Gilbert Davidson, public management senior

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Chairman 1996-97; volunteered in ASUA 1993-95

Bobcats Senior Honorary 1996-97; Chairman

of Student Union Advisory Council 1995-present; University Learning Center tutoring and workshop coordinator 1995-present; Business and Public Administration Student Council 1994-present; Young Democrats 1994-present

Davidson said he thinks there is an opportunity

to move forward and fix errors made in the past year. He said Rhonda Wilson is responsible for a lot of things that have gone wrong and that he is the most qualified person for the position based on the things he has done.

Davidson said he has completed everything that he said he would do this year and has a good working relationship with the administration.

Davidson said there are three components to his issues - a university agenda, a state agenda and an ASUA agenda.

One component of the university agenda is Student Union renovations. Davidson said he went on the original benchmarking trips where different components of different universities' unions were looked at. Davidson said he is the lead student on union renovations and he has met with administrators on the issue to make sure the student body is represented in every way possible.

Davidson also said rebuilding relationships with the administration is important. He said Rhonda Wilson has destroyed the relationships that past student body presidents have successfully built over the past few years and ASUA has to start working with the administration, especially with a new university president coming in.

Davidson said the University Learning Center's budget has been cut back and many of the programs it has provided, such as tutoring, no longer meet the needs of the student body. He said he wants to expand the minority programs.

Davidson said he also wants to make sure students are aware of changes in academic requirements, such as the core curriculum proposal and the consideration of a plus/minus grading system.

For the state agenda, Davidson said the student body needs to start earlier in lobbying the regents and the state Legislature and setting up meetings with the governor.

For the ASUA agenda, Davidson said student government needs to develop partnerships with the University Activities Board, the Greek community and the Residence Hall Association.

Finally, Davidson wants to create a five-year strategic plan for ASUA. He said the student body needs to decide what is most important and how students can get to that point in five years.

Davidson said there is nothing anyone on campus can do to make more parking spaces, but the university can create more parking structures and help those who have permits now. One way is resurfacing the lots, providing more lights in the parking lots and increasing shuttle service.

Davidson said tuition will always increase because of inflation, but what the student body needs to be aware of is where the money is going and what it can do to support the programs that are important. One way is having the bursar's office print out where the money is going in terms of percentages, he said. Davidson also said ASA needs to play a critical role in lobbying the state Legislature and building relationships with individual legislators.

(Also see Davidson's discussion of issues related to the Student Union above.)