After the University Faculty Senate passed a calendar recommendation on Tuesday that would remove fall break, some students say they are upset with the recommendation.

Undergraduate Student Government President Justin Zartman and the USG Senate expressed disappointment with the Faculty Senate's decision.

"This is something students are adamantly against," Zartman said. "We need to weigh student opinion very heavily."

Zartman said he has heard many students tell him they are opposed to the removal of fall break.

"I haven't been approached by as many students on any other issues," he said.

The USG Senate also expressed its opinion by passing a resolution Tuesday night urging Penn State President Graham Spanier not to follow the recommendation made by Faculty Senate.

The USG resolution, which passed with 24 in favor, one against and zero abstaining, said student opinion helped create fall break in 1999 and many students do not support its removal now.

The resolution was passed to make students more aware of the issue and to address the impact that removing fall break would have on student life, Town Sen. Rick Smith said.

"We're hoping to bring more attention to the issue," he said. "We hope (Spanier) takes our input seriously when making his decision."

The USG Academic Assembly passed a similar resolution last fall.

Zartman suggested that students voice their opinions about the calendar to Spanier, who will make the final decision after the calendar proposal is presented to him next month. Changes to the calendar could take place as early as Fall 2003.

Elyssa Greenberg (junior-information sciences and technology) said she was in favor of maintaining the current calendar.

"I'm not too thrilled about them taking away fall break," she said.

The break offers students a chance to catch up on work and go home, she said.

On the other hand, Ryan Palmer (freshman-engineering) said he would not mind if fall break were combined with Thanksgiving break.

"I don't think it would bother me if there was a fall break or not," he said.

Some faculty have suggested that fall break has done more harm than good. Some students leave early for the break, making absenteeism a major issue.

"Faculty uniformly said that fall break was broken," said John Moore, Faculty Senate chair-elect. "It was a necessary decision."

Despite professors' concerns, student feedback indicates that the student body is largely against the removal of the break, Smith said.

"This is something the students fought to get in the first place, and to have it removed would be kind of a slap in the face," he said.