Associated Students of UNM has made a stance representing UNM undergraduates who feel their voice wasn’t heard before the Regents passed 2.5 percent tuition increase last month, as well as a 10.5 percent fee increase for the 2016-2017 school year.
Last week the undergraduate student government unanimously approved a resolution pushing for stronger communication between the student body and the Board of Regents. The legislation proposed that the student academic calendar be lined up with the Regent’s meetings to avoid future issues.
The resolution came was born after a scheduling conflict left student government officials with only one day to gauge how 20,000 undergraduates would feel about a proposed tuition increase, something ASUNM Sen. Noah Brooks said is impossible.
Brooks, who co-authored the resolution with ASUNM Legislative Coordinator Noah Michelsohn, says he didn’t write the resolution because he was opposed to the tuition increase, but rather because of the short period of time the Senate was afforded to speak with their constituency about the increases.
“Without students on this campus, there is no campus,” Brooks said. “So we believe the Board of Regents should be listening to students.”
Brooks’ sentiment was shared by Michelsohn, who said it was his and the Senate’s understanding, before returning from spring break, that tuition increases wouldn’t be discussed during the March 22 UNM Regents Budget Summit. Nonetheless, they came back from break only to return to find that the Regents would be voting on the tuition increase the following day.
“We think the process should have been taken was to at least give the students their fair shot at telling the Regents how they feel,” Michelsohn said. “At ASUNM we’ve pushed really hard to get student input on everything and it was really disheartening, especially in this case, the student voice wasn’t heard.”
Both Brooks and Michelsohn praised ASUNM President Jenna Hagengruber for her diplomacy in handling the potentially contentious issue with little time to prepare. Hagengruber, alongside Graduate and Professional Student Associated President Texanna Martin, suggested a 2.5 percent tuition increase to the Regents after other advisors on the board suggested a seven to nine percent increase.
“I’ve supported the fee increase,” Hagengruber said. “If we don’t raise tuition at all we’re losing eight to nine million in staff, resources, the free printing for students each semester, the minimum co-pay at SHAC goes up and we can’t pay our favorite faculty members.”
Hagengruber says cutbacks like this will probably still happen, but hopefully not to as high of a degree with the tuition raise being approved. While she said she wishes she had more time to prepare for the Budget Summit and understands the frustration of students, she doesn’t want to see the core of UNM shaken by inadequate funds.
“Regardless if any change comes of this resolution, I think it’s wonderful that the senators were able to pass something like this and are trying to speak on behalf of all the students who weren’t able to talk about it prior,” she said. “I’m really hoping if any change can come out of it, is that the calendars can be more aligned.”
Evan Barela is a student in the communication and journalism department.
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