According to officials, members of the University Faculty Senate will be discussing their views on the current health and physical activity (GHA) requirement at today's meeting.

The GHA discussion will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of keeping or eliminating the requirement.

"It's just a discussion -- people just airing their opinions," said Arthur Miller, distinguished professor of civil and environmental engineering and chair of the undergraduate education committee. "It's the undergraduate education committee trying to listen to those opinions."

The Senate previously discussed the GHA requirement at its Oct. 26 meeting, but the focus was on the quality of the GHA courses. Today's meeting will focus on the necessity of maintaining the requirement, Miller said.

"Since the other report had not addressed the requirement of the GHA, it would be something the Senate should discuss," he said.

The Undergraduate Student Government Academic Assembly also discussed the GHA requirement at its meeting Jan. 17.

"There is not much support to get rid of the GHA requirement," Assembly President Mark Levin said.

The earlier discussion at the assembly meeting pointed out the problems students have with the varying credits of courses satisfying the GHA requirement.

"[What's] more of a concern is meeting the credit requirement," Levin said.

Faculty Senate Chair Kim Steiner said a resolution would not come from today's GHA discussion.

Levin said assembly members would be present to listen to the Senate's GHA discussion.

"If it is a big concern, we will look into it further," he said. "We'll wait to see what comes up with Faculty Senate."

The Senate meeting will also report on the new bachelor of arts degree requirement, which allows students to take the required nine credits within one discipline from arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, quantification and foreign language.

The meeting will also report on the United States Cultures and International Cultures requirements, which will replace the three-credit Intercultural and International Competence requirement. The new changes will be implemented this summer.

The Senate will be revising the policy concerning the grade point average (GPA) of students with concurrent majors, Steiner said.

The policy for calculating the GPA is being clarified for students who have received an associate degree and are re-enrolling for a baccalaureate degree or vice versa, he said.

The Faculty Senate meeting is open to the public and will take place at 1:30 p.m. today in 112 Kern.