Jonathan Ng is the first Asian-American student body president elected at Kansas University, and he wants to use his position to help increase ethnic diversity on campus.

“It’s a big deal when you’re dealing with a first of that sort, whether it’s the first woman student body president or the first minority faculty member in an area,” he said. “It raises awareness and inspires people to pursue their interests and lets them know there isn’t a glass ceiling.”

Ng, a Leawood senior, won April’s student body elections with running mate Loren Malone, a Senatobia, Miss., senior. Ng, 21, is majoring in Spanish and journalism. Malone, 21, is a pre-med major.

One of their goals is to construct a new Multicultural Resource Center near the Kansas Union and possibly connected to the north side of the union where students can learn about other cultures. Ng’s already started talks with David Mucci, director of KU Memorial Unions, about the possibility.

The center has been housed in a temporary building west of Malott Hall since its inception in 1995. Ng said the building is too small for the center to expand its services.

“A strong Multicultural Resource Center strengthens minority retention, which in turn strengthens minority recruitment,” he said. “The MRC affects all students. It’s not just the minorities.”

Ng (pronounced “Ung”) said funding likely would come from a variety of sources. About $60,000 in Kansas University Endowment Association money goes toward center programming. Some of that money could be put in a fund for a building, he said.

Student senate funding, student fees and increased tuition money also could be used. And Ng said he plans to work with Endowment Association officials to create a proposal for soliciting someone to donate a large amount toward the project.

“Maybe increasing awareness right now, somebody would come out of the woods and answer our prayers,” he said.

Other goals of the student leaders include:

Creating an “Online KU Info” Web site that would include a comprehensive calendar of university events, and information on such topics as scholarships and intramurals.

Opening most campus lots to student parking at 5 p.m. Most lots are closed to students until 7:30 p.m. They also want to create a “KU Parking for Dummies” map to explain where students, faculty, staff and visitors can park.

Creating a committee to oversee extra tuition money received from students from increases beginning this fall.

“There needs to be an advisory committee made up mostly of students to decide where that money should be spent,” Ng said. “I don’t think this money should be lumped into the budget.”

Ng and Malone represent the KUnited coalition, one of three campus groups who sought the student presidency. The former student body president and vice president, Justin Mills and Kyle Browning respectively, represent Delta Force.

Ng said Delta Force focuses more on grassroots campaigns and rallies. He said his administration would spend more one-on-one time with administrators and state officials.

“When the elections end, you step into senate and those lines drop,” Malone said. “We’re all students.”

But Ng said he realized Student Senate has little real power. That’s why he started the week after his election meeting with student organizations and other campus officials to meet his goals.

“The power we have is to motivate people to make changes,” Ng said. “This gives us access that we wouldn’t have otherwise.”