For the first time in several years the AUSA Senate proposed several significant changes to its constitution at its first meeting last Wednesday.

The changes need to be approved by the University of Denver Board of Trustees before they become effective.

Senators discussed the decision to raise the activity fee from $55 per quarter to $70 per quarter. The Senate also voted to add a clause to the constitution stating that 10 percent of the money that Senate receives from the activity fee would be “unused and placed in a financial management account.”

The senators agreed that this account should have a minimum balance of $30,000 each year to offset any negative balance that may occur due to unexpected spending. Any money over the amount of $30,000 in the account at the end of the year will be allocated as the Senate should see fit.

A section that defined the duties and the power of the chair of the Student Media Board was also added to the constitution. In addition to attending meetings of the Senate, the SMB chair will also have nonvoting role in the Executive Committee.

Senators also decided that the Student Media Board portion of the student activity fee will be raised to 10 percent. This increase in funds is meant to help pay for the additional costs that DU-TV will incur if it becomes part of the board. At the present time, SMB acts as the publisher of the Clarion, the yearbook, Foothills literary magazine and KVDU.

Another major change to the constitution was the decision to move general elections from the last Tuesday through Thursday in April to the first Monday through Wednesday in May.

“Moving the elections should help out the candidates by giving them the Sunday before elections to finalize their campaign,” Senate President Chris Adams said.

Amy Charlton spoke early in the meeting about the New Voters Project that she will be spearheading at DU this month. The program is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to get more 18 to 24-year-olds to vote in the 2004 election.

“I just wanted to take this chance to let everyone know that we will be out there and are really excited about helping students to register,” Charlton said.

The senators decided to move their weekly meetings from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays in order to make the meetings easier for them to attend.