Arizona Daily Wildcat

Regents to talk state budget, construction
By J. Ferguson

PHOENIX - The Arizona Board of Regents will meet today to discuss everything from competing budget proposals in the Arizona legislature to several new buildings slated for construction at the UA.

The regents will not discuss the tuition proposals released Monday at the meeting, which is held at ASU. The regents are expected to hold hearings on tuition later this month and set tuition for next year during their meeting March 7.

The regents plan to review UA proposals that will establish a law center named after Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist, create a reorganization plan for the department of microbiology and immunology and also create a bachelor's degree in Africana studies.

The regents are also expected to review the 2005 Annual Report on Student Financial Aid for the Arizona University System, a summary of the distribution of financial aid in fiscal year 2005. The report includes details for the financial aid plans for fiscal year 2006 and 2007.

The regents are expected to be briefed on relevant legislation in the Arizona legislature, as well as competing budget proposals from the Governor and Republican-controlled Joint Legislative Budget Committee.

A report from the Joint Conference Committee of the universities and community colleges is likely to ask the regents to endorse a mechanism that will clear the way for Arizona community colleges to eventually offer four-year degrees.

Tomorrow the UA will ask the regents to approve the expansion of the Student Recreation Center at a cost of $22.5 million, as well as a new Intercollegiate Athletics Facility at a cost of $17.2 million.

The UA is also asking regents to approve a sizable increase to the construction budget of the new Family and Consumer Sciences Building, increasing the budget from $15.3 million to $22 million.

The UA will ask the regents to remove the Environmental and Natural Resources Phase II building and a Residence Life building renewal project from its current capitol projects plans.

The regents will be asked to approve several contracts for university employees, including a multi-year contract for Andy Lopez, the head baseball coach at the UA. Lopez is entering his fifth season at the UA.

They will also review a mid-year update of the current fiscal year, which identifies budget reallocations and other significant revisions since approval of the budget in August. Other budgets to be reviewed at the meeting include an audit of the University Medical Center Corporation and reports on technology transfer efforts at each university.

ASUA debates possible replacement of senator
By Stephanie Hall and Zach Colick

Student government senators debated heatedly last night about whether to appoint a replacement for a senator who resigned last month for health reasons.

The Associated Students of the University of Arizona senators argued for nearly 30 minutes about the possible senatorial appointment of Tyler Reece, an ASUA club advocate.

Some senators said there hadn't been enough time for them to consider the appointment because it was placed on the agenda less than 24 hours earlier.

The concern over Reece was that he had not gone through a formal interview process, but the ASUA bylaws require only a presidential appointment and an approval vote from 3/4 of the senate. In the case of the nine-member senate, seven of the senators would have to approve Reece.

While some senators wanted to fill the position right away to let Reece assume his senatorial duties, Sen. Matthew Boepple said it is important to follow the organization's bylaws and the precedent of allowing each senator ample time to make his or her decision.

Boepple said he wasn't aware that the senate would be voting on the replacement of former Sen. Matt Loehman at the meeting and had no time to prepare questions for the nominee. Normally a 24-hour notice is required on senate voting issues.

"We have not had 24 hours, the students have not had 24 hours and the media has not had 24 hours," Boepple said.

Sen. Ashley Eden agreed and said breaking precedent on such an important matter would compromise the integrity within the organization and impact the make-up of the senate.

Others disagreed, saying that delaying the vote would only set back the progress of Reece and would be hurting students.

"We owe it to the student body to get someone appointed," said Sen. Ryan Montana Erickson.

Reece, a pre-architecture sophomore, said he's committed and able to put forth a substantial effort in office, despite having only four months to develop projects and affect change for students on campus.

Reece said being around the office and shadowing Loehman on Project Solar and other projects allows his experience and perspective to be useful if his appointment is approved.

The ASUA senate will meet next week at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center's Agave Room to decide whether to vote Reece into office, allowing the senate to become the standard 10-member body for the remainder of the semester.

"We are short one voting member," said acting Student Body President Erin Hertzog. "The students voted for 10 senators."

Legislators approve increase in student financial aid
By J. Ferguson

PHOENIX - Legislators approved a change in the state law yesterday that could increase the amount given to needy students by hundreds of dollars per semester.

The Senate Higher Education Committee approved 5-to-1 a change in the rules governing the Arizona Financial Aid Trust.

Senate Bill 1133 seeks to reduce the percentage set aside for a permanent endowment from 50 percent to 25 percent. By reducing the endowment, supporters of the bill want to redistribute it, making it available to students. This current amount being set aside for student grants would increase from 50 percent to 75 percent.

Delegates from the UA chapter of the Arizona Students' Association, which lobbied for the legislation, said the bill would make a difference for struggling students.

The amount students would receive from changes in AFAT were not immediately available, although ASA director Chris Dang said the increase could translate to as much as $200 per semester to some students. Dang said the amount would help cash-strapped students pay for "their books, tuition, their electric bill or their rent."

For fiscal year 2005-2006, the appropriation to AFAT program is roughly $2.2 million. According to Arizona Board of Regents estimates, the increase in AFAT budget would be $9.1 million for fiscal year 2006-2007 if S.B. 1133 were approved.

An identical bill died in the legislature last year, but Dang said the reductions in the amount available to students in federal financial aid make the bill viable this year.

Dang said legislators know students are struggling to pay for the rising cost of classes and said the bill has a better chance to pass than it did last year.

Greg Fahey, UA vice president for government relations, said legislators in the committee showed genuine interest in the students who came before the committee to give testimony in favor of the bill.

Fahey said the "acid test" of the bill was the appropriation committee, where last year's bill died. Fahey said the bill would face a tough audience in the committee.

Even if the bill dies in the appropriations committee, Fahey explained, the hearing itself was important. He said the bill could find life after death, finding its way into the main state budget bill as a companion bill.

ABOR created AFAT in 1989 to provide financial aid to in-state students who demonstrate a clear need for financial aid. The ABOR Web site states that AFAT receives 1 percent of full-time student tuition and one-half of a percent of part-time student tuition.