Advertisement for leadership funds, funding shortages and need for better landscaping were key issues discussed at the Student Government Association’s thirteenth session of the 49th general assembly. It was then followed by a focus group survey on meal plan usage and dining experience.
The session commenced at 5:30 p.m. in which Deputy Speaker of the Senate Gloria Tran approved the previous session’s minutes and opened the floor to an open forum. In the open forum, Senator Alexander Hennel mentioned how many students across campus were unaware of SGA’s role in improving campus life. It was suggested to find alternative ways of informing the student body about SGA’s mission.
Another topic of discussion included funding shortages for student organizations. One SGA member recounted a student’s claim about having to pay for CPR training out of pocket. They called for better advertising of the leadership fund, which is useful in waving such payments. Lastly, there was a concern about the buildup of mothballs on campus trees. To remedy this, a push for better landscaping was proposed to prevent the moth balls from killing off the trees.
Afterwards, Academic Affairs Vice Chair Sydney introduced the committee reports, starting with academic affairs. She announced that the next committee meeting was scheduled for April 9 at 4 p.m. There was also a recap of the 2025 Design Summit about the concept of AI technology being integrated into the brain for mental health benefits.
A list of upcoming events included Mental Health First Aid Training on April 5 and April 12 starting at 9 a.m. and National Public Health Week tabling on April 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The next SGA general assembly meeting will be held on April 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the Retama Auditorium. Lastly, Rage Room will be held on April 28 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the Rowdy Lawn.
This was followed by SGA President Aydan Villareal discussing the need for SGA member participation at the late-night breakfast held on May 8 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. This will ensure there is enough help to provide students with a fun and social opportunity to relax and eat during finals. Villareal made sure to include that Student Employee Appreciation Day is on April 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The meeting was then handed over to guest speaker and Associate Vice President for Campus Services Karey Charlie who began the dining focus group survey. This focus group aimed to gather data on meal plan usage, sales data and student feedback to improve UTSA dining services. A 19-question forum was conducted in which students voted on and responded to a series of prompts.
Once the dining experience forum concluded, Charlie emphasized the importance of conducting as many surveys as possible. She encouraged students who wish to participate in the survey to contact campus services by direct message on Instagram or by reaching out via email.
The meeting adjourned at 6:53 p.m.
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