This Week In Student Government - Oct. 10

 

(Source: via Flickr)

Here is a recap of The Student Government Association at UT-Tyler's Oct. 10 meeting. 

Summary

This week's recap includes an update about information technology on-campus and a lengthy discussion on the university's efforts to create new parking. Check it out in the recap below.

Speaker’s Podium: Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Technology Officer Isai Ramirez. 

Ramirez discussed four subjects with student government with respect to the University’s Information Technology (I.T.) department: password renewals, September’s internet outages, a future IT annual student survey and request for feedback to an IT-related committee. 

1. Password renewal expiration policy. Ramirez said removing UT-Tyler’s passwords expiration was “probably a good idea.” He said expiring passwords and having to renew them probably did not increase the university’s security position. However, he exhorted students to still beware of phishing scams and to utilize the HelpNow page (uttyler.edu/students) if one needs to change his password. “Do it immediately if you feel you’ve been compromised,” he said.
   
2. September Outages. UT-Tyler’s network went down around Sept. 21 . Ramirez said I.T. has been integrating networks between UT-Tyler’s campus and The UT Healthscience center and a major power outage on north campus caused a network outrage. He said the outage was so major that even the backup generators that supply power could not support the data center’s cooling system. “Our data center is where our internet goes through and is provided for both campuses,” he said. So the network failed. Ramirez wanted to be clear that the outage was the result of generators’ failure, not because of something that happened accidentally. He said the generators had been tested and worked previously. Also on September 27, the Longview campus experienced an internet outage when its internet provider, AT&T had an internet outage. This loss of service lasted over a day, he said. AT&T has promised the university that it will act quicker in the future, Ramirez said. The university is also reviewing its vendors to minimize these kinds of incidents, he said.  
3. Annual IT Student Survey. Ramirez said his department is working on an annual student survey to evaluate students' experience of IT on-campus. "The more we hear from people, the better we will be prepared with information" he said. Educause, an association that specializes in I.T. within higher education, will administer the survey, he said.
4. IT Governance Program. Ramirez asked students to give feedback to its student representatives on The University’s Research and Educational IT Committee. The whole point is to make sure I.T.’s not making decisions in a vacuum,” he said. Student representatives are Chloe Dix and Syed Ahmed. The committee reviews topics such as the learning management software, classroom technology and undergraduate research. Ramirez said, “Anything that is a need or an issue or an idea about how to make it better, please let us know.”

[End of Speaker’s Podium.] 

Officer Reports:

• President Dix: Been communicating with students who wish to fill vacant SGA seats. Also will meet with Faculty Senate president. Arbor Day and Midnight Breakfast tshirts ordered. Also said she heard response from company that handles campus recycling. According to Dix, the company responded that it trains all of its employees how to dispose of recycling in the trash. 
• Vice President Carnes: Students who want to table at Midnight Breakfast can sign-up to do so on SGA’s webpage on Patriots Engage. Go to student government’s main page, click “Midnight Breakfast Fall 2023” under “Forms” and complete the form. 
• Secretary Henry: Working on Midnight Breakfast flyers and on social media to promote it. SGA website is complete updated with members’ names, committees and meeting times. 
• Treasurer Peters: Updated SGA expenditures to date and responding to student organizations with funding requests. 
• Chief of Staff Tropp: Rules Committee will meet on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. on Zoom. 

Committee Reports: 

• Events Committee: Arbor Day is Saturday, Oct. 14. Gave breakdown of plans for Midnight Breakfast.
• Communications Committee: Tshirts ordered for Midnight Breakfast. May promote student organizations signed-up for event on social media prior to event.
• Appropriations Committee: Approved $103.66 for Pre-Nursing Patriots organization for pumpkin painting event.
• Environmental Sustainability Committee: Discussed Arbor Day preparations.

Student Voice Reports:

• Health Science Center: Met with dean of medicine about transportation and housing student concerns. Said dean said that immediate housing solutions “are currently unavailable and that steps are being taken to improve transportation services.” Also said administration is working on implementing shuttle services from health Science center to main campus.
• School of Medicine: Student engagement has improved since arrival of student success coordinator last year. Talked with medicine dean about increasing health science student engagement with events on main campus. Also there is a new student lounge on the campus.
• School of Health Professions: May seek gym remodel because health professions is in same building as gym. 

Old Business: [None]

New Business:

The assembly voted to cancel general assembly during week of Patriot Days (Oct. 24). Treasurer Carnes carried the motion. 

Parking Projects

Treasurer Peters moved to open discussion on Robert Crumly’s previous report on upcoming campus projects. He said adding parking will make campus look different and wanted to hear members’ reactions. 

Summary

(Skip to the next section to read a paraphrased account of the assembly's discussion.)

Senators had a lengthy discussion on the university’s strategy to address student parking concerns. Many senators voiced support for construction of parking garages instead of parking lots, citing their lower impact on the campus aesthetic and green space.

Opposition to this view cited parking garages’ large expense in comparison to parking lots and that new parking lots are necessary for new student housing construction anyway. Another senator said parking garages can be unsafe given their tight space and can make it easy for drivers hit to each other. 

Current Parking Problems

Others senators claimed new parking lots are irrelevant unless authorities enforce current parking rules against residential students parking on-campus. 

One senator expressed dissatisfaction with the way authorities dispensed parking permits this year, saying much of the parking confusion came from students receiving the incorrect permits at the semester’s beginning.  

Parking Solutions

Regarding solutions for current parking shortages, President Dix mentioned that administration is looking into scheduling future class times in a way that makes best use of the campus’s available parking spaces. She also mentioned possibly reinstituting a remote parking shuttle for faculty and staff to open more on-campus parking spaces for students and possibly having dedicated people monitor parking lots to direct drivers to available parking spaces on-campus.  

Senator Mena also suggested authorities may want to consider creating parking zones for particular classes of drivers, as other universities do, to address parking troubles.  

Parking Lot Supporters

However, those who favored new parking lot construction, such as Senator Bennett, said a new parking lot by Liberty Landing would be an efficient use of university’s time because clearing the land for new parking will also apply to necessary land clearing for a new student housing facility. Bennet said the Parking department is also looking to cooperate more with Housing, which he said (Housing) caused a lot of the issues with incorrect parking passes at the semester’s start.

Senator Holman also supported constructing new parking lots, including near Liberty Landing. “I’m quite okay with [new parking in Liberty Landing area] if that’s what needs to be done in order to ensure parking for commuters such as me,” she said.

Conclusion

In general, arguments against the construction of new parking lots, including one at the green space next to the plaza, were that new parking lot construction detracts from the campus aesthetic, is inefficient to go back and undo parking lot conversion from three years ago (Secretary Henry said) and that new parking lot construction in green space will disrupt other entities current use of the space, such as the biology department's ecological research for graduate and undergraduate programs and student organizations' activities for events.

Those in favor of the construction of new parking lots argued that new parking lots will have to come with new student housing and that clearing the land near Liberty Landing Apartments would fit efforts towards new housing. 

(End of summary.)

Paraphrased Account Of Assembly's Discussion

The following is paraphrased account of the senate’s conversation. The student government recap continues after this section.

Treasurer Peters moved to open discussion on Robert Crumly’s previous report on upcoming campus projects. He said adding parking will make campus look different and wanted to hear members’ reactions.  

One senator asked about opening unused parking spaces in area in front of the pool to Liberty Landing residents. President Dix replied that she asked about this and the option was declined because doing so is a safety issue. 

Senator Page said he would rather have parking garages instead of lots for space consolidation to edges of campus. Also asked about plans to disperse parking passes better next year. Had complaints about people having the wrong passes that should apply to them. 

Senator Brown said she questions the point of adding additional parking lots if student enrollment growth is not going to keep up with available space.  She questioned the utilization of the current parking garage. She objected to university policy that allows residential students to drive to class. Said she commutes. 

Peters said residential students who park on-campus do get ticketed “quite a bit.”

Senator Bennett said Parking department is looking to cooperating more with Housing which causes a lot of the issues with parking passes for housing. Said new parking lot by Liberty Landing would be an efficient use of university’s time because clearing the land for new housing in this area will also apply to necessary land clearing for new housing facility. 

President Dix – Authorities can also schedule class times to better use of parking space. Also suggested having better monitoring spaces to coordinate available spaces. 

Senator Holeman---Said she “completely agrees” with what Senator Bennet said. Mentioned that University would have to plant two trees for every one tree it cuts down since it is part of a [forestry university?] Said “I’m quite okay with [new parking in Liberty Landing area] if that’s what needs to be done in order to ensure parking for commuters such as me.” 

Senator Marcado?—Said she agree with building parking garages upon existing parking lots because garages can handle more capacity. Also said Soules parking garage can be dangerous because it is easy to “crash into someone else” while drivers are trying to u-turn. 

Treasure Peters clarified that he really wants to know how members feel about new parking’s impact on the campus’s look aesthetically. 

One senator said enforcement would be more important than creating new parking lots, since drivers will parking in new lots who are not supposed to. 

Senator Mena said lots in new spaces may look awkward. Instead, priority should go to commuters rather than residential students. 

Senator Garcia said other universities have problems with parking, but they have zones. So maybe UT-Tyler could consider assigning students to parking zones. 

Senator Chandler said new parking lots would disrupt graduate and undergraduate research in those areas. Said she would favor parking garages over parking lots to mind on-campus ecosystems.
Another senator said parking lots would mess up grassy area’s aesthetic and use by student organizations who table during campus tours. She favors a parking garage instead. 

Secretary Henry said University will have to purchase new land eventually. Objected to tendency of going back on parking lots that were planted over three years ago. Encouraged assembly to think of long-term solutions, not just short-term. 

Senator Page objected to taking parking away from O-Hall residents and let Liberty residents parking instead. Said he would much rather see parking garages over parking lots. 

Senator Seppi said he didn’t see how drivers would not want to walk from Liberty Landing Apartments to campus would instead want to walk from a future parking lot adjacent from Liberty Landing Apartments to campus.

[Discussion closed.]

Advisor Comments: 

Good feedback on parking. Student government does have a voice, he said. Advisor Neaves encouraged the assembly to invite Robert Crumly back before parking construction begins. 

He also encouraged members to invite their peers to join student government to fill vacant spots. 

Announcements:

-Arbor Day required event – Oct. 14
-Midnight Breakfast required event – Oct. 25
-Career Success Conference needs volunteers for conference on Oct. 18-20.
-Trunk Or Treat – Oct. 22.
-Global Quiz Night – Oct. 26
-Student Regent applications due November 20.

*Meeting adjourned after 1 hour 10 minutes. 

Meeting video available on YouTube.   

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