By
Katie Clark
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Discussions on TA fee waivers a 'huge step'
Members of the Arizona Board of Regents say they are enthusiastic about UA's budget plans for Proposition 301 funds and anticipate approval at today's meeting.
"(The plans are) very pleasing to everyone at this point," said Mary Echeverria, a student regent and economics senior from Arizona State University. "I'm very impressed with the mechanisms."
UA President Peter Likins and UA Provost George Davis, along with representatives from ASU and Northern Arizona University, first approached the regents at their meeting in January with plans for how to distribute the $459 million from the voter-approved Prop. 301. The proposition increased Arizona's sales tax by 0.6 percent to benefit public education.
"I am thrilled with the quality of the proposals and also the degree of cooperation and collaboration between the university provosts, the central office, and the entire Arizona university system," said regent Jack Jewett.
One of these proposals, UA's Technology and Research Incentive Funding request, will have an emphasis on optics, biomedical science, biotechnology and water research.
"Proposition 301 provides a truly historic opportunity for ABOR to fund," Jewett said.
Also up for approval within the technology funding request is the Arizona Regents University, which will provide online education through all three state universities to time- and place-bound students.
"I've supported it from the very beginning," said regent Judy Gignac. "It's fascinating to watch how this plays out."
Gignac said the online university, which will be coordinated from the regents' office in Phoenix, will eventually allow students to get their bachelor's degrees without setting foot on campus.
Other items on the agenda include discussion about tuition waivers for graduate teaching assistants.
"It's a huge step for the board to talk about it," Echeverria said. "Graduate education has become so competitive."
"(Graduate students) can go so many other places and basically get their education for free," she said, adding that tuition waivers are already in place at major universities like Stanford and Harvard.
The Board received an eight-page proposal that represents the collaborative stance of many TAs across the university. Within the packet is reference to a possible union for graduate students.
"I have sympathy for the teaching assistants," Gignac said. "We need to find a way to meet these needs. But being threatened with unionization is not the best way to get my attention."
Gignac said, though, that she hopes the discussion will result in steps being taken to meet the financial needs of both the TAs and the state of Arizona.
Also to be discussed at the meeting are plans to expand the UA's Science and Technology Park. About 120 acres of state land would be added to the park to accommodate rapid growth. Major companies like IBM and Raytheon are currently housed in the area.
"It's exciting to see there is a need to expand," Echeverria said. "The more companies we have available for students, the better."
