Freshman colloquia supporters lobbied to double the number of colloquia courses offered at UA and improve funding for colloquia at last night's student government meeting.

Two UA staffers want to increase the number of colloquia classes offered to help students explore majors and give students interdisciplinary options that are not offered in the current general education format.

The student government approved of the plans of Chris Impey, a distinguished professor of astronomy, and Celia Sepulveda, director of education and outreach for the Office of the Dean of Students.

Impey and Sepulveda asked the senators for letters of support after presenting their proposal.

The proposals would also allot an estimated $500 to each class per semester to provide students with out of class experiences that current colloquia don't offer.

Several Associated Students of the University of Arizona senators agreed that colloquia were important and recalled positive memories from their one-credit freshman classes.

Student Regent Matthew Meaker introduced himself to the senate and presented a month by month tuition payment plan that has been implemented at Northern Arizona University.

Meaker hopes to give students an option to pay one-fifth of their tuition interest fee every month through either the Bursar's Office or an outside company similar to the one used at NAU.

There was concern as to whether the plan would work at a school the size of UA, but Meaker maintained that several larger universities have used the program.

ASUA Senator Jason Poreda notified others of a program to provide resources for students on campus with permanent illnesses.

He hopes to have senators help to build a group to inform and support ill students at UA where these students could go, although the plan is only in its infancy.

Actions taken to fix the lighting problem at UA were noted by Senator Travis Pritchett.

He invited other senators to go around campus with him last night to inspect places that lacked sufficient lighting.

Senator Andrew Hottovy announced a date of Friday, Sept. 27 for an campus-wide student party called Buffet by the Bay at Arizona-Sonora dormitory. Students who do not live in Arizona-Sonora are welcome to attend.

Hottovy said that the event would have a DJ, refreshment and volleyball.

ASUA had planned to hold the party at the Student Recreation Center, 1400 E. Sixth St., but Campus Recreation would not permit the event being held there for a second year.

A plan to give away free Otter Pops to students who fill out ASUA surveys on the UA Mall is in it's final stages of approval.

Senators will distribute the surveys on how to improve campus life sporadically on the UA Mall.

There was no word on whether the senators would get free otter pops, too.