Speaker Bhavin Shah may have forgotten to mention it in his original report, but welcome back, UPUA! The 13th Assembly kicked off the school year with a quick meeting Wednesday, wrapping up summer business and preparing for a busy semester ahead.

The meeting began with a special presentation from Gary Abdullah, assistant dean for diversity & inclusion for the Bellisario College of Communications. Abdullah briefed the assembly on the Council of College Multicultural Leadership (CCML), which consists of the multicultural directors or deans of the eleven academic colleges and the senior director of the Office of Graduate Educational Equity Programs.

Abdulla explained how the CCML is here to help all students — with everything from adjusting to college life to financial assistance — and encouraged UPUA representatives to connect their constituents with the CCML. “We cannot advocate for students we don’t know,” Abdullah said.

President Cody Heaton gave his first report of the year, starting with a “full disclosure” that it was a long one. It wasn’t that long, but here are the highlights:

• Heaton and Vice President Laura McKinney attended the Board of Trustees meeting over the summer, where the board approved a tuition freeze for this year.
• Student Life Chair Tyler Akers is working on a list for a future roundtable that will start tackling a student conduct rework. UPUA is currently working on drafting its “student bill of rights.”
• UPUA’s Ad Hoc committee operated over the summer to research and interview past representatives about what the assembly was like during their terms.
• Heaton is working on a communication to send to all students during PSU Votes Week.

McKinney discussed her summer work with Lion’s Pantry for the student poverty awareness initiative, the career center for the professional clothing closet, and with Stand for State on UPUA’s upcoming Red Zone Action Week.

The only new business of the night was the reinstatement of normal UPUA budget operations. By the sounds of it, no one went on any crazy spending sprees over the summer (phew).

#HeatonUp Pun of the Week

We’re back with a vengeance, baby. In the spirit of a new semester, new students, new organizations, and new friends, this week we’re Meetin’ (read: Meatin’) with Heaton.