W hat does the UA do? The UA has three charges: funding, services and advocacy. We allocate a $2.1 million budget, run airport shuttles, legal and online services and advocate for student and student group issues to improve campus life for undergraduates.
With that in mind, the two of us set out to figure out the five largest issues facing Penn students. Those are: mental wellness, international integration, student expression, financial aid and sexual violence awareness and prevention.
In terms of mental wellness, we want to see CAPS integrated into the College House system through RAs and GAs, as well as connected to the Greek system through CAPS liaisons in individual chapters for a proactive approach to mental health. We’ve been working with 12 different resource centers to create a mental wellness resource guide so that students know where to go for support.
For international integration, we have been working on finding a space on campus for international students — something Joyce has been working on for months now — by authoring a concept paper with the Assembly of International Students in order to bring up the issue in a researched manner.
Something that Josh has been very involved in is increasing the role student groups are able to play on campus. Having pushed for the new interfaith center and Chaplain’s Office, the new focus is on expanding the alternative funds, such as Synergy Committee, Faith Fund and T-Change, so that, like the admissions brochures guarantee us, we can make the Penn experience uniquely ours.
On financial aid, both of us have been working through minority groups and the UA to try and increase the student voice at SFS. By creating an advisory board for financial aid, SFS can better understand how their policies are actually implemented and affect all students.
Joyce has been working with student groups like ASAP and 1 in 4 on the creation of sexual violence modules that would be taken in the weeks before students come to Penn, much like the current alcohol module, in order to familiarize students with the resources, policy and support networks available to victims.
These are all issues that we are passionate about and have worked on extensively this past year with the relevant student groups. At the end of the day, this isn’t about House of Cards politics . People aren’t pawns, they’re people. I mean, c’mon, it’s college student government. We want to represent students for all parts of Penn: Greek life, cultural groups, athletics, performing arts groups and more. We’re willing to listen to your needs and do whatever it takes to work for you.
We want to continue to deliver on the promises we’ve made throughout the past three years. We’d really appreciate your support. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email us or visit our website: joyceandjosh4ua.com
Thank you! J(oyce) + J(osh) for UA!
JOYCE KIM AND JOSHUA CHILCOTE are a College juniors running for UA president and vice president, respectively. Their platform can be found at joyceandjosh4ua.com.
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