UA 5-year plan to be revised

Undergraduate Assembly member Dan Singer said yesterday that he plans to present a revised version of the UA's five-year plan on Sunday, after student leaders harshly criticized the report earlier this semester. Minority and women leaders said they were dissatisfied with the plan, saying that it is "slanted" toward fraternities and sororities. The report calls for the an expansion of the Greek system and increased self-governance for the Interfraternity, Panhellenic and Black InterGreek councils. It also urges the University to find houses for existing and future fraternities and sororities. UA Chairperson Duchess Harris said last night that she hopes the revisions will be more acceptable to diverse interests on campus. "The original purpose of the report was to set the campus agenda and to have agreement among student leaders as to what the UA should work on for the next five years," Harris said last night. "And hopefully the revisions will successfully address these issues." Singer said that he is in the process of making revisions, but declined to discuss any specific changes. He said that he has tried to get input from other student leaders, but added that they have not been cooperative. "With or without their help, the process will be done by the weekend," he said. Singer said that because former IFC President Garrett Reisman and Panhel President Shari Senzon helped author the report, the section on Greek life was disproportionately biased in favor of fraternities and sororities. Singer criticized the report for its insufficient discussion of the BIG-C. In addition, he said, the report fails to mention two newly formed Greek organizations, Latino sorority Sigma Lambda Upsilon and black sorority Zeta Phi Beta, and does not discuss the diversity on the Walk issue that has stirred recent campus controversy. "The section on Greek life was written by the then presidents of IFC and Panhellenic councils," Singer said last night. "Consequently it reads like a travel brochure for their organizations, while ignoring black and Latino organizations and problems facing the Greeks as a whole." Singer also criticized the report because "it has only three lines" concerning the Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape program or the recently implemented diversity awareness programs. He added that the report concentrates more on the last five years and fails to outline a specific agenda for the future. Social Planning and Events Committee Chairperson Varsha Rao, who chaired the committee that wrote the original plan, was unavailable for comment last night.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.