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New president plans to bring ASUA closer to students

Arizona Summer Wildcat

Graff will implement $1,000 fundraising grant for club

Associated Students President Ben Graff is going to try to change ASUA's image from being somewhat detached from the students to being a force of change for the students.

"I would like to see a more productive ASUA," Graff said. "This is a huge year for statewide and campus issues."

One of the new programs that will be implemented for clubs will be the ASUA fundraising grant. Each semester a $1,000 grant will be provided for the registered clubs to hold a fund-raiser.

The club that will receive the money is the group that comes up with the most informative and original idea. The target group for the grant will be a group that is too small to hold a large-scale fund-raiser but has a really great idea for an event, Graff said.

One of the events that Graff is looking forward to this semester is CatFest, in which ASUA brings in a major band to play a free concert on the mall.

CatFest is a major event for registered clubs on campus, Graff said. ASUA will provide a table for any registered group to be able to inform and recruit new students. In the past bands have canceled due to rain.

If there is rain this year, a contingency plan to move the band into Centennial Hall or the Arizona Ballroom in the Student Union will be prepared, Graff said.

In addition, Graff also plans to initiate a Pulse program designed to get ASUA more in touch with students. The program is based on a Penn State program that regularly surveys students in order to find out what are student concerns.

He said in the past students have had to come to ASUA with concerns, but he plans to have ASUA go to the students this semester.

"I would like to have students see ASUA as a force of change," Graff said.

There are several state issues that will be affecting all Arizona university students over the next year. One of the biggest issues facing campus during the year will be a lack of funding for all Arizona universities, Graff said.

"The money is not there to support the universities," he said.

A significant tuition increase - compared to the $84 increase passed by the Arizona Board of Regents at its April meeting - could be slated for this year, if the students don't get involved.

"If we (UA students) do not get more state funding, all groups will suffer," Graff said. "It's time for Arizona Students Association and students to combine."

He said he is concerned that the state's plan to provide over $1 billion for K-12 building renovations may leave the university system short of money.

"There needs to be a change of mind set about education in the state, education should be considered a fluid continuum from kindergarten through university," he said.

One of the funding shortages concerning Graff is in faculty salaries.

He expressed concern for graduate student teaching assistant's not receiving enough money for being teachers as well as students.

Another area he wants ASUA to focus on this semester is advising. He said the current system is flawed primarily by a lack of professional advisors for students to consult.

"All the universities in the state have a shortage of professional advisors," Graff said.

Students with multiple majors currently have very few advisors whom they can talk to who fully understand how their requirements are different from single major students, he added.

"Students need advisors who know all the possibilities for majors and minors," he said.

One of the flaws in the current system is that surveys to gauge advising are only given to graduating seniors who are most likely not going to share the views of students who have dropped out after doing poorly in classes advisors may have recommended.

The third area of concern for ASUA will be with funding for upgrading technology at the University. He would like to see an increase in funding for all areas of research on campus as well as technology upgrades in classrooms.

A lack of student representation on the Governor's Task Force for Higher Education also concerns Graff.

"We have lobbied very hard for student representation on the task force," he said. "The governor can have a great committee, but it has to be fully represented."