Recent distribution monitoring of newspapers provided by the ASUI Readership program funded by undergraduate student fees has prompted discussion on how to give all members of the University of Idaho access to this educational resource.
Students at the University of Idaho are provided with free newspapers, but as a result of non students using this service, the stand has been moved behind the information desk in the Commons. Students may present their Vandal card and still receive a paper.
The ASUI Readership program provides undergraduate students with access to the New York Times, the Spokesman Review and USA Today. The papers being utilized by members of the Moscow Community, university staff and graduate students resulted in a shift of the newspapers’ location.
Undergraduates now have to show their student identification cards to information desk staff in the Student Union Building and Idaho Commons.
Hayley Lydig, ASUI Communications Board chair said the survey included in ASUI elections showed despite the change in location, students are still aware of the program. The polled asked if students had heard about the ASUI Readership program. Out of the 927 students who took the poll, 506 had heard about the program.
“We’re not just taking a shot in the dark by spending money on papers. We get so many papers every day and only get charged for the ones that are used,” Lydig said.
Lydig said the move prompted an initial decrease of students utilizing the paper, but use is now increasing. She said the size of the program is being assessed, but that no matter what, the papers will be available to students. Lydig also said she plans to take action to incorporate university staff into the program.
“I’m approaching faculty senate this week about possibly having them subsidize the cost with ASUI so that faculty can have access to the papers,” Lydig said. “I’d like to see papers being used as a resource in the classroom.”
Graduate and Professional Student Association President Kate Cobb said GPSA senators recently took an informal poll of their constituents and the majority of them had actually used the newspapers when they were available to graduate students, before the location move. Cobb said graduate students understand why the papers aren’t available to them, and that the GPSA senate is trying to find a way to make them available again.
“A lot of students can’t afford to pay the subscriptions fees on top of tuition, so having the readership program for students is a great way to bring world and national issues to students,” Cobb said. “I’m hoping to work closely with ASUI and faculty senate leadership to find a solution that makes everyone happy.”
In addition to giving more students and staff access to the program, Hannah Davis, ASUI President, wants to make sure that ASUI is spending students’ money wisely in programs that students are going to utilize.
“We want to revamp it, possibly through looking to online newspaper subscriptions other than paper subscriptions, but it won’t go away,” Davis said. “We’re just going to change it and make it more modern for 21st century students.”
Caroline Lincoln can be reached at [email protected]