The Associated Students of the University of Arizona, UA’s student governance body, swore in a new senator, discussed the opening of a voting location in their offices and affirmed its commitment to sustainability at the Oct. 10 meeting in the Pima Room of the Student Union Memorial Center. 

New Senator and New Senate Rules 

ASUA welcomed a new senator for the College of Medicine. Hailey Ramirez, a physiology and anthropology senior, was appointed to the Senate to fill the vacant College of Medicine seat by a unanimous vote. 

Matthew Rein, ASUA executive vice president, congratulated Ramirez and said he looks forward to working with her in the Senate.  

“Hailey is very genuine, very motivated and really cares about her major,” Rein said. 

Along with gaining a new member, the Senate approved a new attendance policy with 11 votes in favor and one abstention. 

The policy introduced by Katie Christopher, senator for the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, instituted a three-strike rule for senators missing meetings or failing to log their required number of working hours per week. 

“We have to hold senators accountable for their attendance,” said Brennen Feder, senator for the College of Education. 

          RELATED: ASUA plans for future collaborations and outreach with the student body (Notebook 10/3/18)

Madeline Melichar, senator for the College of Engineering, echoed Feder’s sentiment, adding that it is also important that senators are using their time well and striving to accomplish their campaign promises and goals. 

Voting on Campus 

Natalynn Masters, ASUA president, reminded the Senate that starting Monday, Oct. 15, their offices on the third floor of the SUMC will serve as an early voting station for students and community members. 

Voters with the correct form of identification can cast an early ballot for this November’s elections any weekday from 9 p.m. to 5 p.m. until Nov. 2. 

Masters also encouraged the senators to reach out to their own constituents to gain their input on how ASUA can work to improve the campus. One new way students can send input to ASUA is by using the #TellASUA hashtag on Twitter.  

Commitment to Sustainability 

Melichar and Tara Singleton, an at-large senator, presented a resolution to the Senate, written by UA’s Students for Sustainability, to affirm ASUA’s commitment to advocating for sustainability on campus. 

The resolution calls on UA Administration to take direct action to improve sustainability efforts on campus and reduce UA’s negative impact on the environment.  

ASUA spoke about boosting inclusiveness and diversity in future sustainability projects on campus and integrating sustainability best practices into the daily routine of students and faculty. 

Funding and Student Outreach

Bennett Adamson, senator for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, received $1,500 from the Senate budget to put together a career fair for students in his college. 

         RELATED: ASUA holds a voter registration drive, plans for Family Weekend (Notebook 9/27/18)

“I ran on the platform of professional development and 100% engagement,” Adamson said. “SBS students get a great classroom experience, but they are not always certain on how to dovetail that into a career and grad school opportunities in terms of resume, cover letter, internship or whatever the case may be.”

The Senate also voted to approve the allocation of over $10,000 by its Appropriations Board to support club activities on campus. The Appropriations Board has over $150,000 left to hand out to requesting clubs. 

These funds will help UA’s Model United Nations Club attend a national conference in Seattle, Washington and help UA’s Molecular and Cellular Biology club host a Meet MCB! event to share the details and experiences found in their major and scientific field. 

ASUA will meet again at 6 p.m. on Oct. 17 in the Pima Room of the SUMC. Check the Daily Wildcat to keep up with ASUA and its meetings.

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