Princeton Undergraduate Student Government

The Pace Center would like to thank the undergraduate student body for investing in civic engagement opportunities through the recent referendum. A student Pace Steering Committee (PSC) has been formed with a total of a dozen members representing the USG and  each sub-organization that falls under the Pace umbrella: Student Volunteers Council (SVC), Community House (CH), Pace Council for Civic Values (PCCV), Breakout, and Internships.

This article aims to clarify the results of Referendum IV (USG concert and social funds budget item) and Referendum V (USG Senate Pilot Programs budget item). The results PDF for the referenda has been updated to be clearer with respect to these referenda.

As a result of the Single Transferable Voting mechanism, the USG concert and social funds budget (Referendum IV) will be dedicated towards student-initiated service projects.

This was the process behind the Single Transferable Voting (STV) mechanism for Referendum IV:

In the first round of tabulation, 1008 students ranked "student-initiatied service projects" first, 941 students ranked "I would not like to donate these funds" first, and 465 students ranked "Annual Giving" first. Since no majority was reached based on first choices, the option of "Annual Giving" was dropped from future consideration according to the STV algorithm.  Of those who ranked "Annual Giving" first, their second choice votes were then distributed to the two remaining options as an "instant run off." In this second round of tabulation, 1387 voters preferred "student-initiated service projects" while 1011 voters preferred "I would not like to donate these funds." (The total number of votes do not add up to the number of first choice votes cast because there were voters who omitted specifying certain preferences on the elections ballot.) As a result of this process of Single Transferable Voting, the option of "student-initiated service projects" gained a majority over "I would not like to donate these funds" and was declared the winner. Please note that the winning option of Referendum V (USG Senate Pilot Programs budget item) was "student-initiated service projects," as the majority of voters ranked that option first and the STV algorithm was not needed to determine a majority.

Please e-mail Sophie Jin with any further concerns over the elections process.

The USG Senate approved a revised version of the referendum in response to student feedback and concerns. The changes are outlined below.

Students may now choose to donate from two sources:

the fall USG lawn parties concert budget ($60,000) and any remaining funds from the USG social budget after this semester the Senate Pilot Program budget ($20,000) and any remaining funds from the Pilot Program budget after this semester

Donating the USG lawn parties concert budget would effectively cause the USG not to host a concert at fall lawn parties 2009. Lawn parties would still happen, with the many bands that the eating clubs privately sponsor. The Senate Pilot Program budget is traditionally allocated towards study breaks, USG initiatives, pet projects, etc. It is separate from Projects Board funds.

Students may now choose to donate either or both of the aforementioned sources (independently) to two recipients:

Annual Giving the Pace Center for Civic Engagement

Both potential recipients have dealt with significant impacts from the financial crisis. Donating towards Annual Giving, as of now, would effectively contribute towards University Financial Aid. Donating towards the Pace Center will help fund student civic engagement activities.

All in all, this referendum is about giving the student body choice. Traditionally, the USG has allocated the funds through decisions made by the student body's elected representatives. In light of the economic downturn, we are now offering you the opportunity to have a say in where the money goes.

Connor's letter to the student body regarding the revised referendum may be found here.

The new USG administration has hit the ground running, tackling the most pressing issues that face Princeton undergraduates today. From civic engagement to the P/D/F policy, the USG has been working hard to develop sustainable policy solutions that will better the overall undergraduate experience. Specialized USG Working Groups comprising three to five USG officers address issues in their domain through conducting research, meeting with University administration officials, and proposing final policy solutions. Read more to learn about the wide variety of currently active working groups.