Even though there is a campus committee designed to address students' concerns about academic issues, many students do not know the council exists. But the current chairwoman wants to change that.

Laura Casper, social and behavioral sciences senior and chairwoman of the College Advisory Council, spoke about the efforts of the CAC to a group of about 40 people at a luncheon yesterday. The CAC was formed in 1991 because students and faculty decided that academic issues had no place in Associated Students of the University of Arizona, she said.

"The CAC now has a member in the ASUA Senate and a vote in academic issues, such as teacher evaluations," she said.

The CAC is made up of 11 members who are representatives from each college on campus, as well as one from each of the four faculties of the College of Arts & Sciences. The members of CAC are members of the advisory council of their respective colleges, and they are chosen by that group to be a liason between the groups.

"CAC was majorly strong when it first started out, but there were a couple chairs that haven't really done anything. People have forgotten about us. CAC really helps colleges have an active voice at ASUA," said Rosanna Savone, Casper's chief of staff.

Future goals of the council, Casper said, include working more with the Faculty Senate because students' voices need to be more powerful. She said she would also like to do more work with student outreach, like having programs with high school juniors and seniors. The council has dealt with issues such as Grade Replacement Opportunity, advising, the quality of teachers' assistants and class availability.

Chad Garcia, CAC chairman-elect, stressed the importance of students knowing about the council because it provides funding and it uses student funds to promote student academics. Colleges can submit proposals to CAC to apply for the funds that ASUA allocates to the group.

"Students in their colleges need to know that funds are available for their education," Garcia said.

When engineering students needed financial aid to put on the annual Engineering Week, CAC helped them get funds.

"(CAC) paid for the advertising and helped us rent tables and other organizational costs. Without them we probably couldn't have done it so easily because it would have drained us. We tried to go through special funding at ASUA, but we got nothing," said Lisa Hanson, president of the Engineering Student Council.

Said Casper, "The future holds great potential for what CAC can accomplish. We know that with enough determination we can do anything."

For more information contact Savone by e-mail Savone@ccit.arizona.edu