This Week In Student Government - 11/28

(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 University's plans for reviving the parking lot by Ritter Tower will go forward for Fall 2024. 

It will cost roughly $900,000. It was unclear if all of this money or some of it will come from student parking permit fees or elsewhere. The revival of the green space parking lot by Ritter Tower will renew 90 parking spots and construction of a new lot next to Liberty Landing and Patriot Walkway provides 235 new spaces at roughly $3 million, Executive Vice President Dwyane Morris said.

The administration is also exploring putting a temporary lot of gravel or other material next to Liberty Landing until it constructs new permanent parking lots. The alternative material is to avoid damage from heavy equipment necessary for new student housing construction.

Provost Amir Mirmiran told student government that yes, rearrangement of class schedules could reduce parking congestion and that as a result of doing so other universities reported an up to 30 percent improvement. However, class schedule rearrangement will not be available until at least Fall 2024 as administration first needs faculty and staff feedback to ensure no other adverse impacts. 

As for the faculty/staff remote shuttle program, SVP Ona Tolliver said, "I think that particular tool is better suited for peak times. Maybe at the beginning of the semester, while everyone is getting settled in. I don't believe it's a long term solution."

Other Q&A content: 

Regulating parking by a scannable pass and an armed barrier (like at a parking garage) is possible, but the barriers often malfunction and cause backups.

A software app to detect available parking spaces and their location is possible, but the financial cost to innovate the current lots and implement this software is similar to costs of new parking lots, Director Robert Crumley said. 

Morris discussed possibly raising the parking permit fee. (This fee does not require a student vote like others do.) He said, "I will say this parking fees have been very static for a long time operating costs continue to go up. We may have to look at raising them some, anyway. But all that's in an attempt to try to make sure that we off good parking, and we're transparent. We'll be transparent, and those increases if we have to do them."

Morris was unable to answer whether the administration will implement stricter rules for compliance to prohibit unauthorized parking. 

Members gave suggestions such as marking Onealas Hall residents' parking pass to prevent them from parking elsewhere on campus other than at O-Hall and in overflow at Lot 15. 

In the end, administration made no adjustments to is plans to pull up the green space at Ritter Tower to restore the old parking lot nor to halt its construction plans next to Liberty Landing. Members asked a lot of questions for information and administrators gave their opinions on ideas, such as The Victory Village Shuttle and the use of new technology, but no change in administration's plans occurred as of the meeting.

Officer Reports

  • President Dix - Working on finals bags and toy drive and next semester in terms of Chief of Staff Tropp graduating.
  • Vice President Carnes - Helping President with delegated tasks.
  • Secretary Henry - Working on finals bags and toy drive.
  • Treasurer Peters - Updating budget and had last two SGAC meetings for semester
  • Chief of Staff Tropp -  [Seat vacant. She's graduating.]

Committee Reports

  • Events Committee - Finals bags on Th/Fri from 11am – 1pm. Toy drive currently happening. 
  • Communications Committee - Planning for spring semester and headshot pictures for SGA members. Also considering rules for events and engagement for Instagram.
  • Appropriations Committee - Approved $234.75 for Student Veterans Organization Thanksgiving Event and $421 for Reformed University Fellowship Christmas event.
  • Rules Committee - NA
  • Environmental Sustainability Committee - Planning for next semester. May do Earth Day event again.

Student Voice Reports

  • Freshman Class - Students are stressed about finals and semester events have been helpful.
  • Sophomore Class - Dean of Students Andrew Pettee encouraged sophomores to combat “sophomore sling” by leaning into campus resources. Senators considering sophomore development group. Also discussed TimelyCare app with Assistant Dean of Students Mary Logan.
  • Junior Class - Met with Dean Pettee and talked about making junior events more inclusive to junior peers. Myers-Brigss test can be helpful to integrate into academic and career counseling services. 
  • Senior Class -For housing selections, seniors may need to know more clearly that they may be unable to get housing be unable to get housing if “they are not entirely needing the housing.” Pedestrian crossing at The Foundry location is unsafe. Also some students feel UT-Tyler system is not structured to receive student ideas for student research. 

Old Business - None.

New Business 

Chief of Staff Nominations

Senators Chandler, Schwartz and Page accepted nominations to the vacant chief of staff position. An internal election will occur in a special SGA meeting next week.

Recycling 

The assembly was unable to answer Student Nathan Pietrzyk's questions about recycling he asked in Open Forum (the segment does not allow question and answer discussion). So, Sen. Robert Bennett opened a discussion to address the student's questions here. 

Pietrzyk asked what SGA has done about recycling. The senate reviewed this topic and closed the discussion with a comment for someone to reach out to the Pietrzyk who had left the meeting.

Mental Health Resources For Rigorous Majors

Treasurer Soren Peters moved to open a discussion with the assembly about campus mental health resources for engineering and other students with "rigorous majors".

Some senators said the TimelyCare app is helpful, but there is low awareness of it among students due to lack of promotion. Others thought professors could notify students about it during their classes. Bennett said that professors have to report student comments about poor mental health as a compliance issue, so students are less likely to discuss mental health with professors. 

Vice President Robert Carnes said mental health "is a crisis" among students and that he saw this when he was an resident advisor. (I was unsure what specific mental health quality they were talking about. I think it may about the phenomenon "sophmore slump".) 

According to Wikipedia, "A sophomore slump (also known as a sophomore jinx or sophomore jitters) is when a sophomore fails to live up to the relatively high standards that occurred during freshman year."

Advisor Comments 

The three applicants for UT-System Student Regent and their platforms are: 

  • Chloe Dix - Higher education financial literacy, Increase Mental Health Awareness, International Offices & Support. 
  • Lucas Schwartz - Higher Education Student Debt, Mental Health – Prevention, Enhancing Curricluam to include/implementation of technology (such as A.I.)
  • Ashlyn Mattern – Retention rate of Academic Advisors, Degree Application/Use, Higher Education Cost

Advisor Neaves said The Executive Board decided to advance all three candidates to President Calhoun's office for review to increase the chances of a UT-Tyler student regent. The President can advance up to five candidates to UT-System Chancellor for review. 

Neaves made other comments in addition to student voice reports about student engagement, such as plans and promotions of class rings to juniors.

Announcements

  • Next week's meeting info TBA.

Meeting adjourned at 1 hour 50 minutes.

Meeting video available on YouTube.   

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X: @Jhescock12

Feature Image: Via Flickr. (Source unknown!)

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