Members of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Academic Assembly will face a new stringent attendance policy beginning next semester.

The assembly unanimously voted Monday night in favor of a bylaw amendment.

The bill's sponsor, Ricardo Torres, faculty senator for the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, said it will increase the accountability and responsibility of assembly members.

Under the new bylaw, members are allowed eight excused and four unexcused absences.

Also, if a member is absent for two consecutive general meetings, the discussion and voting of his or her removal will occur during the next general meeting.

"[The new bylaw] largely eliminates people being absent for long periods of time," Torres said.

During the Oct. 10 assembly meeting, Vice President of Operations Sara Yerger raised the issue of drafting new legislation in response to lower assembly attendance this semester.

Three members were removed from their positions for missing meetings this semester.

The current bylaw regarding attendance states that assembly members are allocated 12 absences, excused or unexcused.

If the members use all of their absences, the issue of their removal will be discussed and voted on by the assembly.

Torres said that with the current policy, members could miss up to six meetings, because each meeting includes two roll calls.

With the new policy, he said that the members could remove representatives who are clearly not interested in assembly.

A two-thirds majority is needed to vote a member out of office.

George Chriss, faculty senator for the Eberly College of Science, said the new attendance policy is an internal matter, and it does not change what assembly is expected to do.

The classification of an excused absence will be at the discretion of Yerger.

She said, for example, exams would be classified as excused absences.

Assembly President Ashley Harris said the new policy will hold members more individually responsible, and they will know their boundaries better.

"I'm hoping that it will increase the efficiency and increase the accountability of those of us already elected," Torres said.