First-year seminars (FYS) could receive a makeover in the near future.

Legislation was passed at the Undergraduate Student Government Academic Assembly meeting Monday regarding recommendations to improve the seminars, which are required of all freshmen at Penn State.

The assembly recommended increasing the limit on class size because some colleges have a limited number of professors teaching seminars, said Mark Levin, Academic Assembly president. He said increasing the number of maximum students admitted per class from 20 to 25 could still provide an intimate setting while making it easier for students to get the requirement done.

Marie Hardin, assistant professor of journalism, said it is harder to develop a better relationship with students if the number of students per class is increased. She said the seminars teach students about the academic process, such as university resources like the library and learning centers, and time management. "Seminar is the perfect place for freshmen to learn those sort of things," she said.

There were recommendations made for professors in certain classes to include requirements other than university-wide initiatives, such as community service and diversity.

Sara Yerger, a senator from the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, said assembly and the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments said some of the ideas should be incorporated into seminars, but some concepts, such as diversity, are hard to teach across all colleges.

Levin said the finished recommendation will be sent to administrators, faculty and the University Faculty Senate undergraduate education committee this week. He added the committee has legislation about the seminars that it has been working on for a few months.

Levin said the Faculty Senate is aware students are not happy with the first-year seminars.

"I am eager to see what they have to say," Levin said. "They are always keeping an ear open to student opinions, and this is a perfect way for them to get it."

The undergraduate education committee will then present its recommendations to the Faculty Senate to take into consideration, Levin said.

Yerger started research in November 2002 with student surveys about the seminars' effectiveness and suggestions to improve them. Yerger said the research was picked up again last semester when a list of recommendations began to be compiled.

"I'm really glad we stepped up to it," said Committee Chair Ashley Harris, a senator from the College of the Liberal Arts.

Interviews with deans from different colleges within the University Park campus were conducted to see their opinions and recommendations about seminars that could be taken into consideration, Yerger said.