DAILY LOBO new mexico
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March 22, 2012
The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
ASUNM Senate opposes proposed fee hike by Svetlana Ozden sozden@unm.edu
In an emergency meeting Wednesday, the ASUNM Senate unanimously passed a resolution in opposition to the proposed $77 increase in student fees. The Board of Regents is considering a proposal that would split the additional funding between Athletics and UNM Libraries. ASUNM President and Student Fee Review Board Vice Chair Jaymie Roybal said the Board of Regents has not offered a detailed outline of how student fees would be spent, but said a portion of it will pay off the Athletics Department’s $1.5 million debt. “It’s unnecessary and inappropriate,” Roybal said. “It’s not our responsibility to pay off the debt of any department. There needs to be more financial responsibility in every department, especially departments that use student fees.” GPSA President and SFRB Chair Katie Richardson said the proposed increase in tuition and fees would also pay for the e-journals for UNM libraries, something she said needs to be paid for through Instruction and General funding from the state, or tuition. “SFRB has been paying for the journals and they are inflating by 10 percent every year,” Richardson said. “We shouldn’t be paying for these costs because they are essential to student success. It is inappropriate that student fees are funding
journal costs.” According to the ASUNM resolution, the SFRB recommendation will expand services for students, including a 24-hour library, recreational service hours and tutoring services, and an increase above what was recommended by the board not only disregards the recommendations of the board, but is unnecessary. Roybal said any increase in tuition or student fees should be justified by specific claims as to how that money will serve students, something she said the regents have not done. “For every dollar we spend, we should get something in return,” Roybal said. “An increase in tuition and fees should only be used for concrete services with concrete benefits.” Roybal said the regents and Athletics representatives have been unclear about Athletics’ financial situation and what the money will be used for if the $77 increase passes. “There’s a lot of mistrust between the students and the regents,” Roybal said. “At the end of the entire process to just tack on an ($77) increase totally diminishes everything we’ve done.” Members of ASUNM will present the resolution to the Board of Regents on Friday during the budget meeting. The presentation will include a video produced by ASUNM Sen. Bridget Chavez that will share the stories of five students at UNM who will be unable to afford an increase in
Adria Malcolm / Daily Lobo Attorney General of ASUNM and SFRB Board Member Gregory Montoya Mora (right), along with ASUNM President Jaymie Roybal, Chief of Staff Cassie Thompson and ASUNM Adviser Debbie Morris, address the ASUNM Senate during an emergency meeting Wednesday night. During the meeting, the Senate passed a resolution calling for the Board of Regents to retract proposals to raise student fees. tuition and student fees. If the proposal is approved, fees could be as high as $580 next year. “As a Senate we have to urge for student representation on board decision-making bodies,” ASUNM Attorney General and SFRB member Gregory Montoya-Mora said. “We should have a voice for any
Q&A with GPSA presidential hopeful
Marisa Silva
by Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga and Luke Holmen news@dailylobo.com
Marisa Silva, a GPSA Representative from the history department, is the sole candidate for the GPSA presidency next year. She spoke with the Daily Lobo about what she hopes to accomplish if she is elected and what qualifies her for the position. Daily Lobo: Why did you decide to run for office? Marisa Silva: I decided to run for office because I wanted to pursue the goal of continuing increased fiscal responsibility, and also promoting graduate assistantships. We are living in a time of fiscal crisis and nationally we are
Inside the
seeing some cuts; however, I feel that graduate assistantships are something we cannot afford to make at the University, especially as they’re related to promoting undergraduate and graduate recruitment, retention and completion of degrees. I’m a native New Mexican and I feel that we have many people from outside of the state (running the University). Some of them are very talented and I respect them very much, but many out-of-state faculty and administrators occupy leadership positions, and I feel that as a New Mexican, we need someone who knows our community’s needs and I really wanted to put diversity at the forefront of the UNM hiring processes, especially relating to faculty. I was willing to challenge (Current GPSA President) Katie Richardson (as an in-state leader) despite my tremendous amount of respect for her leadership (Richardson is from California). I feel that it is vital to put this diversity issue on the front page, and to continue in some of the great work that GPSA and (Richardson) in particular have already been doing to increase private assistantship funding for graduates. I have served on special sessions related to assistantship funding as a representative of the History Graduate Student Association. DL: What are your top three goals? MS: My three top goals are to increase graduate assistantship funding
Dirty Pit
Daily Lobo volume 116
issue 121
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at the University in order to promote graduate and undergraduate degree completion. The second would be to continue working toward greater fiscal responsibility at the University level in general, and that includes addressing this proposal by the regent majors during spring break to increase students fees and student tuition by 3 percent … This would hurt the goal of recruitment and degree completion. My last goal is to promote the hiring of faculty as well as collaboration across the University between student groups. DL: (un)Occupy Albuquerque protesters have been banned from protesting on UNM’s campus without a permit. Do you think it is appropriate for groups to apply for permits to protest, or should any group have that right at any time? MS: This University is a state institution and should be held to the First Amendment. Any group should have the right to free speech and non-violent assembly, especially at an institution of higher education. I do not believe you should have to apply for a permit to exercise a constitutional right. DL: What specific measures would you take to increase the funding for assistantships? MS: I was on the committee with GPSA and Graduate Employees Together (concerning assistantships) and we have already
see GPSA PAGE 3
Obama in town See page 5
dollar we are funding.” The ASUNM Senate considered an amendment to the resolution that would have stipulated how any increase in tuition and student fees would be spent if the regents decided to pass the increase, but the motion did not pass. “The most important part is
that we communicate that several departments need more fiscal responsibility,” ASUNM Sen. Caroline Muraida said. “Student fees are not a scapegoat or a last resort.” The Board of Regents is also considering a 3 percent tuition increase. The board is expected to finalize the budget April 27.
UNM needs bond funds to renovate by Miriam Belin
mbelin08@unm.edu New Mexico voters will decide whether to approve a bond that could mean a major facelift to UNM’s biology and chemistry departments. In November, New Mexico voters will vote on the $114.5 million General Obligation Bond C, $19 million of which would go toward construction at UNM. UNM would use $16 million for a large-scale renovation of Clark Hall, which houses the chemistry department, and $3 million to complete construction to Castetter Hall, which houses the biology department. Construction on Castetter Hall began in 2010, but the building remained unfinished after construction funds ran dry. Renovations to Clark Hall and Castetter Hall are part of the University’s 10-15 year Consolidated Master Plan. UNM is conducting a facility scan — evaluating the conditions of buildings on campus to decide whether to update or demolish. While the scan is not entirely complete, Provost Chaouki Abdallah said Clark Hall and Castetter Hall seem to be the University’s top priorities. If the bond passes, construction
could begin as early as next year. The bond funds would be split among 26 higher education institutions. University Planning Officer Mary Kenney said the facility scan will help put the bond funds to effective use in a difficult economic environment. “When we address some of the condition issues on our campus, it’s going to be important for us to understand, based on the academic plan and the strategic plan of the new president, where we are going to focus our resources because there’s just not enough money to go around and do everything we need to do,” she said. University Architect Robert Doran said after the unfinished floor of Castetter Hall is complete, it will include new teaching laboratories and offices. Kenney said Clark Hall needs major work, including structural renovations, interior updating and exterior remodeling. “We believe that we can really bring a whole new life to chemistry,” she said. “Chemistry is one of those foundational programs that feed pharmacy, nursing, School of Medicine and biology. It’s an essential building that needs to have renewal so that we can serve our students better and make sure that faculty have labs and offices that are appropriate for teaching.”
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