SGA appoints new senate chair

The Student Government Association has voted to appoint a new chair of the senate, following the resignation of the previous chair.

“Chair of the senate is a really important position and I wouldn’t want the senate to feel pressured,” SGA President Alondra Galvan said during last Friday’s meeting. “Just because we only have one candidate, doesn’t mean we have to give that person the position.”

The only candidate nominated was Carlo Flores, an international business senior who served as senator at large for the Edinburg campus. He was elected to the position in an 11-2 vote.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity I was given by the students to serve alongside each and every one of you as senator at large for Edinburg,” Flores said. “Although I am not perfect nor I’ll ever be perfect, my dedication to making this the best university for fellow students remains strong.”

The chair of the senate regulates communication among senators and with the help of the sergeant-at-arms keeps order during meetings, as well as possessing a vital presence in all committee affairs, said Ivan Morado, senator for the College of Liberal Arts. The appointee also helps maintain healthy communication among all branches.

Galvan encouraged members of the senate to ask Flores questions in regard to their expectations for the position. They asked if he would resign as senator at large for the Edinburg campus if elected. Flores answered that he would resign his position as senator at large and allow another member to be a candidate for that position.

“Every question that you have to ask is really important, because this is an opportunity for the candidate to see what the senate is looking for in this position,” Galvan said.

In his speech, Flores said he believes this will be the best semester for UTRGV students and that he will work hard to ensure their voices are represented.

“The power of the student government is within the senate. We are the strongest force,” he said. “We must use our voice to represent students in a fair, strong and respectful manner.”

At the end of the meeting, Galvan talked about the appointment of a new university provost and parking permits for spring, Summer I and Summer II, as well as rezoning.

“It is now possible to purchase parking permits just for the spring semester,” she said. “Parking permits for the whole year is $80, and if you purchase it for the spring semester only, it’s $60, and you can park for the summer as well. If you are looking for purchasing a permit for Summer I, it’s $40, and for Summer II, it’s $20.”

All parking permits expire at the end of the academic year.

“The university is already doing the provost search and please make sure that you go out and see which candidate will be the best,” Galvan said. “The provost is a very, very important position, so it will be very beneficial for us to know all the candidates.”

Candidates for provost are Patricia McHatton, who has served as the UTRGV interim provost since August 2017; Parwinder Grewal, dean of the College of Sciences for UTRGV; and Jamboor Vishwanatha, regents professor and vice president of the graduate school of Biomedical Sciences for the University of North Texas, according to unthsc.edu.

SGA meetings are held at 2 p.m. every Friday. The location will be announced later.

For more information, email sga@utrgv.edu.