DAILY LOBO GPSA ASUNMVS. new mexico
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monday
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November 14, 2011
The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
The Daily Lobo asked GPSA President Katie Richardson for comment on the goals ASUNM President Jaymie Roybal said she would like to accomplish while she is in charge. Roybal’s goals for her term were originally published in the Oct. 24 article, “Roybal enumerates goals.”
1. Bike Share
Katie Richardson muses on the future of GPSA and funding for grad students by Luke Holmen holmen@unm.edu
The Daily Lobo spoke with GPSA President Katie Richardson about her vision for the future of GPSA and the University. Richardson said her primary concerns are: holding UNM’s administration accountable, keeping costs low for students, and improving graduate students’ quality of life.
Keep tuition and fees low:
Richardson said GPSA actively participates in budget processes and meetings held by the Office of Planning, Budget and Analysis to advocate for keeping costs low. “My No. 1 long-term goal is to keep tuition and fees low on campus,” she said. “UNM, as a public university, should be in the business of supplying a higher education both at the undergraduate and graduate level to New Mexicans, and it’s important that UNM continues to be a majority/ minority university. (It should) disproportionately serve Hispanics and first-generation college students, and if we can’t keep the cost of education down, UNM cannot be those things.” Richardson said she hopes to stop students’ tuition from funding auxiliary services such as Athletics and Popejoy Hall. She said GPSA also advocates for increased funding for teachers and low administrative salaries.
Increase funding for graduate students:
Richardson said funding for graduate student programs is severely lacking, and 60 percent of graduate students at UNM do not have assistantships. “When programs are not able to provide multi-year funding support for graduate students they are not as able to compete with other world-class research institutions for the best students,” she said. “We are hoping
The proposed program would allow students to rent bicycles from electronic pay kiosks on campus. The plan is currently in its fundraising stage, with a goal of raising $250,000, which Roybal said would pay for seven kiosks, each with 10 bikes.
to make faculty more aware of including graduate students in their budget requests to federal agencies.” Richardson said GPSA has plans to ask the New Mexico Legislature to create specific funds for graduate students and ensure that the state is fully funding UNM through formula funding. She said GPSA is also working on a website that features a guide to help researchers write proposals that include funding for graduate students.
Create an academic plan:
Richardson said the UNM administration focused on creating real estate plans, but does not currently have an academic plan, something GPSA hopes to work with the administration to create. “A critical way that GPSA seeks to be heard is in keeping the administration accountable for executing the academic mission,” she said. “It’s a tragedy that UNM has not had an academic strategic plan. It’s not just ‘How do we allocate real estate?’ but ‘How do we allocate resources to serve students?’ ”
Graduate scholarship fund:
GPSA has several fundraising initiatives in the works. Richardson said GPSA hopes to raise money through phone banking with United Way during the holiday season to raise money for $1,000 scholarships for graduate students. “When people consider their charitable giving for the upcoming break, we hope that they will remember the needs of graduate students,” she said.
Create a dispute resolution service specifically for graduate students:
Richardson said the University needs a dispute resolution system specifically for graduate students because graduates face unique problems. “There is tension between teaching, research, learning and getting a degree,” she said.
A NEW HOPE
“I am excited about campus initiatives for sustainability. I’m concerned with whether students want to pay fees to provide for the bike share program, but I applaud ASUNM for searching for private funding. I think that shows responsibility.”
Katie Richardson
2. Improved lighting on campus
3. Keeping tuition low
Roybal said ASUNM plans to improve on-campus lighting as part of a safety initiative, and will be seeking funding from the State to accomplish this goal.
“We are both working to keep tuition low for students.”
4. ASUNM website ASUNM signed a contract with University Web Communication Services for 67 hours of work on the site, estimated to cost $3,350. The site still isn’t up, but GPSA’s site is. GPSA’s website features names and contact information for each GPSA member, updated documents and agendas and current news and events.
“I’m concerned about how we might pay for that lighting, and whether it’s the most pressing need for students. I haven’t seen a study showing that our safety is severely in danger, or that lighting will solve a demonstrated need.”
“GPSA has hired a graduate student to do our website … We paid $2,000 to construct our website. As we speak, people can go and update it. He conducted a training for six or seven in the office … $2,000 is less than ($3,350 ) and its going directly to a student.”
5. Student participation in naming new residence halls ASUNM passed a resolution requesting that UNM administration allow students to take part in naming new residence halls, after the Casas Del Rio project was named without consulting students.
“Issues of funding (are more) important. If undergraduates want their voices to be heard on issues besides the naming of buildings … I hope that they will begin engaging their student government and showing up to public meetings where they can speak about issues that are critical to students.”
6. UNM Day at the Legislature and tuition credit On Jan. 30 students present proposals and requests before the State Legislature during the Legislature’s annual UNM Day in Santa Fe. Roybal said ASUNM’s focus for this year is to persuade legislators to remove UNM’s tuition credit, which taxes student tuition to fund other state initiatives.
“I’m very excited about the possibility of removing the tuition credit, and ASUNM and GPSA are going to partner on UNM Day this year toward that end. There is a separate effort by GPSA to create a tax break for students who graduate from UNM and decide to stay in the State of New Mexico.”
The Lobo gave Roybal multiple opportunities to comment on Richardson’s goals for GPSA, but she declined.
Laurisa Galvan / Daily Lobo Lobo quarterback B.R. Holbrook rushes for a first down Saturday at University Stadium. The Lobos finished the game 21-14,with Holbrook passing for 274 yards.
“All I will say is that ASUNM and GPSA are very different organizations, but in the end they are both there to serve students.” Jamie Roybal
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