ASUA Sen. Chad Travis is working to make the UA a one-clicker university.

The standardization of classroom responders, colloquially known as clickers, is Travis’ main focus, and a project that Associated Students of the University of Arizona President Emily Fritze has been on board with since its proposal.

The idea sprung from Travis having to buy three separate clickers by the time he entered his third semester on the UA campus.

“”Why can’t I use the same clicker? Why do I need to buy three?”” Travis asked.

After Travis garnered support from Fritze, the two students became the faces of the Task Force on Classroom Responders, which was started last semester.

“”We talked about the next steps we intended to take at this meeting,”” Travis said. “”Because one, it’s cost effective for students, and two, it simplified things for professors.””

At the September meeting, the Turning Technologies clicker, the second-least expensive one utilized at the UA, was chosen to be the standard clicker due to its affordability and its compatibility for students of all majors on campus.

There are 10 teachers not using the Turning Technologies clicker, requiring more than 6,000 students to purchase a different clicker device for classes.

“”It depends on your major really. I’ve met some people who didn’t even know what it was. But in (the) business department, they are super common and in gen eds they are super common,”” he said.

Travis hopes with standardization, the UA will help technology services focus on one type of clicker and motivate Turning Technologies to keep the business of the university. The sole utilization of the brand would amount to up to $250,000 in sales for the business, according to Travis.

The next meeting of the task force is scheduled for later this month where they will be making final adjustments toward standardization, which is expected to occur in time for the spring 2011 semester.

“”Ultimately, with clickers being between $35 and $60, I would have saved about $100 if I only had to buy one clicker,”” Travis said. “”That’s what it comes down to: $100 in the hands of students.””

Other ASUA Project Updates:

• Sen. Garrett Voge, who stressed reaching out to the greater Tucson community during last March’s campaign, held his first of several “”Senate Buffets”” where students can try out various volunteer organizations in the community in order to promote involvement.
• Sen. Taylor Bilby, whose focus during campaigning was campus arts, culture and entertainment, recently selected committee heads for her Tanzbödeli project, an April arts and culture festival she hopes to make an annual event to promote fundraising for breast cancer research.
• Sen. Chad Travis, a pre-business sophomore, is working toward finishing his second senate project and moving onto his third, his campaign promise of shuttles to high-interest off-campus areas for students.

“”I just don’t want it to get put on my back burner and then winter break gets here and it never gets finished,”” Travis said. “”I was partially elected on that (promise) so I want to make sure it gets done.””

Travis’s first senate project of the year dealt with residence hall posters, displaying the month’s events and highlighting ASUA programs for the senate’s on-campus constituency.