By
Emily Severson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
UA President Peter Likins spoke about academic advising, athletics and Campaign Arizona at last night's ASUA meeting.
Sen. Tricia Williams said she was concerned that the UA administration would ignore the Academic Advising task force - of which she is a member - when revising student advising policies.
Likins acknowledged that advising needs improvement, and he "looked forward" to the findings of the task force.
However, he added, not having enough money could stand in the way of improving advising to the standards the task force may set.
He said he has been working with student leadership at all three state universities to decide how an increase in tuition could possibly fund advising.
"That would give students who are paying an increased tuition a chance to see where some of that money is going," Likins said.
Sen. Kristel Miller asked Likins about the status of Campaign Arizona, UA's billion-dollar fundraising event that officially began in October, and how the money was going to be spent.
As of December, the UA had received more than half of its goal - $520 million in cash and pledges - and still has another four and a half years before it has to meet its goal, Likins said.
Likins said the money would be allocated according to the donors' wishes. The UA has a list of about 200 proposals of where money is needed, and people can give money to any department or project on the list, or choose to give money to something entirely unrelated.
"We are going to raise it, but we may not feel it in a very dramatic way," Likins said. "What we will gain is wealth and more opportunities to be able to spend money."
Sen. Geoff Spencer asked about the amount of money spent on the UA athletics department, and how it effects students.
"The reality is that UA athletics generate 95 percent of their spending," Likins said. "They spend about $26 to 27 million per year and the university gives them about a million of that money."
He added that if the department did not generate the millions, it would have to cut its budget. He also said that coaches' salaries add to the athletic department revenue because part of the job of a coach is to generate money.
Likins said after his session that he enjoyed meeting with students because of the opportunity to learn what is going on in their minds.
"Meeting with students gives me energy to do my job and keep me focused on why I am here," Likins said.
