constitution and Bylaws & Operating Procedure.
§11.3.3 The provisions of removal shall not be construed to deny the President
reasonable ability to remove any Executive Director, Director, or staff member of the
Executive Branch at their discretion.
§11.4 Resignation:
§11.4.1 All General Business Members shall retain the right to resign from any position
within the UPUA regardless of whether that Member is the subject of disciplinary
proceedings.
§11.4.2 All resignations must be submitted to the highest-ranking Officer of the Branch
or Subsidiary from which the Member wishes to resign. No Branch or Subsidiary may
refuse a resignation.
§11.4.3 Once an elected member has resigned, they may not return to the same Office via
an appointment for the remainder of the Assembly session.
Article XII
Parliamentary Authority
§12.1 Modern Rules of Order shall be used in all cases not covered by the UPUA Constitution
or Bylaws and Operational Code.

Article XIII
Advisor
§13.1 The UPUA shall retain a primary Advisor and may obtain additional advisors for specific
purposes, such as the operation of Executive Departments and the facilitation of UPUA
Elections.
§13.2 The Advisor(s) shall be a Faculty, Staff, or an Administrator of the University and shall
be nominated by the President and consented to by the Assembly.
§13.3 The Advisor(s) shall retain their title in perpetuity unless a majority vote by the Assembly
suspends or removes the title(s).
Article XIV
Amendments
§14.1 Amendments to this Constitution may be brought, at any time, by and to the Assembly as
an Act subject to standard submission and perfection rules.
§14.1.1 Any individual policy must be sent to the Steering Committee and passed through
at least seven (7) days in advance of coming to the floor.
cl. i In the case that a policy change does not pass the Steering Committee, the
Speaker of the Assembly shall be required to provide the reasoning of its failure
and the original policy change to the Entire Assembly.
§14.2 The Assembly may pass the amendment with a three-quarters majority (3/4) of the entire
Membership.
§14.3 The Judicial Board must approve or reject all amendments passed within forty (40)
calendar days to ensure fairness and equity in the proposed changes.
§14.3.1 A majority of sitting Judicial Board Members will be required to approve the
amendment and decide the effective date before it is considered duly ratified.
cl. i If the Judicial Board fails to approve or reject the amendment, it forfeits its
obligation to review.
cl. ii These provisions do not apply to Referendum-initiated Constitutional
amendments.

Article XV
Referenda
§15.1 A Referendum shall be defined as a vote of the University Park Undergraduate Student
Body to decide an action of the UPUA, including official opinions and changes to this
Constitution.
§15.2 Referenda may be proposed either by:
§15.2.1 An Act of the Assembly
§15.2.2 A Petition of three percent (3%) of the full-time University Park Undergraduate
population utilizing an official Referendum Petition form made perpetually accessible on
the UPUA Website
§15.3 Referenda shall require and be subject to the approval of the Judicial Board for structure
only and not for merit. However, dilatory referenda may be dismissed with five (5) Justices
concurring.
§15.4 The date of the approved Referenda shall be at the discretion of the Assembly, considered
urgent, and held within the academic Semester or otherwise set for inclusion in the upcoming
Election.
§15.5 A majority of those voting, with at least fifteen percent (15%) of all eligible University
Park undergraduate students voting, shall be sufficient for a decision to be considered rendered
and binding on the UPUA.
Article XVI
Old Constitutions
§16.1 All agreements made under prior Constitutions with reason to be valid under this
Constitution shall be considered valid, upheld, and binding.
Article XVII
Enactment and Protections
§17.1 Enactment:

§17.1.1 This Constitution shall be enacted following approval by the existing Student
Government Entity.
§17.2 Protections Against Dissolution:
§17.2.1 This Constitution shall be protected by the standards established herein for all
Branches and actions of the UPUA. Neither the UPUA nor any Entity of the University
may dissolve this Organization as it stands in this Document without surpassing the
highest challenges this Document establishes. These challenges may be determined as a
combination or mix of one or more provisions. All attempts at subversion will not be
tolerated and will be considered a direct assault on the ability of the University Park
Undergraduate Student Body to organize.

THE
BYLAWS AND
OPERATIONAL CODE
of
THE UNIVERSITY PARK
UNDERGRADUATE
ASSOCIATION
Date of Origin: January 2007

The Bylaws and Operational Code
of
The University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA)
Assembly of Student Representatives
Date of Origin: January 2007
Article I
Authorities and Definitions
§1.1 These Bylaws shall serve as a supplement to the University Park Undergraduate
Association (UPUA) Constitution and Modern Rules of Order. They shall not conflict with
the UPUA Constitution, but may clarify it on matters not covered by the Constitution. The
procedures as outlined in this document are entirely intended for the organization and
operation of the UPUA Assembly of Student Representatives, henceforth called the UPUA
Exceptions to this are when specific actors or officers of another entity within the UPUA
are mentioned for a task or reasonable duty. Such mention shall be considered a binding
Policy and thus an Act under Article V of the UPUA Constitution.
§1.2 Definitions:
§1.2.1 The UPUA shall be considered the collection of all Representatives, which shall
include all persons with general voting rights in the Association along with all appointed
affiliates and liaisons from organizations.
§1.2.2 All voting requirements are strictly based on voting members present and voting
unless specifically mentioned otherwise.
§1.2.3 The UPUA is vested with all fundamental decision-making authority, but
recognizes that certain individuals given their position or office are best suited to present
the student body subject to the approval and oversight of the UPUA.
§1.2.4 The UPUA, for the purpose of legislating, shall have two sessions. The first
session shall be the Fall Academic Semester and the second session shall be Spring
Academic Semester. April of the Spring semester shall be reserved for the next Assembly
and shall be considered part of that Assembly’s Fall session. This year shall be referred to
as the Assembly year.
§1.2.5 Academic Units: The following Colleges shall be considered Academic Units:
College of Agricultural Sciences, College of Arts and Architecture, Smeal College
of Business, Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, College of Earth and

Mineral Sciences, College of Education, College of Engineering, College of Health and
Human Development, College of Information Sciences and Technology, College of the
Liberal Arts, Eberly College of Science, College of Nursing, Schreyer Honors College,
and the Division of Undergraduate Studies.
§1.2.6 Community Groups: The Community Group that will have representation in the
UPUA Assembly shall be divided into two subgroups that will be categorized as either a
group that represents student identity or inherent identity as determined by the Judicial
Board, with Assembly Confirmation (2/3rd vote), via the procedure stipulated in Section
§9.5 of the Bylaws and Operational Code. The placement of Community Groups into
subgroups must be decided upon this criteria:
cl. i A Community Group will be defined as an inherent identity if the RSO is the
primary advocate for a large group of the student body that is a protected class as
defined by the University that may include, but is not limited to: race, color,
religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or
protected veteran status.
cl. ii A Community Group will be defined as a student identity if the RSO
encapsulates a large portion of the student body while reflecting a significant
expression of the university experience, and is not defined as an inherent identity.
§1.2.7 An affiliate shall be defined as an appointed person from another organization who
may be granted the privilege of speaking on the Assembly floor on behalf of their 54
organization, but will not be allowed to hold a position, vote, either in Committee 55
or in the General Assembly meetings, will not be allowed to hold membership in 56
any Committee, and shall not be granted the privilege of making motions or 57
presenting or signing legislation. New affiliate positions must fulfil the following 58
criteria:
cl. i Permanent positions shall be instated by a Bylaws amendment or created
at will by the Steering Committee.
cl ii Permanent affiliates shall be appointed at the will of their respective
organizations.
cl. iii Organizations that the UPUA will maintain a permanent affiliate to are:
Lion Caucus, Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA), the
Council of Commonwealth Student Governments (CCSG), the University Park
Allocation Committee (UPAC), the Association of Residence Hall Students
(ARHS), and the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC).
cl. iv Overarching organizations that either govern some portion of the student
body or those that have a significant impact on the student body.

cl. v These organizations must prove that their voice on the UPUA is of positive
impact to the undergraduate student population and is mutually beneficial to both
the UPUA and the organization in question.
cl. vi Organizations that are political in nature may not receive affiliate
positions.
cl. vii Affiliates shall, unless with a reasonable excuse, attend meetings under the
Department of Public Relations and maintain contact with the Director of
Outreach.
pt. a Affiliates may give reports during General Assembly meetings.
cl. viii These positions shall all be evaluated for effectiveness at the beginning of
each new Assembly by the Steering Committee in order to retain the seat.
§1.2.8 A Liaison shall be defined as an Internal UPUA member that serves as a primary
connection and source of communication to another organization. There shall be three
methods of filling liaison positions. New liaison positions must fulfill the following
criteria:
cl. i Permanent liaison positions shall be instated by a Bylaws amendment or
created at will by the Steering Committee
cl. ii Liaisons may be internally elected by the General Assembly
pt. a The Liaisons that UPUA will fill by this method are: two (2) of the
UPUA student appointees to the University Park Student Fee Board
(UPFB), the Non-Voting Student Representative to the State College
Borough Council, the UPUA Representative to the Faculty Senate (if
necessary), Association of Big Ten Students (ABTS), Community
Diversity Liaison, Movin' On Spring Music Festival, and The
Pennsylvania Association of State-Related Students (PASS)
cl. iii Liaisons may be nominated by the President with confirmation by the
General Assembly
pt. a The Liaisons that UPUA will fill by this method are:, and one (1) of
the UPUA student appointees to the University Park Student Fee Board
(UPFB)
pt. b These liaisons shall go through the same appointment processes and
procedures as Executive Directors
cl. iv Liaisons may be nominated by the President with confirmation by the
Steering Committee
pt. a All liaisons shall be appointed by this method unless otherwise
mentioned in the Bylaws or by the decision of the Steering Committee

cl. v A liaison is a full-year position. Exceptions may be determined at the
discretion of the Steering Committee by a majority vote.
cl vi Liaisons may give reports during General Assembly meetings.
Article II
Officers and Duties
§2.1 The UPUA shall elect the following officers from its membership:
§2.1.1 An overall Chair, referred to as the Speaker of the Assembly.
§2.1.2 A Chair for each Critical for Operations, Research, and Execution (CORE) 80
Committee.
§2.2 The Speaker of the Assembly shall be empowered to appoint, with majority approval of
the UPUA, the following positions which may not be held by a Representative.
§2.2.1 A Parliamentarian
cl. i Provide advice to the General Assembly on matters concerning
parliamentary procedure.
§2.2.2 A Secretary Pro-Tempore
cl. i Refer to Article II §2.3.4.
§2.3 Officers shall have the following duties:
§2.3.1 The Speaker of the Assembly shall:
cl. i Be the recognized voice of the Assembly.
cl. ii Work in collaboration with the President and Vice President to develop
goals and tasks for the committees.
cl. iii Set the Agenda of the Assembly and compile the reports that pertain to it.
cl. iv Chair the General Assembly Meetings in the absence of the Vice-
President.
cl. v Appoint the positions listed in §2.2.
cl. vi Serve as a non-voting, ex-officio member of all other UPUA CORE
Committees.
cl. vii Authorize the cumulative expenditure of up to three (3) percent of the
unrestricted account per Assembly year for purposes relating to business of

the UPUA, provided this expenditure is reported at the next scheduled
Assembly’s meeting.
pt. a This privilege may be revoked by a two-thirds vote of the UPUA.
pt. b This privilege may be reinstated by a two-thirds vote of the UPUA.
cl. viii Ensure full membership of the UPUA General Assembly.
cl. ix Have the reasonable discretion to adjust meeting times with the advice and
consent of the President provided twenty-four (24) hours’ notice via email to the
UPUA.
cl. x Be required, unless with a reasonable excuse, to attend Executive Branch
meetings.
cl. xi Oversee the attendance record held by the Secretary to ensure
Representatives’ compliance.
cl. xii Move to expel members as defined by Article VI.
cl. xiii Maintain an accurate and complete transition materials will provide
historical testament to the UPUA’s research, investigations, programs, and works.
cl. xiv Coordinate the UPUA’s Support Staff.
pt. a Process the UPUA’s Support Staff Applications, which includes,
but not limited to the Clerk and Staffers
pt. b Be empowered to appoint and remove Staffers with reasonable
discretion.
pt. c Act as the liaison between the Support Staff and the UPUA.
cl. xv Be required to communicate with the Department of Finance throughout
the Assembly about management of the budget through the Assembly’s spending.
pt. a Send the Department of Finance all bills passed through Steering
for an approval process outlined in §6.3.5 cl. vi pt. a of the UPUA
Constitution.
§2.3.2 Committee Chairs shall:
cl. i Be the recognized voices of their respective committees.
cl. ii Work in collaboration with the President, Vice President, and Speaker to
develop goals and tasks for their committee.
cl. iii Chair their respective committees.
pt. a Present any necessary Standing Rules to be approved by their
committee within two weeks as instatement as Committee Chair.

pt. b Organize and coordinate committee meetings.
pt. c Present agendas to members.
pt. d Conduct fair, honest, and in-depth research.
pt. e Be a fair arbiter and follow parliamentary procedure as pertain to
the Committee’s Standing Rules.
cl. iv Establish weekly meeting times
pt. a Reserve a room suitable for the conduct of a meeting
cl. v Submit weekly written reports on the progress of the committee’s work and
other documents to the Speaker of the Assembly, for distribution to the Assembly
and to the Executive Branch via the weekly Agenda.
cl. vi One member of each Standing Committee shall be the chair of the
committee and one member shall be the vice chair. Committee Chairs shall be
elected by a majority of non-vacant Representative seats of the Assembly. The
Vice Chairs will be elected internally within each committee as prescribed by the
rules of that committee.
pt. a In the event that a CORE committee chair is absent the Vice Chair
assumes the responsibilities of that respective chair.
§2.3.3 Representatives shall:
cl. i Fulfill their Constitutional required obligations.
cl. ii Work towards the betterment of student life.
cl. iii Attend Assembly and their committee meetings contribute actively to both.
cl. iv Attend a minimum of two (2) external functions within every four (4)
academic weeks.
pt. a External functions are defined as events in the community
sponsored or hosted by an outside organization or entity.
pt. b External functions will be distributed through an electronic system.
This electronic system shall be updated with events no less than two (2)
weeks prior to the start of any academic week by the Steering Committee,
or their designee.
cl. v Research matters and propose solutions to university problems.
cl. vi Actively promote the UPUA and its events/programs, by means of word-
of-mouth and electronic word-of-mouth.
cl. vii Abide by any and all charges passed within legislation.

cl. viii Accomplish the tasks assigned by the leadership of the Assembly,
including the Chairs and Speaker.
cl. ix Actively seek initiatives and new projects for consideration and
collaboration.
cl. x Hold an open line of communication with the Chair(s) of the committee(s)
on which the Representative sits.
cl. xi Provide weekly updates to the Chair(s) of the committee(s) on which the
Representative sits, noting the progress of initiatives, meetings, and all work
pertaining to the UPUA.
cl. xii Notify and explain to the leadership of the Assembly if they are not able to
accomplish the above duties and responsibilities.
§2.3.4 Community Group Representatives shall:
cl. i Fulfill UPUA’s Constitutionally required obligations.
cl. ii Fulfill the Representative responsibilities listed in §2.3.3 of the Bylaws
and Operational Code.
cl. iii Fulfill the obligations listed in the Governing Documents for the
organization they represent.
cl. iv Represent and speak on behalf of the specific organization they are elected
by.
pt. a Representatives may not be charged by the organization which they
represent, or any organization, to vote for or against any matter during
committee nor Assembly.
cl. v Be in direct communication with the highest governing board of the
organization they represent.
cl. vi Be an ex-officio member or full member of the highest governing board of
the organization they represent and actively attend the meetings of that
organization’s highest governing board.
pt. a Organization Secretary must email the monthly attendance to the
Speaker of the Assembly.
cl. vii Give weekly reports on behalf of the UPUA to their organization, when
necessary.
cl. viii Not be removed by their respective Community Group organization unless
they have been shown to have violated the obligations of their Office as outlined
in this section.

§2.3.5 The Secretary, or a delegate to be chosen by the Speaker of the Assembly, shall:
cl. i Keep extensive public minutes of all General Assembly and Committee of
the Whole meetings.
pt. a The record shall contain a transcription of presentations and
debate.
pt. b Reports or speeches made at a meeting can be supplemented by a
written statement to be entered into the record.
pt. c The record shall also contain all main motions in full text and their
votes.
cl. ii Release to Representatives the minutes within four (4) academic days after
a meeting.
cl. iii Release all minutes to the public one (1) academic day after approval of
the past General Meeting minutes.
cl. iv Keep attendance to General Meetings of all Assembly members.
cl. v Update and publicly publish legislation based upon motions and actions of
the Assembly.
§2.3.6 Designated Members shall:
cl. i Serve as the primary connection and source of communication between
standing CORE committees, in order to continually foster collaboration and
organizational awareness.
cl. ii Be elected internally within each committee as prescribed by the rules
of that committee.
pt. a Each committee will elect a Designated Member for each of the
CORE Standing Committees.
pt. b Members of the Freshmen Council are eligible to be elected to serve
as a Designated Member for a Committee.
cl. iii Act as a resource and provide information surrounding the current projects
and activities of their relevant committee.

Article III
Meetings
§3.1 Initial Meetings
§3.1.1 The first meeting of any incoming Assembly shall be considered the Initial
Meeting. All other meetings shall follow the format of a General Meeting and be one of
the three (3) meeting types established below:
cl. i During the Initial Meeting, the Assembly will be required to establish
holders of all offices of the Assembly. Refer to Article V for the procedure for
electing committee chairs and method of committee assignment.
§3.2 General Meetings
§3.2.1 The Assembly shall convene for the transaction of business every Wednesday
during the Fall and Spring Semesters at 7:00PM EST and lasting no later than 10:00PM
EST. These proceedings shall be considered General Meetings.
cl. i Should meetings end before all items on the agenda have been resolved, the
Assembly may vote to either table the remainder of the meeting or extend the
meeting with agreement from a simple majority. Should the remainder of the
meeting be tabled, the Speaker retains the right to schedule a Special Meeting to
complete the unfinished items, should it be necessary.
§3.2.2 Quorum for meetings of the General Assembly shall be set at fifty percent plus
one (50% +1) of the General Membership.
cl. i If quorum is not met during the Call to Order, the General Assembly cannot
convene or conduct business until quorum is met.
§3.2.3 The Agenda shall be set by the Speaker of the Assembly and published by the
Secretary for public viewing at least two (2) academic days in advance of a General
Meeting. The Agenda shall consist of:
cl. i Call to Order, Opening Roll Call, and Announcement of Quorum.
cl. ii Land Acknowledgement.
cl. iii Adoption of the Agenda.
cl. iv Adoption of the past General Meeting minutes.
cl. v Special Presentations.

cl. vi Open Student Forum.
cl. vii Report by the President.
cl. viii Report by the Vice President.
cl ix Liaison and Affiliate Reports.
cl. x Old Business.
cl. xi Caucus Breakout.
cl. xii New Business.
pt. a Elections/Appointments/Nominations/Swearing-In.
pt. b Policies
pt. c Bills.
pt. d Resolutions.
cl . xiii Report by the Chief Justice of the Judicial Board.
cl. xiv Report by the Chief of Staff and Executive Directors.
cl. xv Report by the Speaker of the Assembly.
cl. xvi Committee Reports.
cl. xvii Comments for the Good of the Order.
cl. xviii Closing Roll Call and Adjournment.
§3.2.4 The Agenda shall further include written reports from each Standing Committee,
appropriate contact information, and the date, time and location of the next meeting.
§3.2.5 The Agenda must be distributed to the public and General Assembly a minimum
of forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the start of the General Assembly meeting.
§3.2.6 Limits on Floor Use
cl. i Open Forum: Use of the Floor for presentation is limited to five (5)
minutes per speaker or group. Representatives may ask questions for five (5)
minutes after presentation.
cl. ii Reports: Each period of reporting shall be ten (10) minutes for review of
each report and questioning of appropriate persons.
cl. iii Caucus breakouts: Either five (5) or ten (10) minutes as decided by the
presiding officer of the meeting.
cl. iv Comments for the Good of the Order: Limited to two (2) minutes per
member.

cl. v Members may not speak to a specific issue or motion more than two (2)
times per piece of legislation. Motions, amendments, and other parliamentary
activities are not counted against this limit.
cl. vi All established time limits may be extended by a simple majority.
§3.3 Town Hall Meetings
§3.3.1 Town Hall meetings may be scheduled by a vote of the Assembly at a General
Meeting.
§3.3.2 The agenda for a Town Hall Meeting shall contain the same provisions as a
General Meeting with the following modifications:
cl. i Limits on Floor Use
pt. a Town Hall Open Forum: Groups or speakers will present in the
order they queue. No speaker or group should be denied the right to speak
for any reason.
pt. b Use of the Floor for presentation is limited to five (5) minutes per
group or individual speaker.
pt. c Representatives may ask questions for five (5) minutes after the
presentation.
pt. d Representatives may move to extended time of discussion.
§3.4 Work-Session Meetings
§3.4.1 The assembly may schedule a “work-session” meeting by a vote on the floor
wherein the standing committees will meet at the specified time to allow for additional
time to complete projects and collaborate.
§3.5 Committee of the Whole Meetings
§3.5.1 The assembly may schedule a “Committee of the Whole” Meeting by a vote on the
floor wherein the representatives will meet at the specified time to allow time to
collaborate as an entire body.
§3.5.2 In cases where the UPUA convenes in Committee of the Whole, any attempts to
vote on non-procedural decisions shall be grounds for immediate adjournment.
cl. i The item of discussion for a meeting of the UPUA as a Committee of the
Whole shall be prescribed by the motion to convene in such a format.
§3.6 Special Meetings
§3.6.1 The Speaker of the Assembly may call a Special Meeting if circumstances require
it.

cl. i Quorum of the General Membership must be intact.
§3.7 Summer Session Meetings
§3.7.1 Assembly Officers’ Meetings
cl. i The Assembly Officers may meet in limited form during the summer
session for the transition and coordination of business.
cl. ii Meetings of said type will require a majority of officers for quorum either
by physical or electronic presence.
cl. iii The Officers may issue Assembly Standing Orders that can authorize all
actions in the name of the Assembly to provide necessary guidance and to
authorize necessary immediate actions in the interest of the UPUA.
pt. a Such Standing Orders must be reported at the next general meeting
and disposed of as normal legislation being considered brought to the floor
by two-thirds (2/3rds).
pt. b All Standing Orders will expire after the conclusion of the next
general meetings of the Assembly.
pt. c All Standing Orders, unless internal to the operation of the
Assembly, shall be considered legislation and must be approved by the
President according to Article VI §2.2.2 of the UPUA Constitution.
pt. d Standing Orders cannot amend or repeal any previously passed
legislation, bylaws nor amend the UPUA Constitution.
pt. e Standing Orders may not disperse any funds.
§3.7.2 Summer General Assembly Meetings
cl. i The Assembly may convene during the summer session electronically or
physically for the transaction of normal business by either a motion calling for
such action on a specific date or on a date specified by the Chair.
pt. a One (1) weeks’ notice will be required for such meetings.
pt. b Quorum shall be two-thirds (2/3rds) of Representatives.
§3.8 Closed UPUA Meetings
§3.8.1 All UPUA meetings will be open to the public and have meeting times established
and available prior to each meeting.

cl. i Suspension of the above bylaw is only permitted with two-thirds (2/3)
consent of the appropriate voting members of the UPUA Assembly present at any
meeting where the suspension will occur. This suspension must fall under one of
the following exemptions, with no additional reasons being considered germane:
pt. a Privileged or confidential discussions of finances, information, and
contracts.
pt. b Interviews for the appointments of Representatives and other
officials.
1. Discussion pertaining to the aforementioned interviews will
always occur in closed session.
2. Interviews and discussions pertaining to the appointments and
other officials within committees will be closed at the request of
one voting member of the committee.
pt. c Suspension shall be immediately dissolved upon completion of
discussion of the exempted topic.
pt. d For the aforementioned motion to be considered germane, the
reason for suspension (pt. a or b) must be included in any motion to close
a UPUA meeting.
Article IV
Committees
§ 4.1 All Standing Committees are required to include at least seven (7) Representatives,
including the Committee Chair and Vice Chair.
§4.2 One member of each Standing Committee shall be the Chair of the Committee and one
member shall be the Vice Chair. Committee Chairs shall be elected by a majority of non-vacant
Representative seats of the Assembly. The Vice Chairs will be elected internally within each
committee as prescribed by the rules of that committee.
§4.3 The Assembly shall retain the following Standing Committees:
§ 4.3.1 Student Life
cl. i Have jurisdiction to identify and address issues within the realm of
housing and food services, safety, event planning and management, residence life,
off-campus living, Counseling and Psychological Services, student health, student
recreational services, athletics, student conduct, and sexual violence awareness
and prevention.

cl. ii Have jurisdiction to identify events and programs that may be of
importance to the student body.
cl. iii Organize and plan informational student events and programs that are
necessary and beneficial to the student public.
cl. iv Retain the Assembly-elected Movin' On Spring Music Festival Liaison as
a voting member of the committee.
cl. v Have jurisdiction to identify and address issues within the realm of external
fee boards, including the University Park Fee Board.
cl. vii Have jurisdiction to identify and address issues within the realm of
University Strategic Planning, the Board of Trustees issues, University contracts,
and fee boards and committees as relevant to the committee responsibilities as
described above in §4.3.1.
cl. vii Be charged with developing and working on initiatives in a manner that is
cognizant of environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
§ 4.3.2 Facilities
cl. i Have jurisdiction to identify and address issues within the realm of
Housing and Food Services, capital expenditures, permanent structures,
transportation and parking, University facilities, and the Office of the Physical
Plant.
cl. ii Have jurisdiction to identify and address issues within the realm of
external fee boards, including the University Park Fee Board, the Student
Technology Advisory Committee, and the Student Sustainability Advisory
Committee.
cl. iii Have jurisdiction to identify and address issues within the realm of
University Strategic Planning, the Board of Trustees membership and structure,
University contracts, and fee boards and committees as relevant to the committee
responsibilities as described above in §4.3.2.
cl. iv Have jurisdiction to identify and address issues that are related to
environmental, economic, and social sustainability relevant to the committee
responsibilities.
§4.3.3 Governmental Affairs
cl. i Have jurisdiction to identify and assess issues within the realm of the
federal government, state government, and local government, as well as civic
engagement.

cl. ii Establish and maintain working relationships with pertinent figures in the
federal, state, and local governments for the purposes of legislative outreach and
petition.
cl. iii Establish and maintain the UPUA Legislative Docket, a collection of
federal, state, and local legislation the General Assembly has supported, on behalf
of the UPUA’s constituencies, and utilize this Legislative Docket in advocacy
efforts.
cl. iv Coordinate relations with other governing entities affecting students at
University Park by: Investigating laws, procedures, rules, or policies having
effects on students.
cl. v Plan and organize, with the appropriate Directors of the Executive Branch,
events related to tuition, voter registration and mobilization, and other
governmental matters.
cl. vi Retain the internally elected and Borough-appointed Non-Voting Student
Representative to the State College Borough Council as a voting member of the
Committee.
cl. vii Have jurisdiction to identify and address issues within the realm of
University Strategic Planning, the Board of Trustees membership and structure,
University contracts, and fee boards and committees as relevant to the committee
responsibilities as described above in §4.3.3.
cl. viii Be charged with identifying and understanding long-term implications of
the work relevant to the committee's responsibilities
cl. ix Strive to integrate considerations for environmental, social, and economic
sustainability into their advocacy.
§4.3.4 Academic Affairs
cl. i Have jurisdiction over all matters academic.
cl. ii Maintain through committee membership at least one representative from
all of the Degree-Conferring Academic Colleges, the Division of Undergraduate
Studies, and the Schreyer Honors College, as well as delegates as determined by
the Committee in conjunction with the body which they are representing.
cl. iii Retain a committee chair who serves as the UPUA Student Representative
to the Faculty Senate, sits on the University Faculty Senate Committee on
Education, sits on the Administrative Council on Undergraduate Education
(ACUE), and sits on the University Advising Council (UAC), as prescribed in the
governing policies of each body.
pt. a In the case that the Academic Affairs Chair is already a Faculty
Senator, the Assembly shall internally elect a designee to fill the position.

cl. iv Serve as a forum to focus student concerns regarding academics and relay
those concerns to the academic councils, deans, administration, and University
Faculty Senate.
cl. v Have jurisdiction to identify and address issues within the realm of
cl. vi Be charged with establishing and maintaining sustainable organizational
relationships, ensuring the committee's continued capacity to accomplish
delegated responsibilities and advocate on behalf of students within the UPUA's
constituencies.
pt a. Academic Representatives within the Academic Affairs Committee
shall be charged with the responsibility of building and maintaining
direct, ongoing relationships with the student council of their respective
Academic College, and/or other representative entities. The standards for
each relationship shall be established respectively by each Academic
Representative and may contain, but is not limited to: attending meetings
during the semester with the student council, attending meetings between
the student council and the Academic Colleges’ deans, and joining
important communications channels such as email chains or group chats.
pt b. Outgoing Academic Representatives will have the responsibility of
introducing their successor to the student council.
pt c. Representatives will be held accountable to maintaining these
relationships by the Chair and Vice Chair of the Academic Affairs
Committee.

§4.3.5 Justice and Equity
cl. I Have jurisdiction to address and identify issues within the realm of disability
services, educational equity and instances of bias and discrimination.
cl. ii Have jurisdiction over all university issues that affect, but are not limited to,
the protected classes defined by the University as well as international students.
cl. iii Retain the Director of Outreach as a non-voting member of the committee.
cl. iv Be charged with outreach to and development of positive relationships with
Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) considered International/Multicultural,
Religious/Spiritual, or Residence Hall Special Living Options by the University.
cl. vi Have jurisdiction to identify and address issues within the realm of
§4.3.6 Steering
cl. i Have jurisdiction over the business of the General Assembly.
cl. ii Be charged with identifying and considering the long-term implications of
the UPUA's actions and business.
cl. iii Be chaired by the Speaker of the Assembly.
cl. iv Be composed of all Standing CORE Committee Chairs.
pt. a The President, Vice-President, Secretary, Executive Director of
Public Relations, Chief of Staff, and Chief Justice shall be considered non-
voting members with floor privileges.

cl. v Have jurisdiction to analyze the UPUA’s internal diversity, equity, and
inclusion; and propose new best-practices to improve the organization in these
areas.
cl. vi Be required, at its first meeting, to assign all Representatives to CORE
committees based on the following procedure:
pt. a Each Representative’s name shall be read and then discussion of
the qualifications of the Representative for service on committees based
on their priority(s) shall begin.
pt.b A motion for assignment for a specific committee shall be made
and then debated. This shall continue until a vote passes by majority, and
then the next Representative shall be reviewed.
pt .c Every Representative shall be assigned to one committee before
any Representative is assigned to two committees.
cl. vii Be required to recommend to the General Assembly, an individual to fill
each vacant Assembly seat, after a thorough screening and interview per §6.8.
cl. viii Act on all questions concerning the Assembly by coordinating the
Assembly’s actions and Business.
cl. ix Review all legislation for grammar and formatting, as well as make all
necessary amendments to reflect the most accurate facts and data available
excluding changes in monetary value, and to ensure the legislation is in
compliance with University and UPUA policies.
pt. a Any amendment made by the Steering Committee must be
explicitly outlined and explained when the legislation is being introduced
on the Assembly floor.
pt. b The Steering Committee may not make any amendment that would
change or alter the spirit of the legislation.
pt. c The Speaker of the Assembly shall have the power to re-number
legislation, when appropriate.
cl. x The Steering Committee may recommit legislation back to the committee of
origin with a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the Steering Committee.
pt. a The Steering committee must provide a written explanation of
specific grievances or inaccuracies to the Chair of the Committee of origin
to be forwarded to all committee members within 24 hours of the vote to
recommit.

pt. b Legislation that has been recommitted to its Committee of origin
by the Steering Committee may still be brought to the floor of the General
Assembly by two-thirds.
pt. c The Steering Committee may not recommit a piece of legislation
based on the spirit of the legislation excluding contracts of obligation.
cl. xi Be required to commit the proposed legislation to the appropriate
committee of the Assembly, at which time it shall be considered pending business
of that Committee. If the Steering Committee cannot decide what committee the
proposed legislation is to be committee to, then it shall be introduced to the
Assembly under new business at the next General Meeting.
cl. xii Retain the authority to review and author revisions to the UPUA’s
Governing Documents when circumstances warrant such action.
pt. a Reviews and revisions may be conducted by the Steering
committee or an ad-hoc committee, as decided by a majority vote of the
Steering Committee.
1. The Steering Committee must, when charged by a two-thirds
(2/3) vote of the General Assembly, form an ad-hoc committee
to addresses the relevant issues with the Governing Documents
brought forth by the General Assembly.
pt. b All revisions must be brought to the General Assembly Floor for
consideration, following a majority vote of the Steering Committee.
cl. xiii Be charged with the vetting followed by the confirmation or dismissal of
all Presidential nominations.
cl. xiv Compile and maintain accurate records of all assets of the UPUA to be
made available to the Judicial Board in investigative matters regarding their use.
§4.3.6 Committee Jurisdiction Overlap
cl. i Matters appropriate for consideration by more than one standing
committee may be referred, by the Speaker of the Assembly, to one committee or
subcommittee.
§ 4.4 No Assembly member may serve as a general voting member on more than three (3)
Standing CORE Committees. Individuals considered ex-officio or non-voting members of a
committee do not count against the total membership of a committee nor towards quorum.
§4.5 Interviews pertaining to the appointment of representatives and other officials within
committees shall be closed at the request of one voting member of the committee.
§4.5.1 Discussions on candidates are closed unless opened with a majority vote by the
voting members of the Steering Committee.

§4.5.2 A quorum in a committee shall be considered a majority of the number of
registered voting members in the official record.
Article V
Elections, Nominations, and Appointments
§5.1 The following order shall be used to determine the priority of the internal elections: Speaker
of the Assembly, Committee Chairs (in the order listed in the Article IV), the internally elected
liaisons (in the order listed in Article I).
§5.2 All candidates, except when addressing the Assembly, shall remain outside the chamber
during the debate period.
§5.3 Internal Elections Process
§5.3.1 The presiding officer of the Assembly (Vice President, Chair, or Chair Pro
Tempore) will open nominations of all officers listed in §5.1 sequentially one at a time.
§5.3.2 Upon closure of each nomination round for an office, each candidate will be given
five (5) minutes to address the Assembly. After that time has expired, the Presiding
Officer will open the floor for questions addressed to the candidate for no longer than ten
(10) minutes.
§5.3.3 After the conclusion of the Question and Answer period, the debate period will
begin. Members will be limited to two (2) minutes per speech and two (2) speeches per
candidate.
§5.3.4 The vote will be taken by secret ballot. A candidate needs a majority of votes cast
to win. Votes will continue to be taken until one candidate has secured a majority of the
vote. If a majority vote for one candidate is not received after the first vote, the candidate
with the least number of votes will be removed from the race and the vote will be taken
again. This process will be repeated until there are only two candidates left.
cl. i Vote totals shall not be publicly announced during the Meeting, but shall
be recorded in the Meeting minutes.
§5.3.5 Votes shall be tallied by the Presiding Officer with the help of the Secretary, the
Speaker of the Assembly and the Chief Justice (when necessary).
§5.4 Committee Voting Member Selection
§5.4.1 The Speaker of the Assembly will collect the Committee preferences from all
Representatives by the Friday after the first General Assembly meeting.
§5.4.2 Representatives will be assigned committee membership by the Speaker of the
Assembly in consultation with all other officers at the first Steering Committee meeting.
cl. i Representatives may appeal the decision of the Steering Committee to the
Speaker of the Assembly, who shall either confirm or deny the appeal based upon

the merit of the appeal. If denied, the Representative shall remain on the selected
CORE committee(s). If the Speaker approves the appeal, the Representative shall
be re-assigned by the Steering Committee at the next Steering meeting.
§5.5 Confirmations and Appointments
§5.5.1 Nominations required and submitted by the President shall be vetted and
confirmed, or dismissed by the Steering Committee.
cl. i Nominees will have five (5) minutes to address the Assembly and will
entertain questions for ten (10) minutes.
§5.5.2 Appointments by the Speaker of the Assembly will be represented to the
Assembly for approval. The nominees will have five (5) minutes to address the body and
will entertain questioning for five (5) minutes.
Article VI
Attendance, Expulsion, and Vacancies
§6.1 Attendance of the General Assembly, Work Session, Committee of the Whole, and
Committee Meetings is mandatory for all members of the Assembly.
§6.1.1 For the purpose of Representative attendance at General, Work Session, and
Committee of the Whole Meetings, roll shall only be called twice, counting as one half
(1/2) of an absence each time at the discretion of the Presiding Officer.
§6.1.2 For the purpose of Representative attendance at committee meetings, roll shall
only be called twice, counting as one quarter (1/4) of an absence each time at the
discretion of the Presiding Officer.
§6.2 Absences from any and all scheduled meetings of the General Assembly and CORE
Committees meetings shall result in the absent Representative accruing deficiency point(s).
§6.2.1 In the case of personal or family emergencies, examinations, religious obligations,
mental health, employment, or events for which the Representative has a Faculty Senate
Excused absence form, deficiency points will not be accrued due to the Representative’s
absence, only if it is for one or more of the aforementioned reasons.
cl. i Representatives who encounter the aforementioned circumstances outlined
in §6.2.1 must e-mail both the Speaker of the Assembly and the Secretary
outlining the reason for their absence no later than 24 hours after the conclusion

Policy 6.16 Increasing Collaboration with the Department of Finance and Transparency of Bill Spending Amounts.pdf

Policy 6.16 Increasing Collaboration with the Department of Finance and Transparency of Bill Spending Amounts.pdf

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Policy 6.16 Increasing Collaboration with the Department of Finance and Transparency of Bill Spending Amounts.pdf