The Government of the Student Body senate expressed opposition to shortening the summer break and expanding the winter break in a resolution passed at their regular meeting on Wednesday night.

The resolution passed by a vote of 22 to 6 with three abstentions.

The resolution will be presented to the University Calendar Committee to aid the group as they consider revisions to the current calendar.

Heather Mitchell, GSB director for academic affairs, said she believes the main reason for a change in the calendar is to allow professors an extra week to attend professional conferences.

Raye Taylor, off-campus and student fees senator, said she supported the bill because it provided many opportunities to improve the quality of education students receive at Iowa State.

The possibility of a J-term — a winter break similar to the summer session, increasing study abroad opportunities and improving the quality of professors would benefit students. The increased amount of time for work and the success of such a calendar at other universities is positive as well, Taylor said.

Off-campus Senator Kristin Sherk said, “What is good for faculty isn’t necessarily bad for students.”

Conferences would benefit the faculty who teach the students, she said.

Speaker of the Senate and TRA Senator Tony Luken said his constituents like the current calendar and are opposed to any proposed changes.

In other business, the senate failed to pass an order which would pose a question to the student body during the upcoming election. The proposed question would reduce the number of seats on the senate if the student body approved.

The bill failed by a vote of 7 to 20 with two abstentions.

The order, presented by Vice President Joe Darr, was proposed as a means of increasing the competition for senate seats as well as the effectiveness of senators, he said.

Senators who expressed opposition said the order would decrease the variety of opinions brought to the senate.

Senate bill 2002-3-057F, which would reclaim unused funds from Analysis of Social Services Evaluation Team, was postponed until next week.