Some students agree that although Monday's night's Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Academic Assembly diversity roundtable discussion was helpful, it was lacking group representation and student input.

Latino Caucus Public Relations Officer Laura Bombardi said she thought the event was "somewhat successful," and a lot of the students in the assembly were impacted by the discussion.

"It should be a more open discussion forum, even though it could get out of hand," Bombardi said. "I think people should be heard because there are a lot of unheard voices on this campus."

In the hour-and-a-half-long roundtable Monday, students tossed around suggestions, questions, skeptical remarks and ideas about improving diversity in academics.

Assembly members met with representatives from Allies, Black Caucus, Latino Caucus, Hindu Students Council and Council of Commonwealth Student Governments (CCSG) to discuss diversity issues.

USG Multicultural Affairs Director Mark Bagley said meetings like the roundtable should take place at least once a month.

"USG has a very long way to go before we can talk about success, but it was a good start," he said.

"The biggest issue is that Academic Assembly is so homogenized. When you have a discussion like this, how many viewpoints are you going to get across?" Bagley asked.

He added that the assembly should have done a little more research because "when you ask vague questions, you're going to get vague answers."

CCSG Vice President Wendy Flynn said the goal for future roundtables would be to involve more student groups and also students.

"It was the first time it was ever held," Flynn said. "It could have been worse, and it could have been better. This is what student government is here to do -- we're here to represent."

Assembly President Mark Levin said next time the roundtable will be organized well in advance and publicized more.

At the roundtable discussion there was only one student present who was not involved with any of the participating organizations.

The roundtable, however, generated new ideas for the assembly, Levin said.

The suggestions and ideas from the roundtable will be discussed at next week's meeting, he said.

"As students, we do have power, and we need to embrace that power and run with it if we need to make changes," Flynn said.

Levin said the Assembly will discuss the suggestions voiced at the roundtable further and perhaps make recommendations on how to improve diversity in academics to Faculty Senate.