press releases

OFFICE OF THE SENATE OF COLLEGE COUNCILS 2201 Speedway Tel: (512) 471-3166

SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408

Austin, TX 78705 www.utsenate.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Michael Morton

October 13, 2011 (512) 639-3631

Resolution Aims to Create Certificate Program for Undergrad Researchers (AUSTIN) – Students could see expanded undergraduate research opportunities if a new Senate

resolution calling for the creation of an Undergraduate Research Certificate Program is passed during the

Oct. 13 Senate General Assembly meeting and integrated.

Reaffirming goals mentioned in Senate Resolution 505, which was passed in 2009, S.R. 1104 –

“In Support of Integrating Research and Inquiry-Based Courses into an Undergraduate Research

Certificate Program” – calls for the integration of existing research courses into an Undergraduate

Research Certificate Program specific to each college and school and further customized to the needs of

individual departments.

Authored by Senate’s Undergraduate Research Committee and sponsored by the Liberal Arts

Council, Undergraduate Studies Council and the Undergraduate Research Journal, the certificate program

would be comprised of 18 hours of coursework grounded in three basic components: foundation courses

that introduce research methods and varying modes of inquiry, research-exposure courses, and research-

intensive courses.

In order to earn the transcript-recognized undergraduate research certificate, a student must also

complete a culminating research project with a presentation. The certificate program’s requirements

would be able to be fulfilled through petitioned credit by upperclassmen during the transition

implementation period and transfer students would also be able to petition for research credit from a

different institution if the credit is accepted and deemed equivalent to the certificate’s coursework.

The Resolution comes as a result of the fact that there is currently no formal research program

across colleges and schools that trains undergraduates early in their careers in the methodology and skills

needed for future research positions or projects.

Additionally, S.R. 1104 notes that despite the many research courses and resources available at

UT Austin, many students find it difficult to incorporate research into their degree plans and remain

unaware of research opportunities.

Currently, four of the top five public research universities in the nation offer formal widespread

research programs that span multiple disciplines.

Two other pieces of legislation are also scheduled to be voted on during the General Assembly

meeting. The first piece of legislation, S.R. 1103, is in support of printing the University’s Honor Code on

the back of all new university identification cards and is intended to increase the visibility of the Honor

Code and further integrate it into campus culture.

The other piece of legislation is S.R. 1105 which supports the development of a comprehensive

degree planner. The Resolution supports efforts made by the Office of the Registrar to improve the

functionality and usability of the current degree planner and recommends various features to be integrated

into the new degree planning tool.

Contact:

Michael Morton

Senate of College Councils

Communications Director

(512) 639-3631

[email protected]

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http://utsenate.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/S.R.-1104-In-Support-of-Integrating-Research-and-Inquiry-Based-Courses-into-an-Undergraduate-Research-Certificate-Program1.pdf


http://web81.cc.utexas.edu/wp/wp-content/uploads/SR-505.pdf


http://utsenate.org/committees/urc/

http://utsenate.org/lac/

http://utsenate.org/lac/

http://utsenate.org/ugsc/

http://utsenate.org/2011/10/research-cert/utsenate.org/urj

http://utsenate.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/S.R.-1103-In-Support-of-Printing-the-University-Honor-Code-on-Identification-Cards.pdf

http://utsenate.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/S.R.-1105-In-Support-of-Developing-a-Comprehensive-Degree-Planner.pdf


SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408



October 4, 2011 (512) 639-3631

THECB Department Decisions Are Topic of Forum

(AUSTIN) – In response to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s direction to

The University of Texas at Austin in September concerning the elimination and consolidation of

“low-producing” degree programs, such as the elimination of the bachelor’s in Greek, the Liberal

Arts Council and the Senate of College Councils are scheduled to co-host a student forum on

Thursday, Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. in the Gebauer Third Floor Conference Room.

The forum is open to all students and will feature Dr. Richard Flores, Senior Associate Dean

for Academic Affairs in the College of Liberal Arts, who will speak about the background of the

THECB’s decisions and answer students’ questions on the implications of the decisions. The forum

will also be livestreamed at utsenate.org/tv and more information can be found at utsenate.org/thecb-

forum.

In addition to directing UT Austin to eliminate the bachelor’s in Greek major, the THECB

deemed 13 other bachelor’s degree programs as low-producing. Of those 13, seven were approved to

consolidate with other programs and the remaining six were granted a temporary extension to

increase enrollment over the next four years or face possible elimination.

The decisions from the THECB come as part of the Board’s evaluation process, which occurs

every five years, of every program at public universities and community and technical colleges in the

state to determine the productivity of programs.

Programs that award an associate degree or bachelor’s degree to less than 25 students within

five years are classified as low-producing and are required to eliminate the degree, consolidate it into

another program or apply for a temporary extension to improve enrollment.

Members of UT Austin’s Department of Classics filed appeals for temporary extension for

both of the department’s majors in Greek and Latin (which fell two students short of the 25 graduate

requirement), but only Latin was granted an extension.

Despite the elimination of the bachelor’s in Greek, students still have four degree options

which require courses in Greek language in culture: classics, classical archaeology, ancient history

and classical civilization and Latin.

Because Greek will be required to complete other degrees, administrators in the Department

of Classics say the elimination of the Greek major will not affect the number of courses offered or

reduce UT Austin’s budget any, the THECB’s original intent behind eliminating the major.

However, with the elimination of the bachelor’s in Greek, only two universities in Texas will

now offer the degree: Baylor University and Trinity University.

Contact:

Michael Morton



(512) 639-3631

[email protected]

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SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408



September 25, 2011 (512) 639-3631

Forum Allows Deans, Students to Address Graduation Rates

(AUSTIN) – With strong focus being placed on improving The University of Texas at

Austin’s four-year graduation rates, the Liberal Arts Council and the Senate of College Councils

are scheduled to host a student forum on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. in UTC 4.122 featuring

administrators from the College of Liberal Arts.

Dean Randy Diehl and Associate Dean Marc Musick will give an overview of the

university’s task force on graduation rates – which was established by UT Austin President

William Powers in July – and its mission and progress so far.

Diehl is the chair of the task force which consists of eight faculty members and five

students who have been meeting throughout the summer and the fall semester. The task force is

expected to issue a report by December.

Musick released a report on Sept. 1 comparing UT Austin’s efficiency and graduation

rates with those of 120 other public institutions of higher learning. In his report, Musick notes

that the university should focus on its four-year graduation rates which are currently around 51

percent.

In addition to speaking at the forum, Musick will also give a presentation on his report

during Senate’s General Assembly meeting on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. in SAC 2.302.

Following their prepared remarks, Diehl and Musick will open up the floor for feedback

and allow students the chance to provide their input on how graduation rates can be improved.

The event is open to the public and all students are invited to attend and share their

comments, questions or ideas. Limited seating is available.

Those unable to attend can watch the forum live at http://utsenate.org/tv and also Tweet

their comments or questions to @utscc. Video of the forum will also be available after the

conclusion of the event at http://www.youtube.com/utsenate.

For more information on the forum and graduation rates at UT Austin, visit

http://utsenate.org/gradrates.

Contact:

Michael Morton



(512) 639-3631

[email protected]

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SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408



September 9, 2011 (512) 639-3631

Senate Teams Up with University Co-op to Raise Funds,

Donations for Wildfire Victims

(AUSTIN) – Wanting to provide some much needed aid to the victims of the recent

Central Texas wildfires, the Senate of College Councils, and its Outreach and Development

Committee, has teamed up with the University Co-op to sell T-shirts beginning Saturday, Sept.

10 with all of the proceeds going to the American Red Cross and its relief efforts.

The T-shirts will cost $10 each and will feature sayings such as “I’m a BFD Supporter”

(BFD standing for Bastrop Fire Department) and “I Bastrop.” T-shirts will be for sale in the

Co-op on Saturday and throughout the following week.

In addition to raising funds through T-shirt sales, Senate, the Co-op and UT Austin’s

Division of Housing and Food Service are collaborating on a supply drive. Donation bins will be

located at various residence halls throughout campus as well as the Co-op for those wanting to

donate clothes, school supplies, toiletries and other items. All donations will go to the American

Red Cross.

For more information on Senate and the Co-op’s efforts or to find out how you can get

involved, visit http://utsenate.org/relief/ or http://www.centex.redcross.org/.

About the Senate of College Councils

The Senate of College Councils is the coordinating body that brings together the 20 College

Councils to represent students at The University of Texas at Austin in academic affairs and

provide student opinion on academic issues to the University's administration. Chartered by the

UT System Board of Regents in 1973 to represent all UT Austin students in academic affairs,

Senate's mission is to strengthen and improve the academic culture of the University, create

awareness and pride in the academic strength of the university, and ensure that the University of

Texas at Austin is and remains a “university of the first class.”

Contact:

Michael Morton Bala Varadhan Hannah Tucker

Senate of College Councils Senate of College Councils Senate of College Councils

Communications Director Outreach and Development Outreach and Development

(512) 639-3631 Committee co-chair Committee co-chair [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]



SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408



August 17, 2011 (512) 639-3631

New Students Get Welcome to Campus from Council

(AUSTIN) – First-year and transfer students in the College of Liberal Arts will get a

chance to learn more about the College and The University of Texas at Austin as a whole during

Project ReFRESH, a welcoming event hosted by the Liberal Arts Council from 10 a.m. – 2:30

p.m. on Monday, Aug. 22 in Room 0.102 of Garrison Hall.

Aimed at helping students with their transition to UT Austin, Project ReFRESH pairs

new students with returning CoLA mentors who will serve as a resource for students as they

integrate into the University.

Filled with information and tools designed to educate and empower incoming students,

Project ReFRESH acquaints incoming freshmen with the college and campus, and the many

opportunities to get involved.

In addition to the opportunity to meet other CoLA students, Project ReFRESH will

feature games, food and speakers from various offices across the 40 Acres.

Speakers at the event will include staff from: the Dean of Students, the Sanger Learning

and Career Center, the UT Police Department and Liberal Arts Career Services.

About the Liberal Arts Council

The Liberal Arts Council serves as the official voice for students in the College of Liberal Arts,

the largest student population at The University of Texas. The Council represents students in

academic affairs as one of the voting bodies in the Senate of College Councils and act as a

liaison between our peers and the administration. Its mission is to ensure that the opinions and

concerns of students in the college are heard.

Contact:

Michael Morton Katie Massey

Senate of College Councils Liberal Arts Council

Communications Director Student Affairs Chair

(512) 639-3631 (402) 450-8136

[email protected] [email protected]

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SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408



April 12, 2011 (512) 639-3631

Students “Spring” into the Giving Spirit with Donation Campaign

(AUSTIN) – On Wednesday, April 13 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Gregory Plaza, the South

Mall and near Bellmont Hall, more than 20 colleges, schools and organizations will be tabling

for the Spring into Giving campaign sponsored by Students Hooked on Texas, Student

Government and the Senate of College Councils.

Designed to encourage students to donate to UT and support an area they care about, the

Spring into Giving campaign gives students the opportunity to donate to the University and help

out the Student Emergency Fund.

Housed under the Office of the Dean of Students and entirely dependent upon donations,

the Fund provides limited emergency financial assistance to students who are unable to meet

immediate and essential expenses due to a temporary hardship.

Every dollar donated by students will also be matched by alumni donations. Throughout

the day, bottles of H2Orange water and souvenir cups will be distributed to students who make a

donation.

One organization that will be tabling on the South Mall collecting donations is the Liberal

Arts Council. So far, the Council has collected more than $1,000 in student donations for the

Fund and will be presenting the donation on Wednesday to the campaign in the form of a giant

check.

In the past, the Fund has been used to help students do things such as: find flights to

attend funeral services for immediate family members; recover after a burglary by helping with

some of the financial burden of replacing clothes, computers and more; and pay for medical tests

and treatments after sudden diagnoses of serious medical conditions.

For more information on the campaign and to make a donation, students can visit

http://giving.utexas.edu/how-to-give/students-hooked-on-texas/spring-into-giving/.

Contact:

Michael Morton



(512) 639-3631

[email protected]

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http://giving.utexas.edu/how-to-give/students-hooked-on-texas/spring-into-giving/


SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408



April 12, 2011 (512) 639-3631

Applications Out for New CoLA CTBAC Members

(AUSTIN) – More than a month after submitting its preliminary budget

recommendations to Dean Randy Diehl, the College of Liberal Arts College Tuition and Budget

Advisory Committee is seeking applicants to sit on the Committee for its first full school year.

Applications are due to [email protected] by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 22 and

interviews will be conducted Saturday, April 23. Applications, and additional information about

the CoLA CTBAC, can be found at http://utsenate.org/colactbac/.

Formed in December of last year in response to proposed college-wide budget cuts, the

CoLA CTBAC is designed to help identify academic priorities for students in the college,

recommend changes in tuition and advise on the budget.

Applicants for the CoLA CTBAC must be a student pursuing an undergraduate degree

within the College of Liberal Arts, be committed to being available for CTBAC meetings held –

at minimum – once per month, and must be committed to serving on the CTBAC for the 2011-12

academic year (through May 2012).

Made up of 12 voting members and the president of the Liberal Arts Council, who serves

as the non-voting chair of the Committee, the CTBAC goes through a process similar to that of

the current Tuition Policy Advisory Committee and makes written recommendations to the

College’s administration.

Through increased student involvement, the CoLA CTBAC seeks to adding transparency

to the budget process, inform the UT community about the issues at hand, give students a stake

in college-wide budget decisions and include the student input at all decision making levels.

Contact:

Michael Morton



(512) 639-3631

[email protected]

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http://utsenate.org/colactbac/


SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408



April 10, 2011 (512) 639-3631

Week Celebrates Undergraduate Research,

Student Achievements

(AUSTIN) – For the fourth straight year, the Senate of College Councils in collaboration

with the School of Undergraduate Studies and the Office of Undergraduate Research, is

celebrating undergraduate research and creative activity through Research Week – a campus-

wide event from April 11-15.

Featuring various events and activities showcasing undergraduate research, Research

Week serves to highlight the many research opportunities available to students and show that

undergraduate research is taking place in every college and school at UT Austin.

With the goal of raising awareness of the many research opportunities available to

undergraduates, Research Week features numerous events and presentations that showcase the

exciting research University students and faculty are doing every day.

Throughout the week, students can attend information sessions about undergraduate

research opportunities or view student presentations of different undergraduate research

initiatives. A listing of events can be found at www.utexas.edu/ugs/researchweek/calendar.php.

The feature event of Research Week is the Longhorn Research Bazaar which takes place

on Wednesday, April 13 from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. on the Texas Union Patio. Featuring more

than 25 participating organizations, offices, departments and labs, the Longhorn Research Bazaar

is an opportunity for participants from across campus to highlight their undergraduate research

activities and opportunities for student involvement.

During the Bazaar, student researchers will also present posters based on findings from a

variety of fields. There will also be refreshments, free t-shirts and other fun giveaways for

attendees.

For more information on Research Week and the Longhorn Research Bazaar, visit

http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/researchweek/.

Contact:

Michael Morton



(512) 639-3631

[email protected]

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http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/researchweek/calendar.php

http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/researchweek/

OFFICE OF THE INVEST IN TEXAS CAMPAIGN

2201 Speedway Tel: (512) 471-3166

SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408

Austin, TX 78705 www.investTEXAS.org


March 21, 2011 (512) 639-3631

Zaffirni, Castro to Speak at UT Students’ Legislative Day

(AUSTIN) – More than 200 University of Texas students are expected to descend upon

the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 22 to kick off the Invest in Texas Legislative Day 2011.

Students dressed in ―Invest in Texas‖ t-shirts will walk from the UT Student Activity

Center (SAC 2.102) to the Capitol’s South Steps to hold a press conference concerning proposed

higher education budget cuts. The march will begin at noon with the press conference scheduled

to begin at 12:30 p.m.

Scheduled to speak at the press conference will be Senator Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo),

Chair of the Senate Committee on Higher Education, and Representative Joaquin Castro (D-San

Antonio), Vice Chair of the House Higher Education Committee. Both Zaffirini and Castro are

expected to speak on the importance of funding higher education and student involvement in the

legislative process.

Following the press conference, students will spend the afternoon attending hearings and

meeting with lawmakers. Students meeting with legislators will be separated into groups based

on their hometown.

The Legislative Day is a part of the student-run, non-partisan Invest in Texas campaign

that was created by UT Student Government, the Senate of College Councils, the Graduate

Student Assembly and 25 other UT student organizations. Designed to advocate for students

during the 82nd

Legislative Session, the campaign focuses on key student issues like preventing

disproportionate budget cuts, providing competitive benefits to university employees, providing

health insurance to graduate fellows and allowing UT to determine its campus gun policy.

Current budget proposals slash financial aid programs by $381 million, reduce the

number of students receiving TEXAS Grants — the state’s main financial aid program — by

half, and cut 11.1 percent ($87.9 million) from state and federal money allotted to UT Austin.

More information about the Invest in Texas campaign and the Legislative Day can be

found at www.investTEXAS.org.

Contact:

Michael Morton Derin Kiykioglu

Senate of College Councils Student Government

Communications Director Communications Director

(512) 639-3631 (214) 662-1877

[email protected] [email protected]

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http://www.investtexas.org/




2201 Speedway Tel: (512) 471-3166

SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408

Austin, TX 78705 www.investTEXAS.org


March 18, 2011 (512) 639-3631

UT Students Host Legislative Day

(AUSTIN) – Hundreds of University of Texas students are expected to descend upon the State

Capitol on Tuesday, March 22 to kick off the Invest in Texas Legislative Day 2011.

Students dressed in ―Invest in Texas‖ t-shirts will walk from the UT Student Activity Center

(SAC 2.302) to the Capitol’s South Steps to hold a press conference concerning proposed higher

education budget cuts. The march will begin at noon with the press conference scheduled to begin at

12:30 p.m. Students will spend the afternoon attending hearings and meeting with lawmakers.

UT Student Government, Senate of College Councils, Graduate Student Assembly and 25 other

student organizations have joined together to create the non-partisan Invest in Texas campaign. The

campaign is designed to advocate for students during the 82nd

Legislative Session.

Current budget proposals slash financial aid programs by $381 million, reduce the number of

students receiving TEXAS Grants — the state’s main financial aid program — by half, and cut 11.1

percent ($87.9 million) from state and federal money allotted to UT Austin.

The Invest in Texas campaign focuses on key student issues like preventing disproportionate

budget cuts, providing competitive benefits to university employees, providing health insurance to

graduate fellows, and allowing UT to determine its campus gun policy. More information about the Invest

in Texas campaign can be found at www.investTEXAS.org.

Contact:

Michael Morton



(512) 639-3631

[email protected]

Derin Kiykioglu

Student Government


(214) 662-1877

[email protected]

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http://www.investtexas.org/




SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408



March 16, 2011 (512) 639-3631

Final Meeting Before Administration Transition to See

Vote on One-Time Exception Policy

(AUSTIN) – In the final General Assembly meeting before the Senate of College Councils

is scheduled to transition from the Chelsea Adler administration to a new Leadership Team under

the direction of current Executive Director, Carisa Nietsche, the Assembly is expected to vote on a

resolution creating a university-wide One-Time Exception policy.

One of two pieces of legislation anticipated to be voted on during Senate’s March 24 GA

meeting in the Legislative Assembly Room (SAC 2.302), S.R. 1015 – In Support of Creating a

University-Wide One-Time Exception Policy would allow a One-Time Exception for all University

students to Q-Drop a course after the Q/F drop deadline and prior to the last class day, assuming

that a student has not completed the final coursework in the class.

With the exception of the College of Natural Sciences, the School of Architecture and the

School of Nursing – all of which grant students OTEs – current university policy only allows

students the opportunity to drop courses after the mid-semester mark for “substantiated, non-

academic circumstances.”

Authored by members of Senate’s Curriculum Committee, S.R. 1015 recommends the

creation of a standard university-wide policy that permits individual colleges and schools to allow

OTEs, alleviating the academic inequality and unnecessary confusion the current policy creates for

students.

While the Resolution allows for individual colleges/schools to opt-in to the recommended

policy at the college/school’s discretion, S.R. 1015 also suggests the following minimum guidelines

be set for the university-wide OTE policy:

1. A student must be in his/her first two long semesters at the University

2. The student must have a “D” or an “F” at the time of the OTE request

3. The student has not completed the final coursework for the class

4. The student receives only one OTE in his/her tenure at the University

5. Students must meet with their advisors to go through the course-dropping process

The Resolution also states colleges/schools that wish to allow OTEs outside the

aforementioned guidelines must get their guidelines/policies approved by the Faculty Council’s

Educational Policy Committee.

Contact:

Michael Morton



(512) 639-3631

[email protected]

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SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408



February 26, 2011 (512) 639-3631

Week Thanks Faculty, Sets Goal of 2,500 Thank You Cards

(AUSTIN) – During the week of Feb. 28 – March 4, the Senate of College Councils will present

the 13th annual Faculty Appreciation Week, featuring: thank you card writing on the West Mall and

Gregory Plaza, events in every college and school, free food and T-shirts, discounts for faculty at local

restaurants and Longhorn sporting events, professor dinners hosted by Greek organizations and more.

Since 1999, Senate has brought the University together to celebrate its world-renowned faculty

members and encourage and foster student-faculty interaction on the 40 Acres.

This year, Senate will continue to foster positive student-faculty interactions by coordinating a

campaign to gather 2,500 student-written thank you cards for the University’s more than 2,500 faculty

members.

Senate will be tabling from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Monday – Thursday (February 28 – March 3).

Students who come to Senate’s table and write a thank you note will receive a cookie, while those who

write three thank you cards will receive a Faculty Appreciation Week T-shirt.

For students who are unable to make it to one of the Senate tables or are in a rush during tabling

hours, online thank you cards will be available at www.utsenate.org/faweek/thankyoucard/.

Students can simply write a message on the formatted card and put the faculty member’s name,

college and department in the appropriate boxes and email it to [email protected]. Senate will then

deliver it to the faculty member.

In addition to writing thank you cards, Senate will also thank the University’s faculty by handing

out its annual Professor of the Year award. Senate’s Professor of the Year award is given to one tenure or

tenure-track professor at the University who demonstrates outstanding teaching ability and a commitment

to their students and the University. The winner will receive a check for $1,000 at the UT men’s

basketball game on Feb. 28, along with other rewards.

Selected by an all-student panel, the professor will be chosen based on the quality of the

responses to the questions in the application with careful consideration given to the CIS results of the

nominee.

For more information about Faculty Appreciation Week and all of the week’s wonderful events,

visit www.utsenate.org/faweek/. Faculty members can also check out a list of restaurant and athletic

discounts for FA Week at www.utsenate.org/faweek/discounts/.

Contact:

Michael Morton



(512) 639-3631

[email protected]

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SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408



February 26, 2011 (512) 639-3631

Theriault Honored as Professor of the Year

(AUSTIN) – To kick off the 2011 Faculty Appreciation Week, the Senate of College

Councils thanked the University’s faculty by handing out its annual Professor of the Year award

on Friday, Feb. 25 to Dr. Sean Theriault, an associate professor in the Department of

Government for the College of Liberal Arts.

Senate’s Professor of the Year award is given to one tenure or tenure-track professor at

the University who demonstrates outstanding teaching ability and a commitment to their students

and the University.

Theriault, along with the 10 other nominees for Professor of the Year, were honored

during a reception on Feb. 25 at the Littlefield House. The reception, which was organized by

Senate’s Faculty Affairs committee, included a presentation of each nominee and their work

along with food and refreshments.

Selected by an all-student panel, Theriault was unanimously chosen based on the quality

of the responses to the questions in his Professor the Year application – submitted by the Liberal

Arts Council – and his CIS results.

In honor of the award, Theriault will receive a check for $1,000, courtesy of Senate,

during halftime of the UT men’s basketball game on Monday, Feb. 28 against Kansas State,

along with other rewards.

Theriault, who received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2001, researches American

political institutions, primarily the U.S. Congress. His current research is on the Gingrich

Senators and how they have transformed the U.S. Senate and his classes include: the U.S.

Congress, Congressional Elections, Party Polarization in the United States, and the Politics of the

Catholic Church.

Senate’s Professor of the Year award joins a handful of teaching awards that Theriault

has won, including the Friar Society Teaching Fellowship (considered the biggest undergraduate

teaching award at UT) in 2009.

For more information on Theriault and the rest of the Professor the Year nominees, go to

www.utsenate.org/poy/.

Contact:

Michael Morton



(512) 639-3631

[email protected]

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SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408



February 8, 2011 (512) 639-3631

CoLA CTBAC Makes First Recommendations

(AUSTIN) – Biweekly updates and notification guidelines regarding college budget

decisions make up the first recommendations sent to Dean Randy Diehl from the College of

Liberal Arts College Tuition and Budget Advisory Council on Monday, Feb. 7.

Released following the CTBAC’s fourth meeting as a group, the recommendations come

less than two months after the Council was formed and are a precursor to the CTBAC’s planned

detailed recommendations set to be released by early March.

Approved by a vote of 8-0 with freshman Danny Zeng abstaining (three of the 12 voting

members were absent), the recommendations call for Diehl’s office to send biweekly emails to

CoLA students “regarding any subject that could affect their academics.” Designed to increase

transparency and keep students informed about what is going on in the College, the biweekly

updates would include information about “planned meetings, past meetings or changed thoughts”

by the College’s administration.

In addition to recommending a college-wide biweekly update, the CTBAC approved a

recommendation that seeks to enhance the gathering of input from students, faculty and staff

members prior to the making of college budget decisions.

The recommendation asks that no budget “decision be finalized without two weeks’ time

to communicate with students” and gather feedback about the proposed decision. Additionally,

the second recommendation calls on Diehl’s office to notify each CTBAC member immediately

when new information arises and/or when a final decision regarding the College’s budget is

being made.

Wanting to receive more student feedback and comments regarding the recommendations

and College budgetary issues in general, the CTBAC has also formed a Twitter account –

http://twitter.com/lactbac - and a Facebook page. The Council also encourages students to email

their input to [email protected] or contact one of the CTBAC’s 13 members.

Contact:

Michael Morton



(512) 639-3631

[email protected]

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2201 Speedway Tel: (512) 471-3166

SAC 2.102 Fax: (512) 471-3408

Austin, TX 78705 www.investtexas.org


February 7, 2011 (512) 639-3631

UT Students Attend Senate Committee Hearing

(AUSTIN) – More than 100 University of Texas students are expected to attend the Texas

Senate’s Finance Committee hearing on Wednesday, February 9th. Students dressed in burnt-orange will

walk from the new UT Student Activity Center (SAC 2.102) to the Capitol’s Senate Finance Room

(E1.036). The walk will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will kick off the non-partisan ―Invest in Texas‖ campaign.

The Senate of College Councils, UT Student Government, Graduate Student Assembly and other

student organizations have joined together to create the Invest in Texas campaign. The campaign will

organize students to lobby lawmakers to adequately fund UT, protect financial aid programs and allow

UT to remain ―a university of the first class.‖

The Senate Finance Committee hearing will feature testimony from 10 UT students as well as a

presentation by University president William Powers. Students and community members not testifying

will have the opportunity to leave written comments for the Committee record. The hearing, which is

open to the public, will focus on state funding for higher education.

Similar to the House’s proposal, the Senate budget slashes financial aid programs by $381

million, reduces the number of students receiving TEXAS Grants — the state’s main financial aid

program —by half and cuts 11.1 percent ($87.9 million) from state and federal money allotted to UT

Austin.

Although Wednesday’s hearing concerns funding for the University, the Invest in Texas

campaign will also focus on providing competitive benefits to all University employees, providing health

insurance to graduate fellows and allowing UT to determine its campus gun policy. More information

about the Invest in Texas campaign can be found at www.facebook.com/investTEXAS or at

http://twitter.com/investtexas.

Contact:

Michael Morton



(512) 639-3631

[email protected]

Derin Kiykioglu

Student Government


(214) 662-1877

[email protected]

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