The Campus Conservative

("Money - Savings" by 401(K) - 2012 via Flickr) To the typical student, student fees can sometimes be difficult to understand. Many know they are out there, but they often do not understand why, how they work, or even what they can do about them. Students can understand student fees better if they follow these three steps: think of them as taxes, remember student government is a democracy and keep them separate from university fees. If a student follows these steps, then he will understand student fees better. First, students can understand student fees better if they think of them as taxes. In his College Student Affairs Journal article ''The History of Student Governance in Higher Education”, Walter P. May notes the genesis of both student fees and of student government. Early on, some students who lived at school eventually got bored with the curriculum and decided to pool their money to fund additional lectures on other subjects. For example, in addition to the b...

    (Logo. Source: Student Government Association at UT-Tyler.) Student government elected a new chief of staff this week in a special meeting at the end of the semester. Senator Jennifer Chandler won the assembly's vote in a three-way race among two other current SGA members, Allison Schwartz and Tyler Paige. Student members spent nearly an hour both investigating and discussing who should be the next officer in the association's executive board. That members take such an interest in their organization's affairs is commendable. However, given that the assembly displayed how it has the capacity to both investigate and deliberate over a subject matter with rigor, then I ask, why it could not also demonstrate this same rigor in matters that are undeniably of popular student concern, such as unavailable parking space and advisor shortages? The assembly's ability to both convene a special session and to debate the issues at length demonstrate that members have the ability t...

    (Logo. Source: Student Government Association at UT-Tyler.) Student government elected a new chief of staff this week in a special election at the end of the semester. Senator Jennifer Chandler won the assembly's vote in a three-way race among two other current SGA members, Allison Schwartz and Tyler Paige. In her campaign pitch to the assembly, Chandler championed her priority for inclusion and accessibility in SGA as well as her three years of experience as resident advisor (RA) in Ornelas Hall student housing.  With Chandler's election, Student government advances yet another residential student to a position of power. There is nothing is wrong with this in principle. After all, all students, both residential and commuter, have the right to participate in student government. However, given the obscurity with which SGA operates to most commuter students, it is mostly residential students who know about its activity and therefore stand the most to benefit from their ...

  (Source: via Flickr) Here is a recap of The Student Government Association at UT-Tyler's Dec. 5 meeting.  Summary Student government held a special session this week to elect a new Chief of Staff for its executive board.  SGA elected Honors College Senator Jennifer Chandler to the Chief of Staff role. Chandler beat competitors Allison Schwartz and Tyler Paige for the position. The association will not announce the vote totals, per SGA rules. Chandler, a senior, ran on a platform of promoting inclusion and accessibility with student government, as well as officiating respectful dialogue among senators. She called on her experience as a Ornelas Hall Resident Advisor and being the Honors LOGOS Student Senate President in her pitch to student government.  Her competitor Schwartz is a student athlete and fellow Rules Committee and Honors College member along with Chandler. Her other competitor Paige is an eagle scout and a Liberty Landing senator.  Nominees must ha...

  (Source: "Dayton 06-20 19 38 - Dayton Police Department Police Car" by David Ellis, via Flickr) Here are the recent crime reports for UT-Tyler's main campus according to UTTPD's Daily Crime Log. For more information, visit UTTPD's Daily Crime Log  webpage . Harassment - Police encountered to an incident of harassment at Patriot Village Apartments on Dec. 6 at 4:16 p.m. Officials issued a criminal trespass warning and closed the case. Alcohol Offense - Police discovered an alcohol offense at Ornelas Hall on Dec. 3 at 8:44 p.m. Officials submitted a referral to Judicial Affairs.  Previously reported crime in December: Minor in Possession of Tobacco / Tobacco Products, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia - Police encountered an incident of Minor in Possession of Tobacco / Tobacco Products, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia between 3500 Old Omen Rd and 2611 Old Omen Rd on Nov. 28 at 10:45 a.m. Police issued a criminal trespass warning and a referral to Judicial ...

  (Logo. Source: Student Government Association at UT-Tyler.) This week, Student Body President Chloe Dix invited university administrators to speak to student government about the institution’s plans to construct two new campus parking lots. One of them some students feel will disrupt the campus’s naturalistic aesthetic. Of the two lots, there will be one next to Liberty Landing Apartments on Old Omen Road and the other will be next to Ritter Tower to recover an old parking lot that the university previously covered with grass in 2019 .    In its Oct. 10 meeting following the announcement, some senators expressed dissatisfaction with the University’s plans to destroy the green space by Ritter Tower. Student government then decided to request administrators return to justify their intent to replace the green space with a parking lot. Yet, when administrators appeared this week, student government members said nothing about the green space. No one told officials they oppo...

(Source: via Flickr) Here is a recap of The Student Government Association at UT-Tyler's Nov. 28 meeting.  Summary In this meeting, the assembly heard from administration about upcoming parking construction plans, took nominations for a new chief of staff position, reviewed campus recycling efforts, discussed mental health resources for engineering and other rigorous majors, learned of the three applicants for UT System student regent and heard other plans for junior class engagement. Student government announced it will meet next in a special session. Meeting info is TBA. Speaker's Podium -  Guests: Executive Vice President Dwyane Morris, Senior Vice President for Student Success Ona Tolliver, Provost Amir Mirmiran and Director of Emergency Management and Safety Robert Crumley The assembly heard from senior administrators on the University's plans for two new parking lots and future parking arrangements. At the end of the discussion, administrators said that the Universit...

  (Source: "Dayton 06-20 19 38 - Dayton Police Department Police Car" by David Ellis, via Flickr) Here are the recent crime reports for UT-Tyler's main campus according to UTTPD's Daily Crime Log. For more information, visit UTTPD's Daily Crime Log  webpage . Minor in Possession of Tobacco / Tobacco Products, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia - Police encountered an incident of Minor in Possession of Tobacco / Tobacco Products, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia between 3500 Old Omen Rd and 2611 Old Omen Rd on Nov. 28 at 10:45 a.m. Police issued a criminal trespass warning and a referral to Judicial Affairs.  Minor in Possession of Tobacco / Tobacco Products - Police encountered an incident of Minor in Possession of Tobacco / Tobacco Products at Ornelas Hall on Nov. 27 at 4:47 p.m. Police referred the incident to Judicial Affairs. Criminal Trespass - Police responded to an incident of Criminal Trespass at Ornealas Hall on Nov. 27 at 4:47 p.m. Police executed an a...