Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Academic Assembly passed legislation last night to raise awareness about problems in the advising program and discussed the possible formation of University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA).

Assembly voted 12-0 to pass legislation to send a letter requesting the cooperation of associate deans and heads of advising departments in familiarizing students with the policies in place that can influence advising, course selection and drop/add procedures.

Ricardo Torres, faculty senator for the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences said that many students feel the advising departments are not up to par and he wants to raise awareness of the problem.

Resham Patel, faculty senator for the College of Health and Human Development, agreed.

"Having an advising system is only good if that advising system can help students," he said.

USG Vice President Luke Adams attended the meeting to answer assembly members' questions about the possible implementation of UPUA.

"The only real power that USG has is the ability to speak on behalf of the students," Adams said.

USG Senate President Andy Banducci also attended the meeting as a concerned student and spoke against the proposed student advocacy group.

"I think we have a steady erosion of student representation," Banducci said. "There would be serious consequences if USG were to lose its organization."

Assembly members held an open discussion at the end of the meeting to voice their personal opinions.

Torres urged those who want to remain in the assembly to come back in the following semesters.

"Regardless of what happens, the faculty senators will still be alive," he said. "USG may not be right right now, but I feel that UPUA is not the answer."

Student group, Safeguarding Traditions Of Penn State (STOP), used images of Chuck Norris on posted fliers to endorse its view against UPUA. Jeff Timmerman, Earth and Mineral Sciences vice president, said that even these strategies were not effective enough.

"Even Chuck Norris is too little, too late -- which says a lot," George Chriss, faculty senator for the Eberly College of Science, said.