An effort to reduce the size of the Undergraduate Student Government Senate failed last night.

USG Senate President Joe Atkinson attempted to decrease the number of senators from 34 to 25 in order to increase the USG Senate's effectiveness.

The size of the USG Senate is currently unmanageable, Atkinson said, adding that he spends much of his time as USG Senate president trying to motivate other senators to do their jobs.

"More time is spent making the Senate work than the Senate working," Atkinson said.

The effort to reduce the number of senators came in the form of an attempted amendment to the USG elections code. The revised code, which will regulate USG elections this year, was passed at a joint meeting of the USG Senate and the USG Academic Assembly, called by USG President Mark Stewart.

Atkinson's failed amendment would have provided for one senator to represent every 1,250 undergraduate students at the University, making a total of 25 senators. Currently, the USG Senate has 34 members, each representing 850 students.

Because of an increased student population, the code mandates that each of the 34 senators will represent 1,000 students after the election.

With the number of students on this campus, 34 senators are needed to effectively represent them, said East Halls Senator Paul Yacisin, adding that losing one person would mean losing one different perspective.

Cutting down on the number of senators would give fewer students an opportunity to participate, Yacisin said.

Reducing the number of senate members could lead to a loss of potential work, said Town Senator Mike Gillespie.

But Atkinson argued that only a core group of senators does the USG Senate's work now.

The same faces are always doing the work, agreed West Halls Senator Kelly Glazier. Glazier has opposed reducing the size of the USG Senate in the past, but last night she decided people might put more effort into the USG Senate if they are afraid to lose their jobs.

If senators have to work harder to get elected, they will be motivated to work harder once they have a seat, Atkinson agreed.

Although his attempt to reduce the number of senators failed, Atkinson hopes more students will run for the USG Senate due to another change in the elections code.

In the past, students needed 75 signatures to get their names on the ballot for USG Senate elections. Now only 25 signatures are needed, allowing more people to run, Atkinson said.

Atkinson said he hopes this change in the elections code will increase the competitiveness of the election, which will take place April 1.