Kevin Pulver of Consuming Fire Ministries stayed behind to argue with a group of student protesters in front of the Hilton College while his group was delayed from leaving due to a fire alarm going off in the Welcome Center parking garage. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar.

A mass of angry students and religious protesters clashed early Thursday afternoon in front of MD Anderson Library.

The protest started around noon when 35 members of several Pentecostal churches began picketing in Butler Plaza with signs deriding homosexuality and other “sins,” informing the reader they would burn in hell.

A crowd of students quickly amassed in counter-protest, standing in a wall in front of the library holding printed signs and chanting as UHPD officers cordoned off the sidewalk to separate the two groups.

Footage of the incident provided to the Cougar by communication science and disorders senior Rebecca Lenzo shows a crowd of students growing to at least 30 people around the religious protesters before taking position in front of the library and on the balcony of the Rockwell Pavilion.

In videos captured of the protest, the two groups traded off between shouting at each other with students and Pentecostals occasionally stepping onto the sidewalk between them, which had been cleared and cordoned off by police.

Student protesters printed flyers reading “Let them wear pants,” which they held up and chanted at several points. It’s unclear what either group was saying at many points in the protest footage obtained by The Cougar.

For many eyewitnesses the event wasn’t extraordinary, as religious protests have been a common sight in past semesters.

Biology sophomore Zakariya Ali said he’s no longer concerned when religious protesters show up to campus because he thinks they’re just looking for attention.

“My first semester I was like, ‘oh, wow, this is crazy,’” Ali said. “Now it’s like ‘oh, just another group.’ It’s not like you’re not gonna change their minds by yelling at them.”

Around 2 p.m., the religious protesters began to make their way toward the Welcome Center parking garage to leave, but they were forced to wait due to a fire alarm going off in the garage. One member of the group stayed behind near the Hilton to continue arguing with a small group of students who had trailed behind.

According to the pastor for Pentecostal Lighthouse Ministries Josh Herridge from Livingston, one of the parishes that took part in the protest, the group will be protesting Friday at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.

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The UH System Board of Regents approved at 2 p.m. Thursday a plot of land near MacGregor Park as the future location of the College of Medicine, which will open Fall 2020 in the Human and Biomedical Sciences II building with a 30-student inaugural class.

There are two location options on the forty-three acres of University-owned land in MacGregor, according to an email from Director of Media Relations Chris Stipes. Each option to house the 150,000 square-foot, four-story building would cost approximately $65 million.

Locations downtown, within the Texas Medical Center, on campus and within Energy Research Park were also considered for the College, according to the presentation.

With factors such as state appropriations, teaching costs and a comparison with other Texas medical schools taken into consideration, tuition for the college was approved at $23,755 per academic term, including a $100 College of Medicine Malpractice and Long-term Disability fee.

Thanks to a $3 million July donation, however, four-year tuition is paid in full for the College’s first class.

The College of Medicine is expected to reside in UH’s Human and Biomedical Sciences II building following its Fall 2020 opening, before moving to a permanent location. | Courtesy of UH Media Relations

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Finance senior Alivia Mikahiel and supply chain management senior Karim Motani were crowned homecoming royalty during halftime at the game against Temple. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar

Seniors Alivia Mikahiel and Karim Motani were crowned 2018 Homecoming Queen and King, respectively, at Saturday’s Homecoming football game against Temple after a week-long voting period.

Homecoming court has been a tradition at UH since 1946, the first year the University held Homecoming.

Potential candidates for Homecoming royalty have to complete multiple steps before becoming eligible for a place on the court. Each step emphasizes service, involvement, aspirations for the future and overall Cougar Pride, said Homecoming Chair Mayra Castillo.

Students had the opportunity to vote for Homecoming King and Queen over the course of Homecoming week. Each candidate’s profile was listed on the Homecoming poll, found on Get Involved through the Access UH portal.

The crowning ceremony was held during halftime after the announcement of the winners of the Spirit Bell, a decorating contest between faculty and staff, and the Spirit Cup, a competition between spirit teams.

UH President Renu Khator with her husband and industrial engineering professor Suresh Khator, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Kowalka, Homecoming Vice Chair Jesus Garza, Director of Court Anthony Salcido, and Castillo accompanied the Homecoming court to the field.

President Khator and her husband crowned the queen and king, respectively, followed by photos before the procession rushed off the field so the Spirit of Houston marching band could take its place. Castillo said Homecoming royalty were then escorted to the President’s suite.

The Homecoming King and Queen represent students who have impacted the campus and fellow students through their service and involvement, representing the values of our alma mater and serving as role models of what a Cougar should be, Castillo said.

Homecoming Queen Alivia Mikahiel is a finance and marketing senior who has volunteered as a cub camp counselor, worked with the Orientation Team and for the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. She is a Ted Bauer undergraduate business scholar and president of the American Marketing Association at UH.

Mikahiel is also a sister of the Chi Omega sorority.

Homecoming King Karim Motani is a supply chain management senior who serves on the executive board of Alpha Sigma Phi, is a residential assistant at Bayou Oaks, and like Mikahiel, has worked on the Orientation Team. He is a member of the Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma, the highest recognition an undergraduate business student can receive.

The Cougar sat down with the Homecoming royalty to discuss the process of running for and winning King and Queen.

The Cougar: Why did you choose to run for Homecoming King/Queen?

Karim Motani: I chose to run for Homecoming King to be able to represent my friends and family, to share my story on a greater scale. I wanted to be able to inspire others to reach a higher level of achievement than myself, because I think that’s what it is all about, being able to encourage and motivate others to keep raising the standard of excellence to a level that wasn’t thought possible.

From only knowing two people when I arrived as a freshman in Fall 2015 to being a senior now, I have had the honor to accomplish many great things, but I wanted to be able to inspire others to create their own stories and impact, and to know that they will always have someone there that believes in them.

I wanted to be able to be a representation of how hard work, passion, and ambition can come together for an individual to make a difference in the world, and I hope that message was conveyed this past Saturday.

Alivia Mikahiel: I love the University of Houston so much, and I am so thankful for all the opportunities it’s given me. This was the perfect way to show my cougar pride.

TC: What is the importance of Homecoming and the HC King/Queen?

Motani: Homecoming will always have a special place in my heart.

I believe that the importance of Homecoming King and Queen is that they are the representation of the student body and how far the University has come. I also believe that they are a beacon of what will come next as they represent a model of excellence for others to follow.

To be able to share my story and be able to touch people’s lives — that means the world to me — and I’m excited to represent the University to the best of my abilities.

Mikahiel: I feel like Homecoming is really important because it reminds people to come back to their roots and no matter where they are in life, they’ll always be cougars. This year’s Homecoming theme was “Go Big & Come Home” which I think is a perfect description of what Homecoming is.

The Homecoming King and Queen are people who are passionate and involved in the University of Houston.

TC: What were the criteria you had to meet in order to run for Homecoming King/Queen?

Motani: The criteria I had to meet to run for Homecoming King was pretty straightforward. We had to attend an information session, have an organization sponsor us, fill out an application and write out three essays that had several prompts.

Afterwards, we had a round of interviews, and from then on, we had the opportunity to campaign to make court. Once you made court, your involvement during homecoming week was critical to being able to choose the next Homecoming King and Queen.

Mikahiel: There was an application, then interviews, then cuts were made afterwards. Then, students voted, and the top five candidates for King and the top five candidates for Queen made it onto Homecoming court. Then a combination of involvement, interviews, resume, GPA and attendance at events during that week resulted in the final King and Queen.

TC: What did winning Homecoming King/Queen mean to you? How did you feel?

Motani: Being able to win Homecoming King meant the entire world to me. It felt as if everything in my college career finally came together and clicked.

It was the culmination of all my hard work, dedication to the University and organizations and commitment to my academics. It was one of the greatest moments of my life and I was left speechless.

I never ran to win or just for the title, I genuinely wanted to be able to inspire others to achieve great things and be even better than me. I truly believe that I can say I achieved that. It’s a great honor to be Homecoming King, it’s a moment that I never dreamed possible, it’s an experience I will never forget and will pass down for the rest of my life.

I will forever be grateful for what the University has been able to provide for me.

Mikahiel: I feel like I finally made my mark here. This is definitely a huge milestone in my life and I’m never ever going to be able to forget this. I’m so speechless and shocked that it even happened.

TC: Did you know each other beforehand?

Motani: I did know the Homecoming Queen beforehand. We are Bauer students and Ted Bauer Scholars. It’s an exclusive group of students recognized for accomplishing many great things on campus, displaying great leadership experience, and strong academics.

Alivia has done amazing things for the College of Business, and for the University on a macro-level. She’s truly a great person with a pure heart, she deserves this and more as she has given so much to the University of Houston community. I’m so proud of her.

Mikahiel: Yes, we are both involved in very similar extracurriculars. We were both on the Orientation Team, in Greek life, and heavily involved within Bauer.

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The Board of Regents makes major decisions that impact over 73,000 students across the entire UH System. | Courtesy of Chris Stipes

SGA President Cameron Barrett has been vetting candidates for the coveted opportunity to serve as the sole student representative on the UH System Board of Regents, which oversees all major decisions throughout UH and its many satellite campus, since mid-July and the application will close Friday.

The student regent application can be found on AccessUH, under the Get Involved portal.

The student regent, a long-standing tradition in university systems throughout the nation and mandated in Texas, allows a student voice to influence the decisions that will impact the entire student body. Past UH student regents include Neelesh Mutyala, who served on the board when the medical school was approved.

Despite being a non-voting member on the Board of Regents, the student regent has an influential role in major University decisions, which annually include approving increases to parking permit and meal plan prices, in addition to on-campus housing rates. Student Government Association President Cameron Barrett is in charge of picking potential candidates to recommend to the Board, and said the regent is the only student to whom UH President and Chancellor Renu Khator answers.

“The purpose of the position is (to) structurally inject the student voice into the decisions made by the Board of Regents,” Barrett said. “They impact the student body as much as the regent is able to logically and rationally convince the board of their opinion.”

The UH System Board of Regents is the supreme governing body of the UH System that has a role in every major decision throughout University of Houston campuses.

The Board of Regents consists of nine members, excluding the non-voting student regent, and terms last for six years, said Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Kowalka. Terms are staggered, and three members are appointed to the board every two years during the legislative session, he said.

“The student regent is a full-fledged member of the Board of Regents with two exceptions: They are a non-voting member and do not count towards quorum,” said current Student Regent Andrew Teoh. “They are involved in every meeting, discussion and event. Because they are the only student, their feedback is welcomed and their voice is valued. It is a humbling responsibility.”

The Board of Regents is composed of nine distinguished members who the Texas governor appoints, and are confirmed by the Senate Regent, Kowalka said.

“Throughout its history, the Board of Regents has been composed of ardent advocates for excellence in quality of education, research, service and leadership, supporting institutional and regional growth and success,” Kowalka said.

The Board of Regents meets approximately four to five times per year, and the student regent is responsible for attending all meetings and participating in regent activities, Barrett said.

The regent is not compensated but is eligible for reimbursement of expenses related to board activities, including travel to meetings, Teoh said. The position comes with a level of prestige, however, and provides opportunities through these meetings and special events that are especially unique for a student.

Section 51.355 of the Texas Education Code calls for the appointment of one student regent to the Board of Regents per year, Kowalka said. This statute explains the duties of the student regent and lists qualifications and steps that must be taken throughout the appointment process.

The UH Board of Regents has five committees: Academic and Student Success, Audit and Compliance, Endowment Management, Facilities, Construction and Master Planning and Finance and Administration, Kowalka said. The student regent is a resource — providing a fresh student perspective     for other board members on issues that the full board is discussing, he said.

The appointment process begins with the SGA president, who interviews all candidates for the student regent position and then gives their recommendation to the Board of Regents, Barrett said.

The regent does not have a major impact on SGA initiatives, but Teoh has met with SGA to discuss initiatives a couple times, Barrett said. These meetings keep Teoh informed on what SGA is working on, and allows him to better voice what students are concerned about when meeting with the Board of Regents, he said. 

The president consults with SGA leaders before making their recommendation, he said.

“I will invite the speaker of the Senate, the current regent and a number of other student leaders to attend the interview, and I will make my recommendations based on everyone’s feedback,” Barrett said. “I’m looking for someone dedicated who can reasonably explain their position in any given scenario, with a good work history and a history of excellence on and off campus.”

Dr. Richard Walker, vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services, and Jason Smith, vice president for Governmental Relations, serve as the interview and screening team, Kowalka said. All students recommended by the SGA of the four UH System institutions will be interviewed for the position, he said.

“Candidates should be knowledgeable about the University of Houston System, should have the ability to network and serve as a role model for all students in the UH System, as well as being articulate when representing the point of view of students of the University of Houston System to the Board of Regents,” Kowalka said.

President Khator reviews the recommended applicants and recommends at least two students to the governor of Texas, Kowalka said.

The regent must be prepared to engage in a diverse array of events, Teoh said.

“I would advise a future student regent to always say ‘yes’ to new opportunities,” Teoh said. “Regents are invited to countless meetings and events across the system and the city — these are especially unique opportunities for a student.”

The final candidate is appointed by the governor of Texas and will represent around 73,000 students within the UH System, Teoh said. The UH System includes the main UH campus, UH-Downtown, UH-Clear Lake and UH-Victoria, he said.

“As the only student, it’s my responsibility to share insight from a student’s perspective on items coming before the board,” Teoh said. “In this role, I hope to contribute meaningfully to important discussions and decisions, sharing a perspective that otherwise may not be heard.”

The student regent is an important influencing factor in decisions made by the Board of Regents, and applicants must be prepared to represent the entire UH System, Teoh said.

“Additionally, I’d encourage my successor to fully participate in student life across the entire system, not just at the flagship campus,” Teoh said. “Our sister institutions in Victoria, Clear Lake and Downtown have distinct personalities and over 25,000 students. A regent has the responsibility to serve them all.”

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“Student application to the Board of Regents closes this week” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

While a portion of the Student Center Satellite is scheduled to re-open Monday, the entire structure will have a grand re-opening for Spring 2019. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar

Following a semester-long closure for repairs, the Student Center Satellite is scheduled for a partial re-opening Monday, bringing the return of the TV room, Games room, Starbucks, Smoothie King and Market.

The Student Center Satellite has been closed due to damages from Hurricane Harvey, and maintenance is expected to be ongoing on the main food court area until the anticipated grand re-opening in January 2019, said Eve Esch, director of Student Centers.

“So what happened after Harvey     the whole thing flooded     and so we were able to reopen the food court in the spring, but we didn’t open the Starbucks and Smoothie King,” Esch said. “They’ve been closed since Hurricane Harvey, and they are ready now because they’ve been down the whole time.”

The University wanted to ensure at least part of the Satellite was open prior to finals, so students in the area had options closer to their classes, Esch said. For now, only the South end of the building will be re-opened, including the restrooms, and there will be a grand re-opening of the entire Student Center Satellite in January, she said.

“We mitigated and did some damage control after Harvey, and just to provide some food service, we re-opened it without redoing everything completely, but that set that area back a little bit,” Esch said. “Since we were doing service out there, we couldn’t tear everything out and redo it.”

UH began repairing the food court area in the Satellite over the summer, Esch said. A majority of the food services will look similar to how they did before Hurricane Harvey, she said.

“The Starbucks will have a new look to it. Starbucks, the brand, they like to refresh it and keep their look up to date,” Esch said. “It will look slightly different from the previous version of the Starbucks.”

The Smoothie King will look almost identical to how it looked before Harvey, but all of the equipment has been replaced and everything     including the counter-tops and paint     has been redone, Esch said.

Students, particularly those with classes on the north side of campus, have been lost without the Satellite.

“I would go almost every day, going to (The Market) or grabbing a quick bite to eat in between classes, and I used everything but the game room,” said mechanical engineering senior Gene Beche. “I’m definitely happy it’s reopening, but I wish it was fully re-opening.”

Since the front portion of The Market is a window instead of walls, the establishment required less work than the others in the Satellite whose walls needed to be torn down and replaced, Esch said. Overall, the south side of the Satellite took about 15 months to complete, she said.

“The Satellite was in between my classes and my dorm so it was always super convenient,” Beche said.

Since the food court was open for four months in the spring, UH had to wait until the summer to start on the mill-work.

Mill-work is the process of tearing down the wall to the studs and replacing the materials, because of the tendency of wood to grow mold when exposed to water for extended period of times, Esch said. This includes rebuilding all of the counter-tops and structure impacted by the flooding, she said.

“Whenever you have flooding, it sort of seeps up into wood or behind it. There’s space between what you see and space between the next wall, and so that’s a great place for things like mold to grow,” Esch said. “Essentially, you have to tear it down to the studs, start all over and build it up from there.”

In addition to these repairs, furniture and carpet have been replaced as needed, and all of the walls in the Satellite have gotten a fresh coat of paint, Esch said.

“The TV lounge has got all new carpet, all new furniture, so its a great spot for folks to be able to eat and study,” Esch said. “The pool tables, the games room area also got all new carpeting. We went ahead and re-felted the tables in the game room, so they’ve got all brand new surfaces to play on.”

News of the re-opening has been somewhat limited, as students like political science junior Alex Zaibaq did not realize any portion of the Satellite would be re-opening within this semester.

“I would use the Indian restaurant, the sushi place, and Chick-Fil-A,” Zaibaq said. “I would go there pretty often, because I’d usually have class around there. I’ve definitely missed it, it’s a good place to study, too.”

The Satellite also had a few options that students could not get anywhere else on campus, drawing more students to make the trek across campus for food options like Taco Bell.

“It was located near one of my three classes, but I’d often go out of my way to head to the Satellite,” said Student Government Association Vice President Davis Darusman. “I just got food, I never really utilized that area to hang out or study because seats over there seemed scarce enough and I didn’t want to take one from a starving student looking everywhere for a table.”

Like Darusman, many students were upset to hear of the Satellite’s closure after the building had previously been closed until the spring semester following Harvey. Now that the grand re-opening of the Satellite is official, students are preparing to indulge in food options closer to their classes.

“I went down to the Satellite at least twice a week,” Darusman said. “To be honest, I miss my guilty pleasure of Taco Bell. As a part of UH Dining, they were never allowed to sell non-Coca Cola products which really ruined my Baja Blast cravings, though.”

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“Student Center Satellite to re-open with Starbucks, more” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

A town-home style student apartment complex, Gateway on Cullen, changed their guest parking pass policy in response to increased complaints about the lack of resident parking spots at night. | Corbin Ayres/The Cougar

After a change in management, many Gateway on Cullen residents complained about a lack of parking spaces for those who paid for reserved passes. Management has since changed the apartment complex’s policy on guest parking, but students have additional reservations about the new system.

Gateway on Cullen is an off-campus luxury apartment complex that opened in 2017 and is now home to UH and Texas Southern University students. Before the shift in management, guests could get a parking pass from an employee at the front desk that could be used for a maximum of 72 hours as long as they could provide the make, model and license plate of the car. 

Due to a high number of residents complaining about their inability to find a parking spot despite paying for a parking permit, Gateway on Cullen reduced the number of guest parking passes they give out per day to 10, said the leasing agent Demai Brown. Before, there was an unlimited number of passes.

Cars displaying a guest pass could be parked in any uncovered spot in the Gateway’s gated surface parking lot that wasn’t marked as “reserved.” Before the change, those passes allowed guests to park in resident spots when there was not available parking outside the gate.

“It wasn’t too difficult at first to get visitor passes, but when they changed the policy it became very difficult,” said pre-pharmacy junior Carissa Ramirez. “You can only get a pass early in the morning when the office opens, and the pass is only for 24 hours. I work full-time, which means I cannot always go to get a pass before they run out.”

The new visitor parking pass policy still requires the make, model and license plate number of the car, but guests can no longer ask for a pass. The resident must retrieve the pass for their guest.

“The previous guest pass system at Gateway was that all residents were allowed and able to get a visitor’s pass,” Ramirez said. “Now all residents are allowed to still get a visitor’s pass, but only if there are any left.”

This change in the amount of visitor passes provided to residents has restricted the ability for friends and family to visit at Gateway, Ramirez said.

“I am able to have guests over if I get to the office in time, but most of the time I’m at work and can’t make it to the office to get a pass,” Ramirez said. “The office doesn’t allow residents to request a visitor pass over the phone — it has to be in person.”

Near the Gateway’s leasing office, there are 18 guest parking spots that don’t require a visitor parking pass at all, since they are designated for guests, with 1 of these 18 parking spots reserved for those with a handicap permit. 

There is no time limit on these spots, however, and some cars remain in the guest spaces for days at a time before moving, Ramirez said.

While guests are allowed to park in the spaces designated for future residents outside business hours, their vehicles will be towed if they’re still parked once the leasing office opens for the day.

Residents have been told that if they are unable to find a spot, they can park along the curb as long as the car is moved by 9 a.m., Ramirez said. Otherwise, they have to wait and hope they can find a parking spot, she said.

Despite the policy change and unavailability of free spaces, some students, like mathematics senior Noelle Meinen, have had a positive experience with guest parking.

In the previous parking pass system, Gateway on Cullen towed vehicles with passes that appeared to have been tampered with or damaged along with vehicles lacking a pass at all, but Meinen says the new system is “straightforward.”

Since guests could park in the designated resident parking lot, there were times when residents would have to drive around for extended periods of time, sometimes half an hour, before a spot would open up.

“I’ve never had to use guest parking, I’ve always been lucky and got a spot out front,” Meinen said. “Before, it was hard to find a spot when I came home late from work. I definitely don’t have as many issues now.”

Gateway on Cullen declined to give a comment on the updated parking system.

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4:31 p.m.: UHPD sent out an official alert at stating that they were notified of a robbery at 3:31 p.m. According to UHPD, the robbery occurred at the intersection of Wheeler Avenue and Rockwood Street.

A female student was walking West on the South sidewalk of Wheeler Avenue when she was approached by the first suspect. The suspect bumped into the student with his shoulder and grabbed her phone from her hands. He then entered a vehicle being driven by the second suspect.

The car is white with 4 doors, and the make, model and license plate are unknown.

The first suspect was a black male between 20 to 25 years of age, 6 feet tall, wearing a white tank top and with a large build.

The second suspect was a black male, between 20 to 25 years of age, and was driving the car.

No weapons were used.

UHPD asked that anyone with details regarding the situation call them at 713-743-3333.

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4:31 p.m.: UHPD sent out an official alert at stating that they were notified of a robbery at 3:31 p.m. According to UHPD, the robbery occurred at the intersection of Wheeler Avenue and Rockwood Street.

A female student was walking West on the South sidewalk of Wheeler Avenue when she was approached by the first suspect. The suspect bumped into the student with his shoulder and grabbed her phone from her hands. He then entered a vehicle being driven by the second suspect.

The car is white with 4 doors, and the make, model and license plate are unknown.

The first suspect was a black male between 20 to 25 years of age, 6 feet tall, wearing a white tank top and with a large build.

The second suspect was a black male, between 20 to 25 years of age, and was driving the car.

No weapons were used.

UHPD asked that anyone with details regarding the situation call them at 713-743-3333.

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“BREAKING: Female student has phone stolen from hands” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

Lawrence Daniel, Director of DSAES IT Services, presents his request to the Student Fees Advisory Committee. | Owen Zinkweg/The Cougar

The Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services IT Services and the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life both asked the Student Fees Advisory Committee for increases to their budgets during their Monday presentations. 

The Student Fees Advisory Committee is responsible each fall for hearing presentations and funding requests from fee-funded units — ranging from Counseling and Psychological services to Homecoming and Frontier Fiesta — throughout the University. The committee usually makes its funding recommendations during Thanksgiving break before requesting approval from UH President Renu Khator.

Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life

CFSL asked for a total budget of $358,718 for Fiscal Year 2020, which will include the 2019-2020 academic term, representing an increase from the Fiscal Year 2019 budget of $348,323. 

The department, which oversees all Greek Life at the University of Houston, asked for $10,395 in merit and salary increases in their budget request, as well as a one-time request for an additional $5,830 to fund their ELEVATE Fraternal Leadership Conference.

ELEVATE is an opportunity for those in Greek life to learn about and develop leadership skills for the job market and their futures. The program began in 2017 and is intended to fill a gap in the leadership programming at Greek life at UH, said Director of CFSL Jason Bergeron.

He said financial equity was a problem for Greek life, and there are always budget concerns.

“We are using every single cent that we are given,” Bergeron said. “Financial support is critical.”

The CFSL presentation focused on the accomplishments of the organization over the course of the past year. CFSL currently serves upward of 1,500 students in 46 Greek chapters across campus.

“We are nationally recognized,” Bergeron said.

Greek life has won 44 Fraternal Excellence Program awards, and fraternity and sorority chapters at UH have increased their already-above average GPAs by another 9 percent. 

“Anybody who wanted to engage in skill development and leadership development could spend a Saturday doing that,” Bergeron said. “We had some great success in our first outing.”

Bergeron said Greek life always made use of its funding. Most governing councils receive $5,000 or less for a yearly budget, he said. CSFL uses almost all of its funding each year, returning less than

The Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services IT Services

DSAES IT Services wants an increase in merit and salary pay. 

DSAES IT Services requested a Fiscal Year 2020 budget increase from the current Fiscal Year 2019 budget of $929,519 to $963,180 to fund merit and salary raises among employees in the department.

DSAES IT Services focuses on resolving any desktop and computer issues for the six Student Affairs and Enrollment Services departments. DSAES IT, which was centralized in the summer and fall of 2013, has worked to spread and upkeep 1,227 computers across campus. Earlier in the year, DSAES IT worked with UIT to produce the UHGO app for technical issues on campus.

DSAES IT Services Director Lawrence Daniel said the service had excellent satisfaction and response times, as 94.29 percent of those who used the service were satisfied with the response time and 96.67 percent were satisfied with the service overall.

“We get feedback, and we are trying to get that number to 100 percent,” Daniel said.

Daniel finished his presentation by speaking about the four-year desktop replacement plan and its recent success thanks to Student Fees Advisory Committee funding.

Daniel did not ask for any one-time budget requests but said SFAC funding eliminates all department budget needs.

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“Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life requests budget increase for leadership conference” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar

Lawrence Daniel, Director of DSAES IT Services, presents his request to the Student Fees Advisory Committee. | Owen Zinkweg/The Cougar

The Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services IT Services and the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life both asked the Student Fees Advisory Committee for increases to their budgets during their Monday presentations. 

The Student Fees Advisory Committee is responsible each fall for hearing presentations and funding requests from fee-funded units — ranging from Counseling and Psychological services to Homecoming and Frontier Fiesta — throughout the University. The committee usually makes its funding recommendations during Thanksgiving break before requesting approval from UH President Renu Khator.

Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life

CFSL asked for a total budget of $358,718 for Fiscal Year 2020, which will include the 2019-2020 academic term, representing an increase from the Fiscal Year 2019 budget of $348,323. 

The department, which oversees all Greek Life at the University of Houston, asked for $10,395 in merit and salary increases in their budget request, as well as a one-time request for an additional $5,830 to fund their ELEVATE Fraternal Leadership Conference.

ELEVATE is an opportunity for those in Greek life to learn about and develop leadership skills for the job market and their futures. The program began in 2017 and is intended to fill a gap in the leadership programming at Greek life at UH, said Director of CFSL Jason Bergeron.

He said financial equity was a problem for Greek life, and there are always budget concerns.

“We are using every single cent that we are given,” Bergeron said. “Financial support is critical.”

The CFSL presentation focused on the accomplishments of the organization over the course of the past year. CFSL currently serves upward of 1,500 students in 46 Greek chapters across campus.

“We are nationally recognized,” Bergeron said.

Greek life has won 44 Fraternal Excellence Program awards, and fraternity and sorority chapters at UH have increased their already-above average GPAs by another 9 percent. 

“Anybody who wanted to engage in skill development and leadership development could spend a Saturday doing that,” Bergeron said. “We had some great success in our first outing.”

Bergeron said Greek life always made use of its funding. Most governing councils receive $5,000 or less for a yearly budget, he said. CSFL uses almost all of its funding each year, returning less than

The Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services IT Services

DSAES IT Services wants an increase in merit and salary pay. 

DSAES IT Services requested a Fiscal Year 2020 budget increase from the current Fiscal Year 2019 budget of $929,519 to $963,180 to fund merit and salary raises among employees in the department.

DSAES IT Services focuses on resolving any desktop and computer issues for the six Student Affairs and Enrollment Services departments. DSAES IT, which was centralized in the summer and fall of 2013, has worked to spread and upkeep 1,227 computers across campus. Earlier in the year, DSAES IT worked with UIT to produce the UHGO app for technical issues on campus.

DSAES IT Services Director Lawrence Daniel said the service had excellent satisfaction and response times, as 94.29 percent of those who used the service were satisfied with the response time and 96.67 percent were satisfied with the service overall.

“We get feedback, and we are trying to get that number to 100 percent,” Daniel said.

Daniel finished his presentation by speaking about the four-year desktop replacement plan and its recent success thanks to Student Fees Advisory Committee funding.

Daniel did not ask for any one-time budget requests but said SFAC funding eliminates all department budget needs.

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“Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life requests budget increase for leadership conference” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar