The current Student Government senate held its last meeting of the semester April 21, focusing its substantial agenda on allocations for student programs, including Lavender Graduation and the next steps for funding Cosmic Market.
Vice President of Student Affairs Gene Fitch announced new developments on the construction for the new Student Union and Student Success Center — the building is set to be substantially complete by October 30, after which the staff will spend the rest of the semester training on the new technology in the building.
The presentation also included a first look into the new Temoc statue, planned to be set at the SU/SSC entrance. The statue will stand at just under seven feet tall and will take six to eight months to construct.
SG also heard a presentation from student leaders on Richardson Mayor Amir Omar’s new Mayor’s Advisory Council. The council is intended to let UTD students work directly with the mayor’s office on city issues while gaining real world policy experience.
The council will include teams focused on mayoral communications and branding, research and policy analysis, economic development strategy and a multimedia team. Students will get the opportunity to receive internship credit, letters of recommendation and will get to interact face-to-face with the mayor. Presenters emphasized that the council is meant to be a two-way relationship in which students contribute toRichardson’s best interest while the mayor supports UTD student professional growth.
After this, the Budget Breakdown Taskforce gave a final update on its work throughout the semester. The team condensed roughly 200 pages of financial data into graphs and a final 30-page report — a more accessible format —after working with the CFO’s office and a team of student analysts.
Members noted the success of their “Build-A-Budget” event, in which several organizations participated to bring financing and budgeting knowledge to UTD students through fun activities. The team is planning to expand the project to other UT System schools, including UT Arlington, and plans to continue developing their website for mobile access.
End-of-semester committee reports included reports from Academic Affairs on its resource fair, while Communications reported on its success in increased posting and active engagement.
Student Affairs said it held monthly talking sessions and several campus collaborations, and Mental Health Ad Hoc said it produced health resource brochures and collaborated with other organizations for student wellness.
Lastly, the senate approved bylaw amendments related to The Retrograde, reaffirming its position as the official UTD student newspaper. Further, it approved a bylaw amendment on committee hours, updating the system that required centers to work a certain number of hours every week.
Members also approved the funding for the Cosmic Market, formerly Artist Valley, after a one-time exception allowed the event to return for the semester. The UT System is reevaluating the rule that affected the event’s status.
Allocations were also approved for Lavender Graduation, an event hosted every semester that celebrates LGBTQ+ students graduating. Other approvals include self-care tabling during Finals Scream and a speaker for SG events.
Before adjourning, senators were presented with updates on the 2026-27 term, UT System Outreach, a possible PA Advisory Committee and a special election on constitutional amendments.
The last meeting of the current senate was adjourned at 6:14 p.m.
SG meetings are open to the public. The newly elected Student Government will hold its first meeting May 5, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the SU Galaxy Rooms.