Members of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate passed a piece of legislation last night, accepting a list of 15 recommendations they hope will promote diversity throughout the university.

The recommendations were the result of legislation passed two weeks ago, establishing a special Senate committee to investigate the diversity situation around campus.

South Halls Sen. Ace Ekhtiarzadeh, who originally proposed the idea, chaired the committee and sponsored last night's legislation.

"This is something for which I have an incredible amount of passion. If it passes, I will be pursuing it [intensely]," he said.

His passion for the issue stems from an encounter with a high school student from Kosovo, which is a province in the country of Serbia and Montenegro.

"It's a question of educational value," he said. "Different facets of diversity expose you to things that you normally wouldn't see."

Among the recommendations was one to create a cultural day, similar to the Fresh Start program, exposing all students to different cultures and perspectives.

The committee also suggested that USG work with students and campus organizations to develop a student framework for diversity, incorporating as many views on the subject as possible. It would be posted alongside the university's framework to foster diversity.

East Halls Sen. Matthew Ritsko, who also sponsored the legislation, said one of the most important aspects of the recommendations was that they enabled the committee to define the "broad definition" of diversity.

Diversity, as stated in the recommendations, involves the "unique and heterogeneous perspectives present in our differences," including many factors like gender, sexuality, and race.

"Diversity in general is important; whatever we can do to [improve] diversity would be great. There's always room for improvement," said East Halls Sen. Irene McKenna. "Lots [of students] have grown up in non-diverse areas."

The committee's recommendations will be sent to every student organization, so each group can sign onto whichever ones they want, Ekhtiarzadeh said.

Committee members will also present their findings to university administrators, with whom Ekhtiarzadeh said he has already been in contact. They have responded positively, he said, but are waiting to gauge student interest for the initiative.

The Senate rejected a resolution dissolving the Internal Affairs committee (IA), which reviews constitutionality of legislation and evaluates executive appointments.

While Town Sen. Kristen Kofmehl said the committee was hindering senators' abilities to work on other projects for students, Town Sen. Erica D'Eramo said that in her opinion proposed changes could be handled within IA.

"If someone can't handle to be on IA and other committees [at the same time], they don't need to be," she said.

The Senate passed four other legislative pieces last night, including one mandating each senator to hold voter registration drives within their respective residence areas, and another allocating $2,100 for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

Chris Wilburn contributed to this report.