Student Senate Notebook: Huddleston discusses upcoming university decisions

Mark Huddleston appeared at Sunday's student senate meeting as a guest speaker to talk about various subjects including the strategic planning process, the university's budget, the growth of the university and the university's relations with the state of New Hampshire. The strategic planning process is a new process that consists of four groups of 30 people who will meet every Thursday morning in order to talk about plans for the university over the upcoming years. Huddleston said by the end of the spring the university will release a report stating what direction the university is headed in.

Huddleston informed the senate about the university's current relationship with the N.H. state government, which supplies UNH with only 14 percent of its $500 million budget.

Huddleston said New Hampshire ranks 50 out of 50 states when it comes to supporting higher education. The state would have to increase its funding to higher education by 45 percent in order to become 49 out of 50 states, said Huddleston.

Because of the current state of the economy, UNH will be lucky to continue receiving the same level of support from the state, said Huddleston.

"The state is looking at major deficits and is looking everywhere they can to cut funding even more," said Huddleston.

Huddleston said the state can also help UNH by funding the university 's capital expenditures.

"We will be making a case this year to receive money from the state to help us with capital expenditures which we really need," said Huddleston.

As for the potential marriage with the Franklin Pierce Law Center, Huddleston said the two universities have yet to decide whether the law center would physically move to the Durham area or if it would just become UNH Concord.

"I hope we can figure out how to co-locate the law school here on the Durham campus," said Huddleston.

Huddleston said Pierce Law has one of the top five intellectual property law programs in the country. He said he hopes the two schools will at least create joint programs, including accelerated undergraduate programs.

Huddleston said UNH is 8 percent larger than it was five or six years ago in terms of the number of undergraduate students. He said although the university has grown in size and is looking to possibly add Franklin Pierce Law Center, he is confident the size of UNH will not drastically change.

"I like to think UNH is a perfect size," said Huddleston. "There is always something to do and it is very diverse. However, we are not so big that people get lost and professors don't get to know the names of our students, and that is a great balance."

Huddleston said the discovery program at UNH is on the brink of passage. The discovery program is aimed at providing a structure for general education at UNH. It will be brought up at the next faculty senate meeting.

Huddleston said a council aimed at making the campus healthier and saving the university money on health care expenditures will begin educating students on how to live a healthier life style. The university currently spends approximately $40 million on health care a year.

"Preventive medicine is always the best medicine," said Huddleston.

Sen. Kevin Linton said the group in charge of changing student IDs from each student's social security number to a random number would be meeting this week. They group hopes to make the switch by fall 2009.

UNH Votes met on Friday to announce there will be transportation available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. The busses will pick students up at the Holloway Commons bus stop and Sawyer Hall. They will bring students to Oyster River High School. UNH Votes has already registered 1,391 students this semester.

Campus structure announced the council will be working on hanging up posters about cigarette waste.

Student Body President Jonathon Banks announced the student senate would begin tabling in the MUB as a way to communicate with students on what the senate has been working on.

"We want to talk to students without having to go through hall councils," said Banks.

Senators of the Week The two Senators of the Week were Jeff Moyer and Anthony Sevani.

Seven new senators were welcomed to the student senate. The new senators and their constituencies are: Heather Dean (Smith), Brad Colen (Commuter 2), Jessica Rubin (Greek Life), Brett Conroy (Co-Greek3), Greg Moody (Co-Greek 3), Stephanie Williams (Co-Greek 4) and Caitlin Wamsley (Co-Greek 4). The senate also welcomed student senators Phillip Paradis, Stephanie Saporito and Julie Rocco to the Judiciary Committee. Senators Phillip Paradis and Vanessa Ruiz will represent students on the Student Activities Fee Committee.

The senate approved the senators who will join the Fee Oversight Committee for the remainder of the XXX session. The senators are, Nicholas Wolf (athletics and transit), Kurt Eddins (athletics), Lindsay Fanning (campus recreation and housing), Taylor Renaud (campus recreation), Kevin Linton (counseling and SHARPP), Hillary Flieger (counseling), Katy Fitzpatrick (dining), Harmony Abrams (dining), Judie Rocco (health), Paige Legassie (MUB), Phillip Paradis (MUB), Shelby McGuigan (SHARPP), Stephen Boutwell (technology), Jeffrey Moyer (technology), Katherine McClain (transit), Elizabeth Jacobs (SAF) and Jon DiTroia (housing).