Jesse Figueroa of The Current

Joe Flees, a sophomore political science major, and Cori Locks, a member of ASUM from UM-Rolla, assist students voting on the ASUM referendum.

Special to The Current

UM-St. Louis students approved by a margin of 200 to eight the Nov. 4 referendum to join the Associated Students of the University of Missouri as full members. Since last April the campus has been an associate member.

Sarah Welch, student representative to the UM System Board of Curators and UM-St. Louis senior, noted that ASUM worked to establish the position of student curators/regents and during the past legislative session successfully lobbied for the student curator to attend closed meetings.

"By being included in closed meetings I am better able to represent the students of the University of Missouri," Welch said. "This wouldn't have been possible without ASUM."

Students approved a fifteen cent per credit hour fee with a maximum of $1.50 per student, per semester, which will be collected beginning July 1, 2000. The money will set up an office on the UM-St. Louis campus and the St. Louis students will determine the programs they want to bring to campus. Funding will also be available to establish a lobbying internship program that will begin winter semester 2001.

As an associate member, UM-St. Louis was entitled to one voting member on ASUM's Board of Directors. With the vote for full membership UM-St. Louis will be able to elect more representatives. ASUM Board Chair, Beth Hammer, stated that the final number of seats for UM-St. Louis would be determined when final enrollment numbers are available, since the number of board seats for each campus is based on campus enrollment.

"I would expect UM-St. Louis to have four board members," Hammer said. "They will be elected in the spring and take office in July, 2000."

For more information contact Joe Flees at 516-8608.