UA discusses expanding Penn Watch

Kevin Vaughan, representing the Spruce Hill Town Watch organization, attended the meeting and urged students to "open their eyes and ears" and increase communication with area residents. Students need to ignore "artificial delineations" and look beyond the campus community, he added. Vaughan, who is the 27th Ward Democratic Leader, said that he supports the current Penn Watch structure, adding that he is uncertain what type of program could be implemented to involve both area residents and students. Vaughan called for an open forum between students, faculty, staff and local residents to coordinate ideas about security issues. He said that he expects students to be interested in working with local residents, because security is an issue that affects everyone in the West Philadelphia area. In other business, the UA discussed a letter sent earlier this week by the UA Judicial Committee to Steve Burbank, chairperson of the Provost's Committee to Review the Judicial Charter. The letter calls for the Provost's Committee to reconvene and reconsider its recommendation against splitting the role of the Judicial Inquiry Officer. The Provost's Committee rejected the idea of splitting the position into a "settlement" JIO and a "prosecutor" JIO. All students on the Provost's committee supported the split, however. The UA supports the split. Judicial Committee chairperson Ken Terciak said last night that it makes sense for the Provost's Committee to reconvene because "they already know the ins and outs of the issue."

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