The 20th Assembly of the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) met on Wednesday to swear in one representative, pass seven pieces of legislation, and revise the UPUA Constitution and Bylaws.

The meeting opened with a presentation by the President of the Penn State Interfraternity Council (IFC), Alexander Comas. Comas explained the IFC’s role as a governing body. The objectives of the IFC include promoting safety, organizing campus events, and maintaining a strong relationship with the university. Comas then detailed the IFC executive board’s organization, the events hosted by the IFC, and NARCAN Training.

Following reports from President Rasha Elwakil and Vice President Noah Youcheff, the assembly moved into Swearing-ins. 

Swearing-in/Confirmations

The only swearing-in of the night was for IST Representative Olivia Sarsfield. Following this, the assembly moved into New Business.

New Business

First up was Policy #05-20: Revising the UPUA Constitution. Speaker Hogan shared that various rules and regulations were moved from the Constitution to the Bylaws. One notable change mentioned during the meeting was to Article VIII: Meetings, which added more details on various aspects of meeting operations within the UPUA, such as who leads the meeting and who the voting members are. It seems there was not much discussion of these amendments, since they were discussed at last week’s meeting.

 Policy #05-20: Revising the UPUA Constitution was passed unanimously.

Following this was Policy #06-20: Revising the UPUA Bylaws. Speaker Hogan introduced amendments, including adding a table of contents and three articles detailing each branch’s responsibilities to the bylaws. Regarding meetings, an amendment was added to extend special presentations to 10 minutes from five, and details were added regarding the summer general assembly meeting.

There were also changes to the language behind the UPUA Internal Works Board. The attendance section of the bylaws was also changed, including changes to the point requirements for general assembly attendance and increasing the point requirement for removal from UPUA. The assembly also voted to rename the Internal Works Board to the Strategic Planning Board and to maintain the requirement that general assembly members must sit on two committees. There was a large discussion about whether UPUA Associate Justices should be required to attend every general assembly meeting, but this amendment was struck down. There was also another large discussion on whether Student Identity Community Group Seats can appeal for an exception to the two-committee requirement, which did not pass.

Policy #06-20: Revising the UPUA Bylaws passed unanimously.

Next was Resolution #17-20: Student Resources Display. Within this resolution, UPUA resolves to create a document of key resources that students can easily access. UPUA believes that many students may not be aware of the wide range of resources available to them, which are covered by tuition and student-initiated fees. This document will be updated annually by the Student Engagement and Wellness Committee. 

Resolution #17-20: Student Resources Display passed unanimously. 

The next piece of new business was Resolution #18-20: Student Discount at the Penn State Bookstore. In this resolution, UPUA advocated for a student discount at the Penn State Bookstore in the HUB. The proposed discount is approximately 10-15% off bookstore merchandise, including clothing, notebooks, and items with the Penn State logo. UPUA suggests that this discount should be piloted for a year and then assessed. This resolution aims to make bookstore merchandise more affordable for Penn State students. 

Resolution #18-20: Student Discount at the Penn State Bookstore passed unanimously. 

Following this was Bill #68-20: Funding for SVAP Month Pre-Meeting. This bill provides funding for refreshments to be served at a pre-planning meeting for Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Month in April. This meeting will be held in the UPUA HUB office on Tuesday, March 17, at 3:30 p.m., and will act as a space to generate ideas and coordinate social media campaigns with various Greek life councils, academic colleges, community groups, and student organizations. This will provide a space to discuss activities for Penn State’s annual Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention (SVAP) Week of programming. Notable past UPUA initiatives for SVAP Week include Denim Day and Cones for Consent. 

Bill #68-20: Funding for SVAP Month Pre-Meeting passed unanimously.

Bill #69-20: Funding for the 20th Assembly Spring Student Council Roundtable was up next. This bill provides funding for catering the Spring Student Council Routable on Tuesday, March 17, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in HUB room 304. This roundtable is a space for student leaders of each academic college to come together and discuss current challenges and generate new ideas for improving the academic landscape for the Penn State student body. The event also aids the Academic Affairs Committee in pinpointing the current shortcomings across the various colleges, and helps create targeted, effective solutions.  

Bill #69-20: Funding for the 20th Assembly Spring Student Council Roundtable passed unanimously.

Bill #70-20: Funding for the 2026 Penn State Sustainability Summit. This bill provides funding for the 2026 Penn State Sustainability Summit that will take place on Thursday, April 23. The event will include community partners such as the Student Farm, EcoReps, EcoAction, the Student Sustainability Advisory Council (SSAC), and the Penn State Arboretum. With the theme “Seeds of Change: Growing a Hopeful Future,” the event serves as a space to celebrate Penn State’s sustainability projects through a variety of engaging activities. The bill allocates $2,760 for catering and room rental at Heritage Hall.

 Bill #70-20: Funding for the 2026 Penn State Sustainability Summit passed unanimously. 

After this was Bill #71-20: Funding the Collaboration with NPHC: Step Show. This bill provides funding for the UPUA to support the NPHC Step Show event. The NPHC, or the National Pan-Hellenic Council at Penn State, represents the Black fraternities and sororities on campus. One of the most iconic traditions within the NPHC is stepping, a practice that combines dancing and chanting to celebrate the organization’s cultures. Thus, NHPC is set to host a Step Show during NPHC week, with UPUA supplying refreshments and lighting.

Bill #71-20: Funding the Collaboration with NPHC: Step Show passed unanimously.

The last bill of the night was Bill #72-20: Funding the History of Policing Teach-In and Know Your Rights Collaboration with Black Caucus. This bill will provide funding for refreshments and materials for the Justice and Equity Committee, in collaboration with the Black Caucus, to host the History of Policing Teach-In on Monday, March 16.

This lesson will focus on how law enforcement has historically targeted minority communities, from discussing police targeting of African American citizens to the current ICE raids on Hispanic communities. The program has four main segments: an interactive timeline, a guided discussion, an open discussion, and an interactive workshop.

Bill #72-20: Funding the History of Policing Teach-In and Know Your Rights Collaboration with Black Caucus passed unanimously.