By Ryan Jobson, Guest Writer
On Sunday, the Undergraduate Assembly passed legislation to radically alter the Executive Board election process, notably recommending the direct election of future UA Presidents by the Penn student body. The bill, co-authored by current UA Chair Alec Webley and SAC Chair Natalie Vernon, must now be approved by a school-wide referendum, expected later this semester.
If you are unfamiliar with the current structure, scope, or procedure of the UA, you are not alone. In short, the UA Executive Board—consisting of the UA Chair, Vice Chair, Vice Chair of External Affairs, Treasurer, and Secretary—is currently internally appointed by UA representatives following elections each spring. The consequences of such a system are dire. Effectively, 10,000 undergraduates are rendered subservient to 33 elected members of the UA in selecting a representative of Penn students at-large. Penn remains the only Ivy League University that does not directly elect a student body President, accentuating its unfortunate inability to keep up with the curve.
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