Discussion at Wednesday’s ASUA meeting centered around the newly proposed athletics department fee and funding for a class designed to educate about sexual assault and relationship violence.
The meeting kicked off with an open discussion with UA Provost, Andrew Comrie.
Comrie gave a general overview to the senators, discussing the “big things” coming down the pipeline for the university and its students such as the upcoming budget, tuition-related things, the newly discussed athletics department fee and cluster hires for certain departments.
The athletics department fee, which in its most recent form was proposed to be $200 and applicable to all students, is actually still in the discussion phase.
Comrie made a point that at this point, the fee is “just an idea,” and that nothing concrete has been decided. He went on to say that the proposed fee is being spearheaded by Greg Byrne, director of athletics.
According to Comrie, Byrne is pushing for the new fee because there are “real challenges with the facilities” that need to be addressed.
“It’s no secret that we’re in a financial and arms race in athletics in general, and keeping up with the kind of quality we need to retain the talent we need is not a cheap business,” Comrie said. “There’s some pressing issues now that the athletics department really thinks need some special attention.”
Next on the docket was a presentation from Krista Millay, assistant dean of students and Director of the UA’s Women’s Resource Center, regarding a proposed class that would address sexual assault and relationship violence.
It would be a three-credit class that would allow students to become trained as peer educators in sexual assault and relationship violence prevention. Upon completion of the class, peer educators who are deemed “good enough” will be brought on board as paid peer educators to run a prevention workshop similar to Wildcat 101. Incoming students will be strongly encouraged to take part in the workshop.
According to Millay, the proposed launch date of the class is fall 2016 and students who take part in the class would receive three credits toward their elective requirements.
The goal of the class would be ultimately to create a campus climate that would combat the number of sexual assault and relationship violence cases at the UA.
“If all of our incoming Wildcats have similar experience through workshops they’re attending together and are led by their peers, then there’s a sense that this is who we are,” Millay said. “This is what we do, we care about these issues.”
Millay asked for the senate to choose between two funding proposals. The first asked for $14,000 and the second for $20,000.
Senator Matt Lubisich then took the floor requesting $610 for the I Will campaign. The goal of the February 1-5 campaign is to combat rape and the $610 that Lubisich requested would go toward marketing for the campaign.
After little deliberation Brian Seastone, chief of police for the University of Arizona Police Department, offered for his department to foot the bill instead of delegating money from ASUA funds.
The meeting concluded with reports from the senators, their committees and ASUA President Manny Felix.
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