ASUNM senators will set up a makeshift office at Dane Smith Hall this week.
The temporary change of office is to make senators more accessible to students, said Matt Barnes, vice president of the Associated Students of UNM.
"The reason we're going to do that is because we had a town hall meeting last semester, and in that meeting, a lot of student groups said that they would like to see ASUNM reach out in different ways," he said.
Barnes said there is no plan for how to set up the makeshift office just yet.
The undergraduate student government senators are responsible for approving funds for student organizations, creating ad hoc groups to research the feasibility of future projects and voting on amendments.
All ASUNM senators will visit Dane Smith Hall during their regular office hours, Barnes said.
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Sen. Joseph Dworak said he will answer student questions and pass out forms to student groups that want to apply for funding.
"I know that members of the finance committee will certainly have forms on them, and I know Vice President Barnes will, and we're going to encourage other senators to have extra forms if they need it," he said.
ASUNM President Ashley Fate said the makeshift office at Dane Smith Hall allows senators to connect with students.
"What we're trying to do is make an initial connection with students so that we can make an established trust with students," she said.
Fate said she wants students to realize ASUNM senators are there to serve them.
"We want them to know who they can turn to and come to us because we've said, 'Here's what we can offer you. How can we help you?'" she said.
Fate said she expects ASUNM senators to spend as much time as they can at the temporary office.
"Essentially, it's not about convenience for ASUNM," she said. "It's about accessibility to the students. We're all about looking into student needs, and if somebody says we need to see more of you, then it's our job to make ourselves more accessible."
