Student Government met for its fourth senate meeting of the semester Oct. 8, focusing on upcoming projects that various committees have been working on. One resolution was passed in favor of encouraging faculty members to excuse absences on election day, Nov. 5 this year.
The Legislative Affairs Committee announced several projects including Party to the Polls and the Texas Congressional Candidate Panel. Party to the Polls, planned for Nov. 5, is an initiative to encourage students to vote at UTD’s on-campus polling locations: the Callier Center for Collin County and the Visitor Center for Dallas County. Stations to inform students about where to vote will be set up around campus during the day. The congressional panel, meant to educate voters on candidates for state congress, is planned for Oct. 30 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be open to the general public. Candidates Averie Bishop and David Carstens are scheduled to speak at the panel with several more candidates and incumbents interested in attending.
SG passed S.R. 2024-06 to encourage UTD administration and faculty to “excuse absences from class” and “encourage their students to vote” on election day. The resolution was sent to the Staff Council, the Academic Senate and to the deans of each school.
The Diversity, Equity and Belonging Committee discussed some updates for its two National Coming Out Day events planned for Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Plinth and Oct. 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Galaxy Rooms. Additionally, DEB Chair Nandita Kumar discussed plans to write an anti-caste discrimination resolution to encourage UTD administration to include “caste” as a protected class.
The Student Affairs Committee is launching a campus-wide T-shirt Design contest. Students will be able to submit their designs for review, and the winning design will be printed by Student Government to hand out at future events. The project aims to promote student engagement between Student Government and their constituents.