[media-credit name=’BEN CLASSON/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]The Associated Students of Madison announced Wednesday their plans and goals for the fall semester — including a campaign to open an on-campus grocery store, expand a safety plan and create a textbook exchange program.

ASM Shared Governance chair Jeff Wright said ASM's "hook issue" this semester is a plan to bring "a student-run, not-for-profit campus grocery store to the University of Wisconsin."

"Students seeking comparably lower prices must drive or ride a bus to an off-campus shopping location," Wright said.

Wright did acknowledge the presence of Capitol Centre Foods on Broom Street and Trader Joe's on Monroe Street, but said these establishments "hardly are on par with larger grocery stores in terms of price."

Wright said the most "feasible and realizable" way to bring affordable groceries to campus was to include a grocery store in the remodeling plans of Union South, which is due for remodeling in 2008.

"Over the next several months, ASM Shared Governance will work with Union officials to highlight the many benefits associated with bringing a grocery store to campus," Wright said. "It is encouraging to know the Union Council and the Design Committee already have considered this very possibility."

Wright added a grocery store in Union South would increase student activity on the southwest side of campus and that Union South could better serve students.

ASM's Campus Safety campaign will be expanding into new neighborhoods and "meeting with other student organizations on campus to develop a new safety initiative that encompasses a range of broader safety issues," ASM campus relations chair Christie Penn said.

Penn added more information on the Neighborhood Watch Program will be released Oct. 5.

Another campaign ASM will be working on this semester is creating a textbook swap program, according to ASM Academic Affairs chair Jessica Pavlic.

"The sharp rise in book prices has made it more and more challenging for students to buy their more costly books," Pavlic said. "The textbook swap looks to make buying books less costly and more accessible for all students taking into account their financial situation."

Pavlic said in addition to selling books back at a higher price than area bookstores, students will be able to buy books at a less expensive price in the first place.

The ASM Academic Affairs committee is also working on a project to gather information on specific class prerequisites so freshmen and transfer students can more easily see requirements are for specific majors, Pavlic said.

The ASM Legislative Affairs Committee willing be focusing efforts on ensuring UW does not make a proposed modification to Chapter 17, a non-academic misconduct policy, Pavlic said.

Currently, Chapter 17 allows the university to punish students for stalking, harassing or stealing, and the proposed change would allow UW to punish students for "any crime in the community," including underage drinking, Pavlic said.

Penn said ASM is "very excited to get the year underway," representing UW's 40,000 students.