Constitution

University Park Allocation Committee Constitution

Revised April 19, 2023

 University Park Allocation Committee

 Established 1996 – The Pennsylvania State University

208 HUB-Robeson Center – University Park, PA 16802 – (814) 863-8951

Table of Contents

 

1.  GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1.      MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) is to objectively and effectively allocate a portion of the Student Initiated Fee (SIF) income towards events, travel experiences, equipment, and other items requested by student organizations or individuals that will ultimately enhance student life, add value to the out-of-class experience, and/or improve the educational climate at the University Park campus.

1.2.      CONTACT INFORMATION

UPAC can be contacted via the following methods:

  • Telephone: 814-863-8951
  • Email: upac@psu.edu
  • Mail Address: 208 HUB-Robeson Center, University Park, PA, 16802
  • Web Address: ttp://upac.psu.edu

1.3.      DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY

UPAC will make this document available on the UPAC Website

1.4.      PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Meetings of the University Park Allocation Committee shall be conducted according to The Modern Rules of Order.

top of section

back to top

2.  GENERAL COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Membership on UPAC is open to any full-time or part-time, officially registered student currently assessed the Student Initiated Fee at the Pennsylvania State University – University Park Campus.

UPAC will be comprised of approximately 20 students. Only currently registered students are eligible for active membership. Only active members may hold office or vote. Minimum for quorum purposes is defined as those members listed on the official UPAC roster.

The committee members will serve up to one (1) academic year and may be re-appointed or re- elected consistent with the established process outlined later in this document.

2.1.      BECOMING A MEMBER

APPOINTMENT

At a minimum, twenty-five (25) students will be appointed to the committee with a minimum of twenty-two (22) undergraduate students and three (3) graduate students appointed, when possible. Appointments are based on applications and interviews.

Current committee members may be reappointed by the current Chair and Advisors. All current members considering reappointment must complete an application. New undergraduate applicants will be interviewed by a committee consisting of the current Chair and at least one UPAC Advisor when possible.

 New members are accepted to the committee on a rolling basis upon completion of a new member training session. Successful applicants will be notified and asked to accept their appointments. Notice will be given to all applicants. All vacancies will be filled through the appointment process.

2.2.      RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERS

2.2.1.          TRAINING AND ORIENTATION

All new Committee members are required to complete a new member training and orientation process. The specific content of these trainings may be determined at the discretion of the Leadership Team and Advisors but should include the following information:

  • Office hour training—Members will receive training on the typical duties of UPAC members during office hours, including but not limited to, customer service, Committee communication, etc.
  • Allocation night training—Members will receive training on the typical duties of UPAC members during allocation nights. These topics include but are not limited to, voting practice, policy interpretations, and the roles of Committee members.

All new members will complete orientation as well, including the completion of a Committee Member Information Sheet and a Committee Member Agreement. Each new member will receive a printed copy of the UPAC Requestor Handbook if desired.

2.2.2.          MEETINGS

All UPAC members are expected to attend weekly allocation meetings. Excused absences are given for exams, academic review sessions, illness and emergencies only. Written requests for such instances should be given to the Chair, Sub-committee Chair, and Staff Assistant, preferably 48 hours in advance of the meeting. Requests submitted later than 1 PM on the day of the meeting may not be considered as excused absences at the discretion of the Chair.

Attendance by all UPAC members at Standing Allocation and Policy Review meetings is MANDATORY.

2.2.3.          Voting

All UPAC members are expected to be present for the entire meeting. UPAC members are required to vote for or against proposals, policies, etc. Members are not allowed to abstain. In order to cast a vote, a member must have been in attendance for the entire presentation. Only official members may vote on budget requests. The Chair or Sub-committee Chairs vote only in the case of a tie. A quorum of five (5) members must be present to vote on budgets during sub-committee allocation reviews. If the meeting is held on a Tuesday night, minimum for quorum for Policy and Standing Allocation reviews is two-thirds (2/3) of those members listed on the official UPAC roster who regularly attend Tuesday night meetings. Majority is fifty (50) percent plus one (1) of membership present. When voting on budgets, committee members make recommendations and vote by a showing of hands. Individual votes will not be recorded in the minutes of the meeting but rather the total for and against.

Committee members may not abstain from voting. However, if a member has a conflict of interest with a particular request, including members holding an executive or other prominent role in a specific organization, they are encouraged to recuse themselves prior to the review of the request. UPAC members may not be present during any discussion of, or vote for, budgets in which they have a vested interest. It is the member’s responsibility to recuse their self from the review.

All decisions are to be considered as pending until the Chair or Advisor  approves the allocation letters, verifying legitimacy and compliance with University and Student Fee Board rules and regulations.

2.2.4.          Minutes

The Sub-committee Chairs will designate a member to record minutes during Allocation Team meetings. The Chair will designate a person to record minutes for all full committee meetings.

Meeting minutes will be recorded using a supplied template for each review type. This template should be used as a guide for recording the minutes but may be adapted as needed to meet the needs of the meeting. The member designated to record minutes is responsible for those minutes until they are transferred to the UPAC staff assistant.

2.2.5.          OFFICE HOURS

UPAC members are responsible to service at least one (1) office hour each academic week. If a member cannot attend their assigned office hour for any reason, they are expected to assist in the UPAC office during another hour that week. Office hour service will be tracked by a sign-in sheet in the UPAC office, and office hour attendance will be factored into member standing.

2.3.      REMOVAL OF MEMBERS

UPAC members may be removed from the official Committee roster at the discretion of the Chair and Advisors in consultation with relevant Sub-Chair(s) based on conduct, behavior, performance, office hour service, or meeting attendance. It will be the Chair’s responsibility to clearly dictate expectations and requirements to Committee members, and all Committee members will agree to understanding these expectations by signing their Committee Member Agreement.

top of section

back to top

3.  COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

3.1.      LEADERSHIP TEAM

3.1.1.          CHAIR

The Chair of UPAC is the leader of the organization and the general committee meetings. In the event that the Chair is unavailable, they may appoint other members to chair meetings. The Chair must certify all allocations and policy changes and is responsible for the overall progress of UPAC. The Chair is also the public representative of UPAC to the University Park community.

The UPAC Chair is charged with the unbiased leadership of the committee as well as informed guidance of the allocation teams to follow UPAC’s mission statement as well as UPAC and SAF policy.

The UPAC Chair selection process will begin after the appointment process has been completed. To apply for the Chair position, the candidate must have served or must currently be serving the second of two (2) consecutive semesters (Fall->Spring; Spring->Fall) on the committee and be appointed to the incoming academic year committee. The applicant may not hold an officer position in any other student organization. The outgoing Chair may choose to run for another term if reappointed to the incoming academic year committee.

The UPAC Chair will be chosen through a selection process as outline below:

  • All applicants will be interviewed by the selection committee. The selection committee will consist of the outgoing Chair, a returning member and an outgoing member (both appointed by the current committee) and two of the UPAC advisors.
  • After the interview, the selection committee will deliberate and the chair will be selected based on the qualifications and a vote among the selection committee.

3.1.2.          SUB-COMMITTEE CHAIRS

UPAC shall consist of five (5) standing sub-committees currently consisting of: Cresswell Allocation Team (CAT), Hetzel Allocation Team (HAT), Nittany Allocation Team (NAT), Paterno Allocation Team (PAT), and Student Contact Team (SCT). The Sub-committee Chairs are empowered by the Overall Chair to lead an allocation team or student contact team. The Sub-committee Chairs and the Overall Chair are the executive officers of UPAC. Sub-committee Chairs are responsible for verifying all allocations approved by their team, and those allocations are then certified by the UPAC Chair. Sub-committee Chairs are charged with the unbiased leadership of sub-committees as well as informed guidance of the allocation and contact teams to follow UPAC’s mission statement as well as UPAC and SIF policy.

Sub-committee applications will be available in the UPAC office no later than the Monday following UPAC Chair selection. Submission deadlines will be noted on the application. To apply for any Sub- committee chair position, the applicant must have started serving by the beginning of the spring semester or have served at least one (1) complete semester on the committee. There will be six (6) Sub-committee chair positions available, including one alternate Sub-Chair. When applying for a Sub-committee chair position, the applicant will apply to fill a Sub-Committee Chair position and not a specific Sub-committee chair. Specific sub-committees will be assigned by the chair-elect and the advisors after the selection process is completed.

  • Sub-Committee Chair Selection

The UPAC Sub-committee chairs will be chosen through a selection process as outline below:

  • All applicants will be interviewed by the selections committee. The selection committee will consist of the chair-elect, a returning member and an outgoing member (both appointed by the current committee) and preferably at least two (2) of the UPAC The Chair-elect may adapt the structure of the selection committee at their discretion but may have no fewer than one (1) UPAC advisor and one (1) other UPAC member.
  • After the interview, the selection committee will deliberate and the sub-chairs will be selected based on the qualifications.

3.1.3.          VICE CHAIR

Of the selected Sub-Committee Chairs, the UPAC Chair will have the opportunity to appoint a Vice Chair to assist them in various Chair duties and projects. The Vice Chair will typically lead meetings in the absence of the Chair and attend engagements of University student leadership in the absence of the Chair.

Once the Sub-Committee Chair selection process has been completed, a Vice Chair may be chosen by the Chair-elect. The Vice Chair will be appointed by the Chair-elect with the input of the UPAC Advisors and Sub-Committee Chair selection committee.

3.1.4.          OTHER POSITIONS

The UPAC Chair will create, on an as-needed basis, positions to assist in the execution of UPAC mission statement.

Positions will be opened up to the committee at the beginning of the year for election in which any member may run. Additional positions may be created and filled by the Chair as the year progresses on an as needed basis.

3.2.      STUDENT CONTACT TEAM

A Sub-committee Chair will serve as the leader of the Student Contact Team (SCT). It is the primary responsibility of this committee to assist requestors with planning UPAC funded requests. They will assist requestors both before and after an allocation to ensure that the requestors understand UPAC allocation process.

When a requestor signs out a form to request program, equipment, media, or travel funding from the UPAC office, a specific SCT member is assigned to work with the requestor. The SCT member provides a point of contact and assistance with any concerns or questions about the general allocation request. It is imperative that the requestor and SCT member meet to discuss the request. The SCT member will represent the requestor and advocate on their behalf to one of the allocation teams. The SCT member is expected to contact the requestor within three (3) academic days of signing out a request.

3.3.      ALLOCATION TEAMS

The allocation teams are: Cresswell Allocation Team (CAT), Hetzel Allocation Team (HAT), Nittany Allocation Team (NAT)

A Sub-committee Chair will serve as the leader of the CAT, HAT, and NAT. It is the primary responsibility of these allocation teams to review and make allocation decisions on program, equipment, media, and travel budgets presented by the SCT on behalf of the requestor. Quorum for allocation teams is five (5) members.

When an emergency situation arises that necessitates reverting to fewer allocation teams, the Overall Chair in consultation with the Leadership Team and Advisors, may temporarily dissolve allocating teams and reorganize members into fewer teams.

3.3.1.          SUMMER COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Once committee members are appointed/elected to UPAC for the academic year, they need to inform the Chair as to whether or not they will be available during the summer months to participate in an ad-hoc committee. The summer committee will consist of a minimum of five (5) UPAC members on the current roster. Summer committee members must be enrolled in classes during the summer or the following fall semester. Quorum for summer meetings is five (5) committee members. If the Chair is not available in the summer, a special chair will be appointed by the Chair and the Advisors.

The summer committee will consider all incoming budgets for the summer as well as any budgets for the fall semester that fall within the forty (40) academic day deadline. The summer committee will meet on an as needed basis.

A modified version of the Appeals process will be necessary during the summer months. The Appeals Board will consist of one (1) Advisor and two (2) members who have not heard the original budget proposal. If that group cannot convene to hear the appeal within five (5) academic days of its submission, the requestor will be given the option of allowing the group more time to convene or having the appeal referred to and heard by the Student Fee Board.

3.4.      STANDING ALLOCATIONS

The Chair of UPAC will serve as the leader of the Standing Allocation reviews. Each of the four (4) Sub-committee Chairs or other committee members appointed by the Chair will serve as the points- of-contact to the Organizations with Standing Allocation status. They will meet and keep in contact with the requestors and assist in the preparation of the organizations’ request. The Leadership Team and Advisors will ensure that UPAC policies, SIF policies, and stipulations are followed according to the committee’s funding decision.

top of section

back to top

4.  ADVISORS

UPAC shall have one (1) Administrative Advisor and a minimum of two (2) additional advisors appointed by Student Affairs. At least one (1) advisor will be present during any allocation or policy review. Together the advisors will monitor the overall process of UPAC, the appointment and selection processes and coordinate the reporting of allocations appropriately. The advisors will serve as instructors for training sessions.

top of section

back to top

5.  CHANGES TO THE GOVERNING DOCUMENTS

Policy reviews are scheduled during any part of the weekly meeting by UPAC on an as needed basis. The full committee with the Chair leading the meeting and at least one (1) advisor providing guidance as needed are required to perform a policy review. All members of UPAC are expected to attend policy reviews.

In order to change policy, UPAC must conduct a full committee meeting. In rare cases where it is not possible to convene the entire committee, it will be the responsibility of the Leadership Team to establish protocol. Quorum to convene a full committee meeting for the purpose of adopting policy is generally two-thirds (2/3) of the current general committee roster. If the meeting is held on a Tuesday night, minimum for quorum for Policy and Standing Allocation reviews is two-thirds (2/3) of those members listed on the official UPAC roster who regularly attend Tuesday night meetings.

The Leadership Team will review all policy proposals, correct factual errors in the background and suggest additional changes. Any changes that the author declines will be written up as an addendum to the policy on a separate sheet by a Leadership Team member. The Leadership Team will assign a contact person for each policy change submission. If the policy is found to violate SIF board policy, the author will be notified in writing. Suggested policy changes will be reviewed at the first available policy meeting. The author will be notified no less than twelve (12) academic days in advance of the meeting.

  • Agendas are normally set for policy reviews and are advertised via the UPAC website at least one
  • (1) week prior to the meeting. The author of the policy recommendation is expected to attend the policy review.
  • It will be the responsibility of the UPAC Chair, with the help of the Advisors, to update UPAC’s governing documents in a timely manner.
  • The UPAC Chair and Advisors may correct spelling, formatting, or syntax errors in the governing documents at any time without the convening of a policy meeting.
  • Changes to UPAC policies and procedures, approved by the full committee, will be effective at the beginning of the following academic year unless otherwise determined by the committee.

5.1.      CHANGES TO THE UPAC REQUESTOR HANDBOOK

Any student paying the Student Initiated Fee at University Park may research and generate policy recommendations for the UPAC Requestor Handbook.

Handbook policy reviews will begin with the Chair, committee members, advisors, author(s), and members of the public gallery taking their seats. The Chair will convene the policy review and introduce the representative(s). A brief presentation and explanation from the representative(s) will be provided, followed by a period of UPAC/representative question and answer. The committee will then open the floor to brief comments from the gallery followed by a committee discussion of the policy proposal. Finally, the committee will issue final recommendations and then vote via anonymous balloting (e.g. iClicker or paper). If the person proposing the policy change is a member of the UPAC committee, they are permitted to vote on the policy change.

The committee may opt to vote in a different format: by a member making a motion, receiving a second to that motion, and achieving a majority vote (50% + 1) in favor.

The Chair has the discretion to adapt the meeting process and schedule to best suit the committee’s and proposing representative(s) needs.

5.2.      CHANGES TO THE UPAC CONSTITUTION

Any UPAC member may research and generate policy recommendations for the UPAC constitution.

Constitution policy reviews will begin with the Chair, committee members, advisors, author(s), and members of the public gallery taking their seats. The Chair will convene the policy review and introduce the representative(s). A brief presentation and explanation from the representative(s) will be provided, followed by a period of UPAC/representative question and answer. The committee will then open the floor to brief comments from the gallery followed by a committee discussion of the policy proposal. Finally, the committee will issue final recommendations and then vote via anonymous balloting (e.g. iClicker or paper). If the person proposing the policy change is a member of the UPAC committee, they are permitted to vote on the policy change.

The committee may opt to vote in a different format: by a member making a motion, receiving a second to that motion, and achieving a majority vote (50% + 1) in favor.

The Chair has the discretion to adapt the meeting process and schedule to best suit the committee’s and proposing representative(s) needs.

top of section

back to top

6.  FINANCES

UPAC shall not collect dues from committee members.

No funds may be spent or allocated without the approval of the Chair.

All UPAC funds will be handled by Associated Student Activities Office. UPAC will not have off- campus accounts.

top of section

back to top

7.  REPORTING

UPAC shall maintain a summary report per general allocation request that includes the requesting organization name, the request type, the amount requested, the request submission date, the notification date, and the amount allocated. Additionally, allocation letters will be made available, excluding any personal information not available to the public through other sources. All Information will be available in the UPAC office and via the UPAC website after the requestor has been notified of their allocation.

Meeting minutes will be published on UPAC’s website after the requestors are notified of their allocation.

The allocation letters and allocation meeting minutes, will provide sufficient detail regarding UPAC’s allocation of the Student Initiated Fee at University Park.

top of section

back to top

8.  REVISION HISTORY

Revision Date Approved Date Effective Description
1.0 08/23/2011 08/23/2011 Revised Document – Membership Handbook
1.1 10/18/2011 05/07/2012 Addition to Section 6 – Changes to UPAC Handbooks
1.2 08/28/2012

Passed: 30/0

 08/28/2012 Change to document title – UPAC Constitution Removal of Section 3.1.3 – Fast Track Budget Approval

Addition of Section 1.3 – Document availability Addition of Section 1.4 – Parliamentary Authority Addition of Section 7 – Finances

Modification of Section 2.1.1 – Appointment Modification of Section 2.1.2 – Election Modification of Section 2.2.1 – Training/Retreats Modification of Section 3.1.1 – Overall Chair Modification of Section 3.1.2 – Sub-committee chairs
1.3 04/19/2013

Passed: 26/0

 05/06/2013 Addition of Section 8 – Reporting
1.4 11/12/2013

Passed: 29/2

 11/12/2013 Modification of Section 3.1.2. – Sub-committee chairs
1.7 2/23/16 2/23/16 Selection process of Chair and Sub-Chairs
1.2

1.3

2.0

2.1.1

2.1.2

3.3

7.0

 Modification of Section 1.2 – Contact Information

Modification of Section 1.3 – Constitution Location

Modification of Section 2.0 – Membership composition

Modification of Section 2.1.1 – Elections from UPUA

Modification of Section 2.1.2 – Appointments from UPUA

Modification of Section 3.3 – Allocation Team Names
Modification of Section 7.0 – Yearly Reporting

top of section

back to top