Although the Undergraduate Student Government Academic Assembly must release official documents to students because it is a University funded group, it will not be mandated by a constitutional amendment to disclose documents to students.

However, Academic Assembly is expected to take action on a resolution supporting disclosure of USG documents at next week's meeting.

The assembly should pass a resolution as opposed to an amendment to ensure senate action on the measure and for public relations reasons, said Scott Golla, College of Agriculture student faculty senator.

Both the USG Senate and Academic Assembly must approve a constitutional amendment. Town senator Hank Kohnlein initiated the USG Senate approved amendment at the assembly's last meeting Feb. 19.

But if a larger number of experienced members had attended the USG Senate meeting, the amendment would not have passed the senate, said USG town senator and assembly secretary Don Bowman.

An amendment would involve a great deal of paperwork and could more easily be enacted through a senate resolution, said Bowman and USG senate liaison and vice presidential candidate Kelly Glazier in a recommendation to the assembly Monday night.

"A constitutional amendment should not be made to make a person hand out a piece of paper," Bowman said.

The assembly voted against the measure with two members abstaining after the recommendations from Bowman and Glazier.

During the open student forum, USG presidential candidate J.P. Muir (junior-political science) proposed the creation of a USG academic department.

The department would not interfere with assembly functioning but would supplement it, Muir said. Publishing a course selector guide and reacting to students' academic concerns would be the responsibilities of the new department, he said. The vice president of the assembly would co-chair the department, he added.

Assembly president Stephanie Bozyms said because an assembly member would co-chair the department, it would not displace the assembly.

No other assembly members had comments or questions on the idea of the department.

The assembly also began accepting nominations for president, vice president and assistant vice president. Candidates must be on the assembly for one year before nomination, Bozyms said. Nominations will continue next week and elections will occur on March 19.