By
Emily Severson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Senators agree on FACES restructuring, discuss current
A roommate matching program, expanding the escort service and improving campus parking and transportation are just a few campaign promises the ASUA Senate is hoping to complete by the end of their terms as senators.
At the first spring Senate meeting on Wednesday night -in a new Economics building location - the Associated Students senators announced the progress of their current projects and their desire to improve campus life for UA students.
Sen. Kristel Miller said although she is still fighting for fixing the clocks on campus, she is proud the hours at Park Student Union were extended, and a new grill is available for students until 11 p.m.
Other projects include Sen. Rebecca Broky's attempt to getting the university to list additional class costs such as field trips and supplies in the course catalog, as well as Sen. Jose Ramirez 's establishing bylaws for the Minority Action Council.
Also at Wednesday's meeting, the senators voted on permanently implementing the FACES program and changing a couple of its bylaws.
FACES - Freshmen Active in Campus Events and Services - is an ASUA program designed to introduce and keep first-year students active within the organization.
According to the ASUA constitution, every new program is put under a one semester "trial" period to determine whether it should become a permanent program.
"I think it is important to take FACES off a trial basis and make it a continuous part of ASUA," Sen. Matt Bailey said at the meeting.
Bailey added that FACES has functioned "extremely effectively" for its first semester, but some changes could make it better.
One of the changes enacted at the Senate meeting reduced the number of members on the executive board from seven chairs to five deputy directors.
The purpose of the restructuring would give more responsibility to the deputy directors.
Right now, FACES has about 100 members, 30 of which are active, Broky said. Currently, not everyone in the organization can work on a senator-aide project. The new restructuring would make FACES deputy directors act as a liaison between the student volunteers and ASUA.
"It is great that FACES is not just asking for permanent status, but also recognizes the need to make change," Broky said.
Timna Sitzes, FACES director, said she hopes FACES members will rotate within ASUA, so they have more opportunity to spread out and not be confined to one particular area.
The next ASUA meeting will be next Wednesday, in Economics room 316.
