PUBLIC COMMENT:

Wiegand Fitness celebrates one-year anniversary

Jim Fitzsimmons, director of fitness and recreational sports, gave a presentation for the one year anniversary of the opening of the E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center. The highest use the gym has seen in a single day was more than 5,500 people. The average use is 3,200 people per day, and about 85 percent of enrolled students have used the fitness center. Fitzsimmons sent a survey out to UNR students who go to the fitness center less than three days a week. Students reported that the main reason they don’t go is they don’t have enough time. Students asked for more fitness class times, extended weekend hours, better-trained staff and increased parking.

APPOINTMENTS:

Fullmer nominated to clubs and organizations

Wes Fullmer was nominated as science and engineering commissioner for the department of clubs and organizations. Jared Desamero, director of clubs and organizations, said Fullmer has an impressive resume as a freshman and has been excellent as an intern for the department. The Senate approved the nomination.

LEGISLATION:

Possible update to ASUN credit requirements voted down by senate

Sen. Cammie Lee petitioned to put a question on the ballot during the 2018 ASUN election that involves the number of credits a member of ASUN needs to be enrolled in to hold office. Currently, the requirement is that these students must be enrolled in seven undergraduate credits. Lee said this requirement is outdated and does not reflect the current university policy on course credits. She asked to change the requirement to have ASUN officers enrolled in 30 credits during an academic year. There was a discussion among the senators if the requirement is fair to students, and if it would exclude some students from participating in student government. The question was not added to the 2018 general election ballot.

committee allocates funds to International Research Experience

The committee on academics submitted a resolution in support of allocating funds to the International Research Experience based on where students are placed. The IRE program sends 12 UNR students to do research at universities in foreign countries. In the past, scholarships were given to students with the best academic qualifications. However, high academic qualifications were already a requirement for the program, and instead the committee wants to give scholarships based on the distance and cost of living of the host countries. ASUN has a budget of $10,000 to allocate to the program. The resolution is a recommendation about how the process should work, but it is up to the program how to distribute the money. The resolution passed.

Madeline Purdue can be reached at mpurdue@sagebrush.unr and on Twitter @madelinepurdue.