John Mitchell

The Student Government Association here at Penn State Abington is negotiating with the Penn State Abington administration concerning the formation of a proposed Penn State Sustainability Council (PSSC) at Abington that, in the words of SGA’s legislation “encourage initiatives and offer programs and recommendations that incorporate sustainable practices and sustainability education into every action on campus, including teaching, research, operations, and community engagement.”

However, SGA Abington has requested that the Sustainability Council meet two conditions concerning student representation on the council:

1. SGA Abington has requested that “there be three student representatives on a Penn State Abington Sustainability Council. One student should be an executive board member of a Registered Student Organization, the second student should be an officer of SGA Abington, and the third student should be drawn from the student body at-large.”

2. SGA Abington has also requested that “the student representatives on a Penn State Abington Sustainability Council be appointed by SGA Abington for a one-year term without requiring the approval of the Sustainability Council. Subsequent terms should be at the discretion of SGA Abington and as per the minimum attendance requirements established by the Sustainability Council.”

SGA Abington has submitted the suggested changes to the Chancellor’s cabinet, and the decision is now in the hands of the Chancellor.

Elliot Copeland, Student Body President, had this to say on the matter:

“Students at Abington care deeply about climate change because it affects the world we live in. This decade will be the defining moment in the fight against climate change. We choose action and we are calling on the University to take action.

Last fall, I spoke in support of the Penn State Climate Action petition, and asked Penn State to expand its commitment to combat climate change. Michelle Grinar reached out to SGA Abington about our interest in supporting a council to advise the Chancellor and the campus on how to incorporate sustainability into teaching, research, operations, and community engagement.

Draft charters included two student representatives; one from SGA Abington and one from any Registered Student Organization. We asked for an at-large representative to give a greater cross-section of the student body.

Ms. Grinar has been very responsive to our request. The council has our full suport. Dr. DelliCarpini has showed interest in sustainability before, and we consider her a partner. We’re hoping the Chancellor will create the council quickly. Creating the council by April 11 would be a visible and tangible acheivement in her first 100 days.”

For those who might not be aware, President Copeland tells us that: “The Student Government Association at Penn State Abington acts as the sole voice of the student body, communicating the wants and needs of all students on campus. We are composed entirely of students, by students, and for students. In order for Senate legislation to become the official policy of the student body, it must be passed by the Senate and signed by the Student Body President.”

We also reached out to Chancellor DelliCarpini for comment, but did not recieve a response within the week.

Although the pandemic has ground many things on campus to a halt, Penn State Abington’s Student Government Association remains hard at work drafting legislation to improve our campus for all students.