Spring 2011 Election Candidate Information Packet:
February 28, 2011
Dear Prospective Candidate,
Congratulations! By collecting this packet you have taken the first step in your campaign for student government. This packet contains all of the information that you will need to run a successful campaign. From this moment forward until the end of the election, you are responsible for ALL of the information included within this packet, which is available online at for your convenience.
There are a few important details that I would like to call to your attention. The Fair Practices Code (FPC) outlines the rules of the election. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU READ THE FPC VERY CAREFULLY. It is also available online at Numerous changes have been made to the FPC over the past year, and it is vital that candidates download and carefully read the most recently updated version along with this Candidate Packet.
Some important changes in the FPC, of which to make note:
- (VII.E.4) Candidates may not contact students through any university-sponsored, created, or managed social networking group designated as class-wide (e.g. Official Class of 2009 Facebook Group), school-wide (e.g. Official Wharton Facebook Group), school-wide/class-wide (e.g. Official Wharton Class of 2009 Facebook Group), or interdisclipinary program-wide listerserves (e.g. Official Huntsman Facebook Group).
Please also note an important change regarding running for two positions:
- You may choose to run exclusively for UA President or Vice-President and not for general UA membership.
- You may also run for one of the two directly-elected positions and general UA membership simultaneously (ex: UA President + Wharton UA member). If you win one of the two directly-elected positions, you will not be considered for a general UA member position.
- You cannot run for both UA President and Vice-President.
- You cannot run for UA President or Vice-President and a directly-elected Class Board position (ex: UA Vice-President + Wharton School Class Chair)
The monetary campaigning periodbegins on Wednesday, March 23rd at 7 am.YouCANNOT campaign using materials that have monetary value prior to this time.
Failure to adhere to the rules in this packet, and all others outlined in the FPC may result in disqualification from the election. The FPC will be explained in more detail at the MANDATORY Candidates’ Meeting on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 @ 8 PM in Huntsman Hall Room F95. As UA President/Vice-President candidates, you must also attend the MANDATORY Executive Information Sessionon Wednesday, March 16th, 2011 @ 9pm in Huntsman G55.
If you have questions or concerns about any aspect of the elections process, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at or by phone at (860) 543-3535. You may also choose to contact Nick Greif, Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee (NEC), by email at , though I will be your main point of contact through this Election cycle. Please do not contact any other member of the NEC with questions concerning the election, as s/he will simply refer you to one of us.
Please ensure a fair election by reading and adhering to the rules in the FPC. I look forward to meeting you and wish you the best of luck and success with your campaign.
Regards,
Benjamin Kruger
Vice-Chair for Elections, Nominations and Elections Committee
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
WHEN / WHAT / WHERE / TIMEMonday,
February28, 2011 / Candidate Packets Available /
NEC Office
Wednesday,
March 16, 2011 /
Mandatory:Executive Info Session
/ Huntsman G55 / 9:00 pmMonday,
March 21, 2011 /
Mandatory:
Candidate Packets Due
and picture-taking/video-taping for Daily Pennsylvanian / NEC Office,
Office of Student Life,
200 Houston Hall / Between
11:00 am and 5:00 pm
Monday,
March 21, 2011 /
Mandatory: E-mail a copy of candidate’s statement
/ / By 4:00 pmTuesday,
March 22, 2011 /
Mandatory: Candidate’s Meeting
/ Huntsman Hall Room F95 / 8:00 pmWednesday,
March 23, 2011 /
Monetary Campaigning Period Begins
/ 7:00 amMonday,
March 28,2011 /
Online Voting Begins
/ / 12:01 amSCHEDULED DEBATES / Mandatory: TO BE DETERMINED – please see emails to come
Wednesday,
March 30, 2011 /
Get Out the Vote
/ Compass Patio,Locust Walk at Stiteler Hall / Between
2:00pm – 5:00pm
Friday,
April 1, 2011 /
Elections Conclude
/ 5:00 pmFriday,
April 1, 2011 /
Mandatory: Spending Forms Due
/ NEC Office, 200 Houston Hall / Between5:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Friday,
April 1, 2011 /
Voting Results Announced (if no violations filed)
/ Griski Room,Houston Hall (3rd floor) / 9:00 pm
Sunday,
April 3, 2011 /
Fair Practices Code Hearing
(if violations are filed)
/ Huntsman G55 / 12:00 pmSummary and Descriptions of Events:
Monday, February 28, 2011 Candidate Packets Made Available
Packets are available for download at the NEC website ( or may be picked up at the NEC Office in the Office of Student Life, 200 Houston Hall.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 Executive Information Session
At this meeting at 9 pm in Huntsman G55, you will learn important information specifically pertaining to the UA President and Vice-President Election process. If you do not attend this meeting, your candidacy may be terminated. (Please contact the Vice Chair for Elections, Benjamin Kruger, in advance if you cannot attend).
Monday, March 21, 2011 Candidate Packets Due / DP Picture Taking and Video Taping
Please bring the following items with you to the NEC office in Houston Hall between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm. (Keep in mind that if you are running for two positions, you must turn in two separate sets of petitions with the proper number of signatures for each position. You may photocopy signatures and submit them twice, provided they are of the proper constituency for each position).
- Candidate Information Form
- Certificate of Candidacy
- Petitions for candidacy with appropriate number of signatures (see FPC VI.B for details)
- Candidates running for UA President or Vice-President will need to submit the additional petition signed by at least 5 sitting members of the UA at this time a well
- A hard copy of your candidate’s statement (150 words or less)
It is imperative that you come in person, as your picture will be taken for the Daily Pennsylvanian at this time. If you cannot attend, please contact the Vice Chair for Elections, Benjamin Kruger, well in advance.
If you wish to submit a candidate’s statement for the DP and the Online DP Candidate Center, please
e-mail it to as a Word (.doc/.docx) attachment. It may be no longer than 150 words. In the subject line, please put your first and last name and position for which you are running. If you are running for more than one position, you must submit a second statement (same or different as first) with your name and the second position in the subject line. Candidate statements must be submitted by 5 PM on Monday, March 21, 2011. (Note: We cannot guarantee the formatting of your statements and thus statements in paragraph form are recommended.)
You will also have the opportunity to be videotaped and then placed on the Daily Pennsylvanian website.
Videotaping will take place in the Office of Student Life from 11 am to 5 pm on this day. You will be taped from the chest up and props/accessories are prohibited. Should any schedule change arise from the Daily Pennsylvanian staff, you will be informed when submitting your Candidate Packet.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011 Mandatory Candidates’ Meeting
At this meeting at 8 pm in Huntsman Hall Room F95, you will learn important information about the campaigning and elections process, and confirm your personal information. If you do not attend this meeting and bring the Official Acknowledgement of Candidacy, your candidacy may be terminated. (Please contact the Vice Chair for Elections, Benjamin Kruger, in advance if you cannot attend).
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 Monetary Campaigning Period Begins at 7:00 am
Monday, March 28, 2011 Online Elections Begin at 12:01 am
PLACES & TIMES TO BE DETERMINEDUA Presidential and Vice-Presidential Debates
Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates must participate in at least one debate. Failure to attend may be grounds for a candidate’s disqualification. It is in your best interestto attend and participate in as many scheduled debates as possible.If you cannot make at least one of the official debates, please contact Vice-Chair for Elections Benjamin Kruger immediately.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011Get Out the Vote
Get Out the Vote will be held from 2:00pm – 5:00pm at the Compass Patio on Locust Walk outside Stiteler Hall. While attendance is voluntary, the NEC strongly encourages you to attend, meet voters, and campaign.
Friday, April 1, 2011 Elections Conclude at 5:00 pm
Candidates MUST turn in their Spending Forms between the hours of 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm at the NEC Office in Houston Hall. Late forms will NOT be accepted. Charges of violations of the FPC will be accepted at this time as well.
Friday, April 1, 2011 Voting Results Announced, if No Violations were Filed
If no violations were filed, elections results will be announced at this meeting held at 9:00 pm in the Griski Room, 3rd Floor Houston Hall. This meeting is open to the public.
Sunday, April 3, 2011 Fair Practices Code Hearing
If violations were filed, the charges will be heard at 12:00 pm in Huntsman G55. Immediately following the announcement of the NEC’s decision, elections results will be announced. This meeting is open to the public.
BECOMING A CANDIDATE
I.Eligibility
Any individual who, according to the University of Pennsylvania Registrar, is a current full-time student at the University may run. Ineligible students are those who will be abroad during either semester of the academic year (Fall 2011 or Spring 2012).
To be eligible to run for UA President or Vice-President, a candidate must additionally:
- Attend the Executive Information Sessions (EIS). Additional information regarding the EIS can be found in this document.
- Attend at least one UA Presidential or Vice-Presidential Debate. Additional information regarding these debates can be found in this document.
- Adhere to the petition policies stated in the NEC’s Fair Practices Code (FPC, VI.B.1)
- Positions
- UA President & Vice-President
UA President
The UA President is the directly elected (undergraduate) Student Body President at the University of Pennsylvania. They are also responsible for the strategy, direction, and priorities of the UA itself, and thus serve in dual roles as the student body’s elected leader and the leader of the UA. The formal duties of the UA President are contained in the UA Constitution, but a more holistic summary follows:
On a day-to-day basis, the UA President is the face of the student body to the University administration. They represent students on the University Council, the Council’s Steering Committee (with the Vice-President), the Council of Undergraduate Deans (with the SCUE Chair), the Council Campus and Community Life Committee, and the Trustee Committee on Student Life. They meet with all manner of senior administrators as needed on an ad hoc basis to advance the policy platform on which they were elected.
In addition, the UA President exercises general supervision over the activities and agenda of the UA. They chair the UA Executive (consisting of all UA officers) and serve as the driving force behind the UA’s policies. They are also responsible for setting the UA’s agenda, although the UA is empowered to set its own agenda if it disagrees with the President. They are a full UA member and have the right to speak before all other members in UA deliberations.
Finally, the President is a voting member of the UA Steering Committee and is expected to regularly liaise with and advance the agendas of the 35 groups who are members of UA Steering.
However, the UA President is a member of, bound by, reports to, and can be impeached and removed by the UA Governing Body, which is the directly elected legislature of student government. Presidents must advocate for UA resolutions, even those they disagree with, and Presidents are required to attend UA meetings and obey all UA bylaws. A good working relationship between the President, their Executive, and the Governing Body is essential for student government to be productive; each has the power to frustrate the work of the other.
It should also be noted that UA President has no special responsibility over the affairs of the other five branches of Student Government, or any special responsibility over UA budgeting or finance. Financial responsibilities are vested in the UA Budget Committee and Treasurer; the President only has an ordinary vote in budget deliberations.
The Presidency is perhaps one of the most demanding jobs at Penn; it is also an unparalleled opportunity to serve your fellow students and make real change to one of America’s best universities. Most previous incumbents (in the older, less expansive position of UA Chair that this replaces) required approximately 40 hours a week to keep up with the bare essentials of the job. Do not run if you don’t want to make this your number #1 priority (even above school)!
UA Vice-President
The UA Vice-President is primarily responsible for UA Steering, a deliberative assembly of between 34 and 37 peak undergraduate groups. UA Steering aims to include “anyone who’s anyone,” at least in the world of University policy formation, and includes leaders of the manifold communities at Penn, from the Greek Councils to the four Deans Advisory Boards to the five Minority Coalitions to much in-between.
The Vice-President is the chairperson of the Steering Committee, and is responsible for setting the group’s agenda, determining new members, and representing the different groups to the administration and the wider student body. While the student body directly elects them at the same time the President, their role is envisioned as being representative of the whole student body in a subtly different sense to that of the President. We could say that the President is the representative of the Penn community in the sense of it being one community, while the Vice-President is representative of the Penn community in the sense of it being a community of communities. In that capacity, they serve with the President on the University Council and the Council’s Steering Committee.
Beyond advocating on behalf of Steering groups to the UA and the administration, the Vice-President, like the President, is a member of, bound by, reports to, and can be impeached and removed by the UA Governing Body. The Vice-President is bound by all UA and UA Steering Bylaws, and must attend all UA and UA Steering meetings. In addition, they become the President in the absence, resignation, or impeachment of the President.
It should be noted that while the Vice-President fulfills the classical “successor to the President” role constitutionally, their primary responsibility is to represent and manage UA Steering. It is a very different role to UA President; please consider this carefully when running.
- Undergraduate Assembly – General Member Seats
General UA Member Seats
There are 25 seats up for election to the Undergraduate Assembly. UA members are elected by school, 16from the College of Arts and Sciences, 4from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 4 from the Wharton School and 1 from the Nursing School. If you are in a joint or dual-degree program, you may choose in which one of the two schools you would like to run, and must designate this on the Candidate Form and Certificate of Candidacy. Remember, students may only vote in their home school, and as such, if you choose to run outside your program’s home school, members of your program cannot vote for you.
What is the UA?
The Undergraduate Assembly is the elected, representative branch Penn Student Government, charged with improving life for all students through funding, services, and advocacy.The core of the UA’s work is advocating for undergraduate interests to administrators, student groups, and the wider world. The UA has the flexibility and power to improve every element of life at Penn. As the representative organ of student government, the UA allocates $1.9 million to the six branches each year, money that eventually reaches almost every group on campus. Out of that the UA reserves a $20,000 Contingency Fund to disburse to student groups throughout the year and fund an array of services spearheaded by UA members, including shuttles to the airport and free legal services.
On a day-to-day basis, the UA is run by a 33-member General Body, comprised of 25 upperclassmen elected in the Spring and 8 freshmen elected in the fall.
- Class Boards
The following positions are open for the Class Boards:
President
Executive Vice-President
Vice-President of Finances
Vice-President of Internal Affairs
Vice-President of External Affairs
College of Arts and Sciences Class Chairs (2 Positions)
Nursing School Class Chair
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Class Chair
Wharton School Class Chair
The purpose of the four Class Boards is to provide social programming that will instill a sense of class and school spirit, unity and pride and break through social barriers. Each class popularly elects a President, Executive Vice-President, Vice-President of Finances, Vice-President of Internal Affairs, Vice-President of External Affairs, and Class Chairs from each school. Each executive board then selects several members at large through an interview process.
Class Boards are responsible for organizing Penn's greatest and most historic traditions, including Sophomore Skimmer and Hey Day, events that are attended by hundreds of students. In recent years, the boards have also successfully planned a 5,000 person waterfront jazz and reggae concert, a bus trip to watch the Penn-Princeton football game at Princeton, parties at Philly clubs, ski trips, formal dances, study breaks, community service events, and performing arts nights.
Additionally, the members of the executive board are called on by various University departments to assist with and/or promote a variety of events and integral student initiatives. Each year this includes participation in convocation, speaking at graduation ceremonies, and representing undergraduates at alumni functions. A significant partnership for each Class Board is with the department of Development and Alumni Relations, through the Penn Traditions Program: a comprehensive approach to student programming, with the objective of creating student awareness and understanding of Penn's institutional mission, history, traditions, financing and philanthropic support, strengths, challenges, and goals. All Class Boards meet with the Penn Traditions staff in the fall following freshman elections, and the four-year collaboration culminates with the planning of Seniors for The Penn Fund, the annual senior class fundraising campaign.