Associated Students of Arizona State University Downtown will not be replacing its Arizona Students’ Association director who resigned at the end of the fall semester.

ASASUD president and journalism sophomore Tania Mendes said she doesn’t plan to replace the former director at this point in time, because she doesn’t want to rush the process.

“I don’t want to put someone in this position who is unable to fill the role,” she said.

Former director Christina Rocks informed Mendes near the end of November that she might be graduating in December instead of May, as she had originally planned. ASA Interim Executive Director Robyn Nebrich said Rocks found herself with enough credits to graduate and with rising tuition and fees in Arizona, it was the best opportunity to take a job that she was able to secure.

Rocks said before she left in December she offered to help fill her position and was told it would be filled in January.

“I think it’s generally important that this position be filled but I’m not aware of the current circumstances,” she said. “I offered any help I could give, but ultimately it’s in the hands of the Downtown student government.”

Nebrich said the decision to replace Rocks is at Mendes’ discretion but ASA is open to filling the vacancy.

Tempe ASA Director Ben Henderson, a justice studies graduate student, said the job that both he and Rocks held is supposed to unite university student governments within the state.

The campus director’s role was to help inform campus governments about what ASA is doing and in turn inform ASA’s board of directors what is happening at their campuses, he said. Henderson and Rocks reported to their individual student government presidents who had hired them.

“The presidents expect a lot from us, from policy research to activism in student government,” Henderson said.

The professional staff and other ASA board members will be making every attempt to make sure students on the Downtown campus are represented fairly, he said.

Mendes, who also sits on the ASA board of directors, said Rocks completed her ASA responsibilities last semester, like working on the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act bill.

This semester Rocks would have focused on state Legislature sessions and FASFA clinics to help students fill out their financial aid paperwork. Mendes said she plans to take on these tasks herself.

“At ASASUD, we’re very well-connected with ASA,” Mendes said. “I was very active in ASA my freshman year and it’s something that is important to me and will continue to be.”

Nebrich said Rocks graduating early because of high tuition costs highlights why ASA is needed.

“It’s a good reminder of what ASA directors are supposed to be fighting for,” she said. “The fact that we have people on our board who couldn’t afford education in Arizona reminds us what we’re doing here.”

Reach the reporter at sheydt@asu.edu