Pan inTouch

Introduction

I want to work with student groups to ensure that every student has a niche to belong in, but at the same time, that every student can come together for community and school-wide events. This unity starts with ensuring that SAC groups are well-funded; I pledge to be a staunch advocate for SAC and hold the principle that club involvements are much more meaningful than costly one-time events. I want to make Penn and Philadelphia a more vibrant home for all of us.

Issues Facing Student Activities and SAC

• Balancing an ever-increasing number of SAC groups (and individual groups asking for more every year as well) with encouraging innovative new groups to emerge
• Space costs, especially for PAC groups who can’t cover costs
• Acclimating new groups to SAC policies and procedures (though I think this is a SAC internal issue; if wrong I’d be happy to assist!)
• Funding the Sports Club Council’s unpredictable and expensive travel costs
• Religious group funding of non-collaborative events
• Political engagement and figuring out how to help partisan political speakers to campus
• Background check costs
• Maintaining excellent customer service between SAC Exec and SAC groups (another SAC internal issue)
• Establishing G.O. Penn as the standard portal for student groups
• Funding, funding, funding

Addressing Those Issues

• Reach out to groups unrepresented by UA Steering groups to identify and address their issues, with guidance and advice of SAC Exec
• Produce and promote (at SAC GBM’s, with SAC Exec’s permission, and online) customized materials of various topics (i.e. athletics, religious groups, service groups, etc.) that explain what the UA is, what the UA has done in “x” topic, and how “x” type of student group can collaborate on policy issues they face
• Work with the Office of General Counsel to fund non-collaborative religious group events as well as political speaker events
• Develop and promote other already-existing sources of non-administrative funding, from SPEC Fully Planned to the Faith Fund
• Work with VPUL to restructure the Intercultural Fund by including more eligible groups and event/collaboration types, hence reducing the burden on SAC
• Fund the Sports Club Council through the University instead of through SAC
• Finish surveying student groups involved with Philadelphia public schools and the difficulties that background checks cause them, and then work with VPUL to fund background checks for students engaged in service in Philadelphia public schools. We have already spoken to President Gutmann about this, who has (somewhat rarely) spoken out adamantly in favor of it.
• Turn UA Steering into a more collaborative and hierarchically-flat group, so that groups like SAC know that they have formal opportunities to delve into a topic of concern (such as encouraging groups to use G.O. Penn) and brainstorm together
• In my role as a general body member, I will continue to vote against SPEC annual budget increases in favor of SAC increases as a matter of principle and utility. Simply put, in general I believe that students value their long-term experiences in SAC much more than an hour long event.