Arizona Student Unions director candidate presents goals for UA

Frank Farias, associate vice president for Student Affairs, will select the new Arizona Student Unions director after he receives feedback from a committee of UA administrators.

The third and final candidate for the Arizona Student Unions director position presented his goals for the UA at a public forum Thursday afternoon at the Student Union Memorial Center.

If he were selected, candidate Jason Tolliver, currently the executive director of Auxiliary Services and the Student Union at Louisiana State University, said he would bring “the same creativities, the same passion, the same zeal that I have used at LSU” to the UA.

Tolliver said he plans to partner with other departments, academic colleges and student affairs to determine what the next great things are. He also wants to hear from students, so he can provide them with what they really want.

“We have to be honest that these next few years are still going to be challenging with the budget situation that we have, and we’re going to have to look at transforming the organization to make sure it is the most efficient and effective organization that it can be,” Tolliver said. “And I’ve had experience doing that.”

Tolliver described his current responsibilities and experiences at LSU, including working in student affairs and finance and administration services, as well as leading the change and transformation of departments. Part of his accomplishments have been the expansion of TigerCash, a program similar to CatCash, an expansion and renovation of dining facilities and overseeing an 87 percent meal plan growth over a six-year period.

Rafael A. Meza, director of the Undergraduate Recruitment-Enrollment Services and assistant dean for Undergraduate Admissions, said he is looking for a candidate who can work well with him, especially given that students who live on campus rely on the student union and that at some point prospective students will interact with student union services.

“We take some time… It’s a big position,” Meza said.

After his presentation, attendees asked Tolliver questions. James Fromm, team leader for UA Library Infrastructure, asked why Tolliver chose the UA. The UA is a great institution, Tolliver said, and he believes the opportunity to come and work in an environment that has a self-operated program for both dining and books is a unique opportunity — one that he hasn’t had before.

Tolliver has visited the campus twice already to see if it is a place he could live, and is fond of the Ph.D. program in Public Administration. The weather’s not bad either, he added.