By next week, ASUA will have an official position on university fee communication.
Associated Students of the University of Arizona President Emily Fritze presented a draft of the ASUA fee statement, which introduces a new fee-setting procedure that requires that departments or units who wish to create a new fee notify ASUA six weeks before the Arizona Board of Regents tuition hearing.
Fritze said she chose six weeks because she was trying to give the university enough time to take the state budget into account. She added that by having the data earlier she would be able to speak on fees at the tuition hearing as opposed to after.
After notification, the department or unit must hold a survey vote, allowing students to vote “”yes”” or “”no”” on a fee. The survey vote would be used to educate and garner student input on specific aspects of that fee.Sen. Garrett Voge raised the question of how to ensure that the survey vote was not a small group of students representing a large department.
Fritze said she wants the survey vote to be a representative sample of all students.
“”I want to make sure if we are taking a final stance on something it’s not all freshmen or all undergrads or something like that,”” Fritze said.
After the survey vote, the results will be documented publically and given to UA administration and student leaders to consult before the tuition hearing.
Once the regents have approved a fee, a student advisory committee will be created to help allocate the fee.
Spring Fling back to campus
Spring Fling Executive Director Brittany Steinke and Fritze gave a presentation on moving Spring Fling from Rillito Downs to campus in the year 2013.
Since the event was moved to Rillito Downs in 2000, due to construction of the Manuel E. Pacheco Integrated Learning Center, there has been a decline in attendance and corporate sponsorships and an increase in facilities costs, according to Steinke.
The choice of 2013 instead of sooner is to give everyone involved enough time to transition and plan, Fritze said.
According to the projected budget, Fritze said she believes the move back to campus would be cheaper.
She anticipates the largest obstacle as working with neighborhood associations. Fritze said they would be working to identify leaders from neighborhood associations to be a part of the process.
In regards to parking for the event, it will be set up the same as event parking for things such as football games.
“”We’ve actually spoken with Parking and Transportation (Services), and we’ve been assured there is a way to go about this,”” Fritze said. “”We’ve talked to them and they seem pretty open to the idea.””
In addition to collaborating with PTS, the change would also call upon working with University of Arizona Police Department, Risk Management and Safety, Facilities Management and the Disabilities Resource Center.
“”It’s a U of A tradition that started here and we want to make sure that it’s really U of A focused,”” Steinke said.
The shift would eliminate third party members for facilities and give students easier access. The UA focus would also open marketing options, Steinke said, noting there has been talk of doing a throwback to sage and silver, the UA’s original colors, and having Wilbur and Wilma on the event posters.
Sen. Dominick San Angelo said that as a native Tucsonan who attended Spring Fling in past years, he did not know for a long time that the UA was connected to the event. San Angelo also said that as a Sam Hughes Neighborhood resident and homeowner he was in favor of the event.
