Staff Report
ASUNM is gearing up for New Mexico's next legislative session in January, and it wants students to help lobby the state.
The student government will have a booth in the SUB starting next week to inform students about UNM Day at the Legislature, said Jolonzo Goldtooth, director of ASUNM's lobbying committee.
ASUNM will bus students to Santa Fe on Jan. 29 to request funding for the University.
Goldtooth said the student government will have a recruiting event Jan. 24 and educate students about UNM initiatives and how to lobby.
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"We have to have a high participation rate," he said.
Goldtooth said the organization has four legislative priorities this year: a 0 percent tuition credit, doubling the amount of state work-study, continuation of the Lottery Scholarship and making the campus more energy-efficient.
A tuition credit forces the University to increase tuition to cover expenses the Legislature doesn't fund.
"We always want to have no percent increase," he said. "This past year, it didn't go up. Hopefully, if we go there, and we ask them to not increase it again, it won't."
Goldtooth said the most important priority is to double work-study funding. Last year, UNM received about $1.4 million for work-study.
Studies show that working on campus increases student success, he said.
"It helps students get connected to the University," he said. "It helps them in their professions, too."
Goldtooth said ASUNM will also lobby to change the state's policy to reflect the federal policy for work-study funds, which requires institutions to use some of the money for community service jobs.
The student government wants about $25 million to fund an energy-management system, but it will not ask for the money this year, he said.
"We're on board as far as going over and saying why it's important and why UNM needs to go on this route," he said.
He said ASUNM plans to ask for the funding in phases, and it can't be too ambitious with requests at the next session because it will last only 30 days. Last year's session was 60 days.
"We were able to go there and be more effective," he said. "It's a short session, so it's kind of hard to go there and have a long list of requests."
ASUNM isn't just looking out for itself, Goldtooth said. The student government lobbies for other UNM organizations and departments, including the hospital and the College of Education, he said.
"We not only talking about the initiatives that the ASUNM lobby committee is working on," he said. "We tell them what other students are working on on campus."
ASUNM's 2007 Legislative priorities and outcomes:
Granted
Continuation of the Lottery Success Scholarship and increase return on lottery revenues from 24 percent to 30 percent.
Zero percent tuition credit. Tuition credits force the University to raise tuition. Although a 0 percent tuition credit does not prevent an increase in tuition, it makes it less likely.
Building repair and renewal funds. Funds to be used for the renovation, repair and remodeling of buildings and infrastructures at UNM. Received $4.62 million.
Partially funded
Life Safety Code compliance: Requested $5.3 million for equipment such as sprinklers and fire alarms. Received $10,000.
Lights on Johnson Field: Requested $700,000. Received $260,000. The remainder of the cost was funded by the University.
Not granted
College of Education Renewal-Phase II. $8.5 million to complete College of Education building renewal process.
On-campus wireless Internet. This project was funded by a $750,000 donation from the New Mexico Educator's Federal Credit Union.
2008 Legislative priorities:
Zero percent tuition credit
Double the amount of state funds for work-study. UNM received about $1.4 million last year.
Continuation of the Lottery Success Scholarship
Creating a sustainable campus with energy management - about $25 million for an energy management system. ASUNM will not request funding for the project this year due to a shorter Legislative session.
Source: ASUNM Lobby Committee
