Students who are considering a run for ASUA positions won't have winter break to think about it this time around.

Dan Suh, ASUA elections commissioner, presented the 2004 elections timeline at last night's senate meeting, that begins preparation for elections two months earlier than in previous years.

ASUA will begin to recruit candidates in November. Candidate packets will be available on Dec. 10 at 8 a.m. in the ASUA office. Last year, candidate packets were not available until January.

This gives candidates about five weeks to gather all the required information. In previous years, they were only given a week and a half.

Suh said that recruitment will begin earlier and candidate packets will be available earlier in order to try to increase the diversity of the candidates. He said he hopes that the extra time will make minorities overcome fears of running, since many are turned away by the amount of signatures that are needed to run for an office.

He also said that starting the election process earlier will give students time to decide whether or not they want to run. He added that students who want to run for office will also have more time to educate themselves about their platforms.

Throughout, November candidates will have to attend informational meetings about how to run a successful campaign as well as what platforms are feasible or not.

Suh asked for senators who won't be running for office again to meet with the candidates and inform them about the position so that they can make educated campaign promises.

Saundra Taylor, senior vice president of Campus Life, and Dean of Students Melissa Vito attended last night's senate meeting in order to update the senators on student affairs and campus life.

Taylor discussed how administrators want to create a sense of community now that the construction of the Student Union Memorial Center, the Integrated Learning Center, SALT, and the new residence halls are nearly complete.

"Now that the Mall is back, what we need to do is enliven our sense of community," Vito said.

They plan on surveying students soon on what they want to see happen in the student union and what activities they would like to have on campus.

Taylor and Vito want to have more activities for students in order to keep them on campus.

They hope that strengthening ties with UApresents will be one way to get students to stay on campus. They want to coordinate more student-focused concerts. They asked for senators' participation in planning the concerts because they want ASUA representation.

In the future they also hope to have students from all classes living on campus. In order to accommodate more on-campus residents, there are plans to tear down or renovate old residence halls.

Even though the union has just been completed, parts of it will be closed during the spring semester as construction on the Alumni Association Plaza takes place.

Taylor said that she does regret that the construction has to begin right when the union has been completed but she said that the good news is that the plaza will enhance the area and give it a sense of presence.

She also said it will 'upgrade the neighborhood' and provide a great shaded sitting area for students.

During the senate meeting, the senators approved the appropriations board consent agenda for $2,161.75 in special funding for clubs.

Two clubs, the Arizona Model United Nations, which requested $742.43, and Gamma Beta Phi, which requested $500, were allocated no money.

Arizona Model United Nations was unable to receive money because it is not yet a recognized club. The club was told that it could resubmit the request once it becomes recognized.

Gamma Beta Phi's request was tabled because no person from the club came to the appropriations board meeting to present their request.

Jon Lange presented information about the club-funding forum to the senators, which will be held on Oct. 30.

The forum is an event that ASUA holds every year in order to inform clubs of alternative ways to raise money for their organization.

The guest speakers for this year's forum are Eric Schecter, Great American Marketing and Events president, and Richard DeBarndinis of El Tour de Tucson.

The speakers will begin presenting at 5:30 p.m. and then the floor will be open to students to ask them questions about their specific club.

"This is an excellent opportunity that all clubs and organizations should take part in if they are looking for alternative funding ideas," said Jon Lange, ASUA club development director.

The forum will be held at the Modern Languages building, 1423 E. University Blvd., room 350 from 5:30 p.m. ÷ 7p.m.