Complaint Process

As the judicial branch of the UPUA, the Judicial Board is responsible for handling disputes within the UPUA. These disputes are brought to the attention of the Judicial Board through the complaint process. 

Complaints can be filed to the Judicial Board by any member of the UPUA, and they must be filed within 30 academic days of when the alleged incident occurred or within the same Assembly. In order to file a complaint, you can email Chief Justice Hayden D’Elena at hrd5098@psu.edu. If the matter closely involves or relates to the Chief Justice, you can contact one of the Associate Justices, found here.

Your complaint should include names and contact information for all parties involved, the details of the alleged incident, and what actions you wish the Judicial Board to take. The Chief Justice (or Associate Justices) will contact the parties involved within three academic days, after which you are required to submit a brief of the alleged incident to the Chief Justice within five academic days. (For more information on how to write this brief, go here.) Within fourteen academic days of the initial complaint, the Chief Justice will schedule a hearing to address the alleged incident and complaint. Please keep in mind these hearings will be public and accessible by the press unless extenuating circumstances require a closed hearing.

For more information on details regarding the hearing process and powers allotted to the Judicial Brand of UPUA, you can access the Bylaws and Operational Code of the UPUA’s 17th Assembly here. 

Requirements for extenuating circumstances: Examples of extenuating circumstances include but are not limited to discussion of ongoing student conduct investigations, and concerns of inappropriate breaches of student privacy. 

Community Group Seat:

Community group seats are given by the Judicial Board to groups on campus that represent communities that do not have representation in UPUA. They must represent an overarching community across Penn State and must have governing documents and an internal elections process. Community group seats include representatives such as the Performing Arts Council. If you would like to submit an application to establish a community group seat the application can be found here.