After about 35 students filled the chairs, desks and floor of the Undergraduate Student Government office yesterday to discuss proposed changes in next year's executive branch, President-elect Justin Zartman and Vice President-elect Amanda Hudnall decided not to make cuts in USG positions.

The meeting was held in response to a plan by Zartman and Hudnall to combine the Women's Affairs department with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies Affairs. The two also had proposed eliminating the Environmental Affairs department.

As a result of the meeting, Women's Affairs and LGBTA Affairs will be separate and Environmental Affairs will remain a department in USG.

Zartman and Hudnall will also continue their plans for a new community education director, who will oversee a program to educate university students on diverse groups at Penn State.

"We processed everything we just heard," Zartman said about the decision, made in a private meeting with Hudnall after the town hall meeting. "I was happy that everyone had their voices heard. Everyone had a chance to speak."

Zartman and Hudnall began the meeting by insisting that they wanted to hear all the comments. They also explained why they had considered making the changes.

"We didn't want an executive branch that was too large," Zartman said.

Many students who attended the meeting, however, weren't satisfied with Zartman's explanation.

"If your concern is having an extra person coming to the table . . . I don't think I agree with that," said Jennifer Solt, the current director of Women's Affairs.

Some of the students who attended the meeting were concerned that the groups in question would not be adequately represented by USG.

Jennifer Storm, social director of the Lambda Student Alliance, said she felt that by condensing the Women's Affairs and LGBTA programs, USG would not listen to the voices represented in both groups.

"This position really needs an opportunity to grow," she said about the LGBTA director. "This just feels to me like another thing that is going to fall through the cracks."

Another concern that came up repeatedly during the meeting was the issue of whether or not some people would feel qualified to head a department that dealt with two separate communities.

Mike Fazio, USG senate president, and Todd Ellis, Academic Assembly vice president, suggested that groups that needed help with programs or that were having problems in the community approach their elected senators.

Ellis said that liaisons, senators who attend meetings of various groups outside USG that apply for a liaison, could act in the place of the department heads.

"Why aren't you coming to USG Senate?" Ellis asked.

Michelle Yates (senior-women's studies) responded that in many cases students don't feel comfortable approaching USG senators with their problems and that often members of USG are too busy with other issues to focus on a single group.

"You need a person whose sole job it is to focus on that issue," she said.