Calling all students: starting today, ASUA is accepting applications for the next student representative for the Arizona Board of Regents, the state’s governing body for higher education.
Students interested in the unpaid, two-year position must have a thorough knowledge of the Arizona state legislative process and a strong desire to represent the interests of UA students, former student regent David Martinez said.
Martinez, who now works as a campus organizer for the Arizona Student Association, served as a regent from 2007 to 2009. The regent does not have a vote on the board during their first year, but does vote in the second year. Student regents have all the rights and responsibilities of other regents, Martinez said.
Applications for the position can be obtained from the Associated Students of the University of Arizona’s Web site or office, said ASUA Excutive Vice President and selection committee chair Emily Fritze. Informational sessions about the position will be held on Sept. 14 and Oct. 12 at times and locations to be decided later, Fritze said. The application deadline is Oct. 18.
Fritze said she hopes to receive at least 40 applications, which her committee will narrow down to a group of three. Those three applicants will interview with the governor, who will make the final selection.
The selection committee will comprise a total of eight representatives pulled from ASUA, the Graduate and Professional Student Council, ASA, faculty and other students, Fritze said.
The committee is looking for “”someone who’s going to represent the school well and be an advocate for UA students,”” Fritze said.
The position was created in 1978, Martinez said, and provides a challenging opportunity for students to make an impact on the governing process. The position is important, he said, because it “”gives a perspective that would otherwise not be seen at (the Arizona Board of Regents).””
“”(Student regents) advocate as fiercely as possible to ensure that our education is as affordable and accessible as possible,”” he said.
