ELECTIONS AND TAO COUNSELING
Elections for Student Government senators will be the week after spring break. Those who are interested must sign up by Feb. 20.
“Contact someone from Student Government as well as the Election Board’s Chair Casey Sublett and they will try to get them paired with a ticket and at least try to get them connected with the people who they know are running,” said Joey Campain, SG vice president.
Recently, Campain also met with Dean of Students Amanda Smith, Director of the Counseling Center Jim Cannici and Associate Dean Laura Smith about establishing Therapy Assisted Online counseling.
TAO counseling is meant to assist students who can’t or don’t wish to go to the counseling office. University administration is in the process of getting price estimates, but TAO counseling should be in place by the middle of next fall or the following spring semester.
ELECTIONS
Current senators are planning to revamp informational materials to encourage students to run for positions, said Padigela, SG President.
‘BATHROOM BILL’
A new bill introduced by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick requires all state-funded institutions to demand individuals to use the bathroom that corresponds to the gender on their birth certificate.
According to the leader of the Legislative Affairs Committee Christian Filsouf, SG senators will be meeting with campus officials and administration to get their feedback on how to proceed with possible implementation.
“I can say that our main objectives are the following: to ensure that all students are accommodated and taken care of in the event that the university has to make the transition. Having gender neutral or ‘family’ restrooms could be an option. However, we would need to have it verified by our legal consultants that implementing such restrooms wouldn’t violate the tenants of the bill should it become law,” Filsouf said.
SG members also plan to get student input and report it to state legislatures.
“We will be gauging our student body to gain their perspective on the matter, and that ultimately will help us to assist the university bearing in mind students’ interest during the implementation of the bill,” Filsouf said.
Although the bill may not pass, SG senators want to plan ahead for all possible outcomes.
If implementation were required, SG senators intend on seeking advice on how to help the student body with the transition by the means of town hall meetings, pamphlets, posters and advertisement campaigns.