ASUNM to rally for tuition, research

ASUNM senators will be out in force to lobby against the tuition credit and funding cuts at Monday’s UNM Day at the Legislature. Sen. Jeff Herrera said keeping tuition low is one his main goals.

“I would really like to promote that everybody work their butt off on Monday and talk to as many representatives and senators as you can and make sure that this tuition credit doesn’t happen,” he said.

In the face of a diminishing budget, ASUNM senators’ top priorities include protecting the current teacher-student ratio, research opportunities and class offerings. They will submit a recommendation concerning these issues to the Tuition Task Force.

The senate also voted to allocate $400 toward a program that supplies free New York Times papers around campus. The program would also need GPSA funding.

Students were able to read The Times around campus for free during a trial period, but it expired.

Vice President Joseph Colbert said the readership program also provides the University with guest speakers who would otherwise cost the University thousands of dollars.

“I want to make a partnership with GPSA, because last semester I had people contacting me that were undergraduates and also graduates saying they really encouraged the readership program,” Colbert said.

Sen. Jaimee Perea said she questioned how many people would actually benefit from the program, since copies of the paper usually run out by 9 a.m.

“Don’t you think it’s the same people picking up the copies every day?” Perea said. “I think we could put it toward student groups who maybe have more need.”

ASUNM President Laz Cardenas said the incident at the Student Fee Review Board meeting, in which Cardenas called a UNMPD officer to remove a cameraman hired by GPSA President Lissa Knudsen, was proof ASUNM and GPSA need to hold separate SFRB hearings.

“Obviously we can’t hold hearings together — we can’t agree,” Cardenas said. “So, undergraduates are going to have their own hearings.”
He declined to speak further on the issue.

Sen. Heidi Overton, who also sits on the SFRB, said the outcome will be beneficial to students.

“We just want an opportunity to hear what departments have to say and get as much information that we can … in a comfortable environment that promotes honesty and communication.”