The Associated Students at the University of New Mexico kicked off the spring semester with a number of announcements from ASUNM President Andrew Norton on executive priorities at the first full senate meeting of the year on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
Many of the initiatives involved student transportation, both for those with and without a personal vehicle. Among these initiatives were the creation of a student parking committee, an “alternative parking system” and an increase in funding for parking and the potential for a partnership with Uber. The Uber partnership would be focused on providing free or reduced fares for students using the app within a 10-mile radius of the campus.
Though Uber does offer a student discount for its monthly Uber One subscription that gives riders credits on some rides and has partnered with other higher education institutions to offer ride vouchers to students, Uber does not have an established educational partnership system. Lyft, a competing rideshare app, does have a program in place at other universities in the U.S., including the University of Southern California and Duke University.
Partnerships with artificial intelligence companies like OpenAI and Google were also proposed as a way of making paid plans of AI chatbots, like ChatGPT and Gemini, available at free or reduced cost access for students. Google’s Gemini currently offers promotions specifically for students interested in premium plans.
Norton also announced that an Artificial Intelligence Board will be added to the list of ASUNM Boards and Committees, with Sen. Manny Cisneros having already been appointed as a student representative to the newly-formed board.
A change to LoboCards is also on the way to UNM, this time in the form of digital LoboIDs.
“We’re working right now with Institutional Support Services to convert our LoboIDs to your phone or Apple Wallet by next August, so it’s moving pretty quickly,” Norton said. “It’s something we’re super excited to get on.”
Digital IDs have been discussed by student leaders for some time now, having been mentioned during the ASUNM presidential debate in March, 2025, featuring Norton and Mutazz Jaber.
Increases in ASUNM senator stipends were mentioned, as well as a collaboration with UNM Hospital on student medical needs and an initiative providing students an option to opt out of student fees.
Norton also discussed potential future executive orders in his remarks, including a “Senate Initiative” executive order, which would increase partnership between senators and agencies in the executive branch to help senators better carry out the initiatives they campaigned on. Another mentioned order would establish a Sponsorships Committee under the Student Special Events agency, which would allow the agency to self generate funds.
The one bill on the agenda, Bill #1S, sought to change the timeline by which the finance committee chair must notify organizations of the corrections that must be made to their budget request forms, from the fourth Wednesday of the semester, at 5:00 p.m. to the first Wednesday of the semester at the same time. The organizations will then be required to submit the corrected budget requests by the first Friday at 5:00 p.m.
This bill would help eliminate confusion on the part of student organizations regarding when to submit appropriations, the bill author Sen. Daniyal Hussain said. The bill passed with a vote of 17-0-0-1.
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The senate reviewed two appropriations by the American Society for Mechanical Engineers and the Small Satellite Group. The ASME is requesting funds to participate in an electric Human Powered Vehicle competition in Dallas, Texas, and carry a bike built for this competition using a trailer. The Small Satellite Group is requesting funding for travel to a conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Both appropriations passed with a vote of 17-0-0-1.
Four senators — Julia Curry, Mischa Hedges, Logan Manzo and Kendrick Green — were sworn in during the meeting after being elected during last fall’s elections.
Shin Thant Hlaing is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
