Even though funding decisions happen in Santa Fe, students can still lobby for their interests.
ASUNM President Kevin Stevenson encouraged students to get involved.
He said students should call or write their legislators.
Stevenson said ASUNM is trying to get students to come to Santa Fe on Feb. 3, which is UNM Day.
"The more students at the Capitol that day, the better," he said. "We want it packed."
ASUNM is always looking for students who want to lobby, Stevenson said. Interested students can contact ASUNM lobbying coordinator Jon De Young.
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ASUNM represents the undergraduate body at UNM and is lobbying for legislation that affects undergraduate students.
Graduate students and professional students can get involved with GPSA's lobbying efforts.
The organization has a lobbying committee that works to represent graduate and professional students, President Buckner Creel said.
"We will be traveling to the Legislature several times in the next two months," he said.
GPSA is supporting a piece of legislation that deals with student loan forgiveness for public interest law students, those who go on to work with organizations such as a public defender's office or nonprofit groups.
"The first-year law students are very much involved," Creel said.
Students interested in working with GPSA's efforts can call its office, he said.
Students can also join and support a number of nonprofit organizations as a way to get involved, Creel said.
GPSA is working on the development of a statewide graduate and professional student council so students from across New Mexico can discuss state issues.
Six universities have graduate or professional schools, Creel said, and he hopes all will get involved with the council.
Students should also know there are ways to express their opinions about UNM policies, Creel said.
"They can talk to GPSA," he said. "They can speak with the student regent to express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction."
How to get involved
ASUNM
Call 277-5528 or e-mail Lobby Director John De Young at jmdy10@unm.edu.
GPSA
Call 277-3803.
To contact legislators:
You can go to Project Vote Smart's Web site at www.vote-smart.org to find out who your legislators are and how to contact them.
To reach the legislative switchboard, call (505) 986-4300.
To find legislation:
Visit http://legis.state.nm.us to find and track bills, as well as find contact information for legislators.
