Students will begin to voice their opinions today on the effectiveness of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and will determine the future of student representation at Penn State by voting online.

The first question, part of a two-part referendum, asks students about their levels of satisfaction with the current USG structure, USG President Galen Foulke said.

The survey question, posted at www.votenow.psu.edu, is the first time that the student body will be put in control of USG executive branch's two-year initiative to restructure the current USG into the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA).

Students will be able to vote from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. today.

The second question is scheduled to be held Tuesday and will ask for UPUA support.

UPUA, proposed by the Constitutional Review commission, would consist of 34 representatives, including a president and vice president elected by the student body, along with on- and off-campus representatives, four greek council representatives, a University Park Allocations Committee representative and six general student representatives.

Currently, USG is structured similarly to the U.S. government, with an executive branch, Senate and Supreme Court. USG also includes Academic Assembly.

USG Senate President Andy Banducci, a defender of the current governmental structure, said he would support students either way but said he hopes USG will be able to represent the students in the future.

Senate Vice President Alex Ibrahim said, "I will argue against the UPUA referenda. I think it goes the wrong way."

The proposed UPUA was a platform for Foulke and USG Vice President Luke Adams in the 2005 election, in which they received 35.9 percent of the vote.

USG elections are still scheduled to begin March 29, Foulke said. UPUA could possibly replace USG as the recognized student representation in upcoming years if the referendums show enough student support.

He added that although there is no set percentage of required support to approve UPUA, he would present the feedback to Penn State President Graham Spanier.

Foulke said he hopes that there will be enough student participation and that Spanier will officially recognize UPUA as representative of the students.

"Hopefully, we'll have a very large consensus," Foulke said.

He added that the results of the referendums will be available Tuesday and that he plans to meet with Spanier soon after. If approved, Foulke and supporters will begin to organize UPUA elections, which may take place at the time of USG elections.

Foulke expects the organization to be in effect next semester.