by Bryan Gibel
Daily Lobo
Now that lights are up on Johnson Field, ASUNM is working on initiatives to improve student life on campus, said Matt Barnes, ASUNM vice president.
The student government plans to lobby the Legislature to increase the amount of work-study funding given to the University,
Barnes said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"That's probably one of our most important goals," he said. "We know how convenient and important it is for students."
Barnes said appropriating more funding for work-study will let more students qualify for the program and will boost the amount of money they receive.
Student Amanda Salazar said getting more money for work study will make it easier for students to cover the cost of their studies.
"I'm benefiting from work study," she said. "It helps me pay my bills and works around my schedule. Increasing funding will help students who need it."
ASUNM President Ashley Fate said another objective for the Senate is addressing the future of University College.
One of President David Schmidly's goals for his first year in office is to investigate the college's efficiency in helping students to graduate.
"We're going to gather as much information on the issue as possible so ASUNM can make an educated decision," Fate said. "We support University College, and we know how vital it is to the University."
Schmidly expects to announce his investigation's findings by June, he said.
The Senate also has three goal-oriented committees assigned to tackle an issue each semester, Barnes said.
One of the committees is working to make UNM more energy efficient, Sen. Nick Geyer said.
"The governor wants to make New Mexico greener and more energy efficient," he said. "We at ASUNM feel that's a really good idea. It's not something that will be easy, but with hard work, we can
do it."
Barnes said ASUNM has been working closely with Physical Plant to find out what is happening on campus and what else can be done.
"The key is building a partnership with the University and the city to get everyone on the same page to move forward," he said.
ASUNM hasn't reached out to students about energy efficiency on campus yet, but that's the next step, he said.
Barnes said another committee is working to improve the student government's dialog with the
student body.
"We're trying to improve everyday communication to students about what ASUNM does," he said. "We also want to inform students about how to utilize programs the University has in place, like free bus service and career seminars."
He said one idea is to put a map on campus with information on bus and bike routes in the UNM area.
The third committee is looking at what to do next with Johnson Field, Barnes said.
"The lights are up, and it's amazing out there," he said. "But there's increased traffic, and there's a big hump in the middle of the playing field. So, we may have to level it, resurface it and redo the irrigation."
He said the committee dealing with Johnson Field will give students a voice in the decision-making process.
Student Matt Sutherland said investing more money into renovating Johnson Field is worth
the effort.
"I think that would be a great idea," he said. "People would use it more, and it would reduce the chance of someone twisting an ankle out there."
