Sameer Gafoor, the only candidate for ASG academic vice president, said Tuesday his major goal in office would be to improve academic advising.

Although the Weinberg junior helped establish the Academic Advising Center, he said students are demanding more services, including premedical and prelaw advising.

“Students are matched up with advisers who don’t specialize in (students’) fields,” Gafoor said.

In place of the originally scheduled debate between academic vice presidential candidates, Gafoor explained his platform Tuesday to an audience of seven, all campaign managers or current ASG leaders.

While Gafoor will be the only academic vice presidential candidate on April 11’s ballot, he said he still plans to communicate with students about his platform.

As part of his proposals, Gafoor said he would seek to expand CAESAR to calculate cumulative grades, automatically assess eligibility for a fifth class and link to a feedback Web site.

Because CAESAR’s software doesn’t support the target P/N option ASG approved, Gafoor said he would lobby administrators to make the option a priority in any fixes for the computer system.

“We’re getting used to CAESAR, and CAESAR is getting used to us,” Gafoor said.

Indeed, the Web figures greatly in his platform. Gafoor said he hopes to launch an “Oracle of the Lake” site that would direct students’ questions to administrators and post answers online. Gafoor also said he has plans for a site where students could explore major requirements in each department.

Gafoor would push for the creation of a new adjunct major in Latino studies, increasing the number and variety of courses on Latino history and present culture to include courses on the Chicago civil rights movement and Latino films. Under Gafoor’s plan, the adjunct major would be separate from the Hispanic studies department, which emphasizes the Spanish language and Spain-related topics, he said.

Gafoor said he would like to help Alianza leaders who have already sought such an expansion.

“I’d like to give them a chance to pursue their dreams,” Gafoor said.

Continuing Academic Vice President Nelly Khidekel’s campaign to expand the summer study abroad program, Gafoor said he also would work to restore the four programs that were cut Fall Quarter.