As students prepare for another year of classes, branches of the University of Wisconsin's student government are anticipating upcoming events and programs.

Campus safety will be highlighted in upcoming semesters by several entities within the Associated Students of Madison.

The Campus Safety Program, for example, is continuing to grow, according to Christie Penn, ASM Campus Relations Chair.

"Our Campus Safety Program is something that we will be working a lot on," Penn said. "We're launching the Neighborhood Watch Program in more communities this fall."

At various events, including town hall meetings, ASM members received a large amount of feedback about issues that concern them, and campus safety was always at the top, Penn added.

The Campus Safety Program, created last year, took approximately one year to get up and running, Penn said.

"We spent a lot of time talking to different safety groups on campus and the police department about what is really missing on our campuses," Penn said.

ASM Student Council Chair Gestina Sewell said various community leaders and groups are collaborating to improve campus safety.

"We've been working with the Office of the Dean of Students, the university police, and continue working with different campus safety task forces making sure that all our goals are working together," Sewell said.

Sewell also said the ASM Student Council will be establishing programs to encourage more young voters to head to the polls in Wisconsin.
ASM members will also conduct community outreach to further understand what issues are important to UW students, Sewell said.

"Our goal is not only to try to have a stance on our new ideas or what we believe the students stances on issues are, but actually being representatives of the students," Sewell said. "Students can't always come to us and say 'these are issues' — we really have to go to them."

ASM will also continue to provide students with various transportation options, including complementary bus passes to students and staff.

"Students use the main buses to get home, to go to the libraries, so these are buses that students really need," Sewell said.

Sewell maintained an overall feeling of optimism about the year ahead.

"We're really going to have a lot of different changes going on within our system and also within the university and around the campus, Sewell said. "It's going to be a really busy year, but also a really good one."

Sol Grosskopf, chair of ASM Student Judiciary, said he is looking forward to having an active judiciary.

"We want to really streamline our appeals process and make it easier to understand for every student, so every student can understand what we do and how we do it," Grosskopf said.

SJ is responsible for determining if student fees are distributed to registered student organizations in accordance with ASM's rules as well as in a fair and just manner, Grosskopf added.

The ASM Student Services Finance Committee has been working all summer, but will start its fall session Sept. 6, said SSFC chair Alex Gallagher.

"I'm excited for this year and I think that we have a good group so far," Gallagher said, adding SSFC still needs more members, but positions will be filled early in the semester through elections and appointments.

Current members attended a weekend retreat meant to equip them with everything they need to know about ASM policies, procedures and rules, Gallagher said.

"After the retreat, everyone will have the information they need to make good decisions," Gallagher said.

Overall, Penn said, ASM will be staffed with strong leaders and looks forward to welcoming new members.

"We're looking forward to getting more students involved," Penn said. "I think that it's going to be a really good year — we have a great council."