“Athletic funding, we won’t pay! Let them find another way!” the protesters said. “Mental Health is a right! This is why we have to fight!”| Raphael Fernandez/ The Cougar

Chants erupted outside the UH Hilton hotel as protesters gathered to demonstrate against President and Chancellor Renu Khator’s rejection of the Student Fees Advisory Committee’s recommendation.

The protest came after Khator rejected the committee’s recommendations to increase funding to many student services and programs and cut student fee support to Athletics. Fearing the possibility of the Board of Regents increasing the Student Service Fee or reducing the funding of services such as Counseling and Psychological Services, the protesters called on the administration to place student voices over monetary gain.

Some chants were directed at the athletics program, while others advocated directly for University mental health programs such as CAPS.

“Athletic funding, we won’t pay! Let them find another way!” the protesters said. “Mental Health is a right! This is why we have to fight!”

Many of their complaints against the president referred to the suicides on campus last year. The protesters saw Khator’s rejection as refusing support for CAPS and other mental health-related organizations funded by the student fees.

“How many people have to die before you hear our needs and rights?” the protesters said.

Prominent members of the Student Government Organization were also present during the protest. SGA President Benjamin Rizk, Vice President Tyler Luc, Speaker of the Senate Sophia Wilson and many senators joined the protesters in chants.

SGA presidential and vice presidential candidates Cody Szell and Mohammed Tabarra were also present. SGA Vice Presidential candidate Austin Craig also attended for a short time, but his running mate, Diego Arriega, was not present. The Cougar reached out to officials within For all Cougars but at time of publication, none have responded for comment. 

SFAC members Spiro Hoxha and Anahi Ortega were dispersed throughout campus, giving protest flyers to students.

“We want to make sure that this is not the opinion of just the committee but also the entire campus,” Ortega said.

Another complaint among the protesters is the lack of support and advising programs for some majors. According to some protesters, Khator has threatened to remove this advising support.

“This protest shouldn’t have to involve advising,” said former SGA president and former SFAC chair Charles Haston. “When SFAC made their recommendations, her response was, ‘I can’t let you cut the athletics budget. If you do, we’ll have to find the money elsewhere, and students are going to pay,  only now they’re gonna lose their academic advisor.”

The protesters also occupied the Board of Regents meeting itself, with students and demonstrators lining the walls and seats of the meeting room. The protesters remained at the meeting and cheered when SFAC members addressed the board. 

Kadi and UH Board of Regents members debated the issue of student fees during their meeting, which the board tabled for a later session. Kadi claims that had there not been pushback from protesters, the board would have voted to side with Khator’s decision.

Organizers such as Hoxha were satisfied with the number of student groups attending the protests, he said. For Hoxha, the success of the protest serves as a call to action for other progressive organizations that hope to make a change in the University.

“We secured some form of negotiations because a lot of people showed up,” Hoxha said. “If we show up in droves, we can get everything we want.”

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“Students host protest to oppose Khator’s rejection of student committee’s fund recommendations” was originally posted on The Cougar

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

Student leaders and organizations are coordinating a protest Wednesday against President Renu Khator’s rejection of the Student Fees Advisory Committee’s budget recommendations.

The protest will take place before the Board of Regents meeting at the UH Hilton hotel. Supporters demand that the Board comply with the recommendations made by the committee to fund student services by reducing student fee support to the UH Athletics program.

Student organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine, Young Democratic Socialists of America, Deeds Not Words and prominent members of SFAC are among the groups mobilizing the protest.

“I just feel the president not agreeing with the student-led committee’s recommendations is a slap in the face to the student body,” said SFAC member and one of the protest’s organizers Jesus Nieto.

Many student organizations advocating for SFAC emphasize the unilateral nature of Khator’s rejection. Harrison Martin, another organizer and leader of Young Democratic Socialists of America at UH, claimed Khator’s rejection bypasses the ability of students to control where student fees are being spent.

“Students should be able to control where their fees go,” Martin said. “The fact that the president can take something decided by the students and deny it without any process to check them sets a bad precedent.”

SFAC claims that news of Khator’s rejection and the administration’s plans for student fees was not transparent with the committee, leading them to question whether the University is considering their recommendations.

“Why are they not communicating with the student body? Why are they not communicating with SFAC members? They are the ones that are given the right to oversee this entire process,” Nieto said. “They are trying to sweep things under the rug 24 hours before the meeting.”

The protest-planning process began immediately after the committee received notice of Khator rejecting their report, according to co-president of the Houston chapter of Deeds Not Words, Landon Richie. Richie and other members of Deeds Not Words are prominent in protests at UH and suggest that supporting SFAC’s decisions will benefit students. 

“SFAC is meant to be a voice for students and help them become successful, healthy and productive,” Richie said. “It is irresponsible for the University to sideline these.”

According to a presentation posted to the Board of Regents agenda page, the Board will also vote on proposals to increase housing and parking rates among the fate of the SFAC recommendations. The administration’s alternative recommendations regarding student fees were released the day before the Board of Regents meeting, causing frustration among SFAC members and leaving students unaware of what Khator will consider during the meeting.

“There are things still up in the air; Is Renu going to suggest raising the student service fee? Is she going to suggest running on a deficit?” said SFAC chair Yusuf Kadi. “I’m not super happy about both of those possibilities.”

Other groups that will attend the protest include Students for a Democratic Society, Payment for Placements and the Student Government Association.

Nieto feels the University is focusing more on staples that have helped Khator gain success over her tenure as President and Chancellor at UH, meanwhile, neglecting other major issues that affect the student body.

“I just don’t see why UH wants to put university ranking and Athletics first when serious problems are happening on this campus,” Nieto said. “ Students are not feeling supported.”

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“Student organizations to orchestrate protest in response to Khator’s rejection to SFAC recommendations” was originally posted on The Cougar

Len Duenas/The Cougar

President Renu Khator has officially rejected the recommendations made by the 2023-2024 Student Fee Advisory Committee, according to sources within the committee. 

The report, finalized before the beginning of the semester, recommended divesting $1.5 million from UH Athletics’ base budget. The committee recommended reallocating the funds — around two-thirds of which would remain in the department’s budget pending future committee approval — into other student programs and services along with an external review to the Athletics department. Members of SFAC and other student organizations will appeal to the Board of Regents at their next meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 21.

“SFAC will be at the board meeting,” said SFAC chair Yusuf Kadi.  “Rejecting the athletics cut calls into question what happens to the SFAC-funded units. The funding that Athletics receives will no longer be available for other units to use.”

The rejection represents the first time that Khator has opposed SFAC’s proposal in her 16 years as president, according to Kadi. 

Among other reasons, Khator cited doubts about the committee’s ability to conduct an external review — a recommendation the committee made in response to what they saw as a lack of financial transparency in the Athletics department. In addition, Khator pointed to Athletics’ student fee allocation, which has remained unchanged since as early as 2009, and claimed UH Athletics received a far smaller portion of the student fee fund relative to other Big 12 schools.

This claim is contrary to the assertion made in SFAC’s report, which stated UH Athletics receives the largest support of student fees compared to other Big 12 conference schools. Kadi and other members of SFAC will respond to these arguments during the meeting. 

“Most of their arguments are either grasping at straws or just flat-out wrong, there was also unconfirmed information,” Kadi said. “I responded by asking for sources because some things are just completely unfounded. We have no idea where the information is from.”

The arguments that will be presented to the Board of Regents will not only be counterarguments to Khator’s office but also appeals for financial transparency.

“Services funded by student fees are for the students that pay for it. This is the core of our argument,” Kadi said. “Some of these units that do provide for them are not able to because of their current funding situation.”

After the president rejects SFAC’s recommendations, they are then expected to submit alternative recommendations back to the committee, according to the Texas Education Code. Despite this, Khator’s office has yet to notify SFAC of these alternate recommendations, Kadi said. 

Members of the Student Government Association, which appoints the majority of the SFAC members, pledged support for their recommendations and will be present at the meeting. SGA held a vote expressing confidence in SFAC’s report at their most recent meeting.

“Look at things like the Children’s Learning Center, Counseling and Psychological Services or other things that serve the student body not just for social reasons. They are important and necessary,” said SGA Senator Risa Lizcano. “If we can reallocate some of the Athletics funds to things that students are going to be using daily, it’s going to impact them.”

SFAC members such as Jesus Nieto also encouraged SFAC-funded programs and related student organizations to be present at Wednesday’s Board of Regents meeting.

“I would like to see all the funded programs, whether students, staff or anybody that uses any of them, come out to Wednesday’s meeting,” said SFAC member Jesus Nieto. “Those are the people who are going to get impacted by the board’s and president’s decisions.”

Ultimately, the future of the reports falls into the hands of the Board of Regents, who will vote on whether to stand by SFAC or with Khator and her alternative recommendations.

“I hope that our arguments are considered thoroughly by the Board of Regents. ” Kadi said. “I can’t give an exact answer on which way I think the meeting will go. But I’m hopeful about our position.”

Students, however, have rallied behind Kadi and the committee. A protest sponsored by multiple student organizations, including the SGA and Students for Justice in Palestine, is planned for 10 a.m. on Feb. 21 at the Hilton Courtyard.

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“President Renu Khator rejects SFAC proposal, marks first in 16 year tenure” was originally posted on The Cougar

The beginning of election season for the 61st administration of the Student Government Association marks the closing of the 60th, led by President Benjamin Rizk. | Regan Grant/The Cougar

Editor’s note: While the reporting contained in this article is objective, each grade represents the opinion of The Cougar’s SGA section.

The beginning of election season for the 61st administration of the Student Government Association marks the closing of the 60th, led by President Benjamin Rizk.

The 60th administration was vocal about a variety of issues — namely increasing student involvement with SGA, remedying the reputation of the organization and advocating for issues impacting students.

However, there were many challenges to attaining these goals, specifically low counts for senators and a low amount of direct legislation passed under his administration. 

Student involvement: D+

Increased student involvement was a major priority of the Rizk administration. Many of his executive orders and early initiatives aimed to promote more interaction with the administration’s constituents. 

“I think we’ve been the best administration in years, specifically in terms of involvement,” Rizk said in a previous article published in The Cougar. “I’m very happy with student involvement in University committees, policy decisions and SGA initiatives.”

However, attendance issues in the Senate and delayed town halls quickly became recurring problems that hampered SGA’s ability to attract and retain students.   

Workload, lack of incentives and student’s unfamiliarity with SGA duties also contributed to the now half-empty Senate. Despite regularly appointing members to the Senate at the beginning of the year, the rate of incoming students eventually dwindled toward the middle and end of Rizk’s term.

“I think that part of it is the free rider problem,” former Senator Spiro Hoxha said. “Sometimes people in SGA think that they could slide by and not do any work, and when it gets too much, they’ll just coast. They don’t recognize how much work SGA is.”

For other members of the administration, the low reputation of SGA among students was a major contributor to the lack of interest.

“The reputation of the UH SGA for the past four to five years has been one that is filled with drama, as well as little action,” said Senator Anahi Ortega. “Some students leave the commitments they had to student organizations because of the time it takes up with little to no return.”

Similarly, many of the initiatives meant to increase interest dissolved early in the administration. Events like Walk in the Dark, an annual event that aimed to highlight issues regarding insufficient lighting on campus, saw little turnout.

SGA ambassadors, a program initiated by former Director of Outreach Jordan Underwood, were meant to connect the administration and students. However, shortly after their inauguration, few ambassadors attended Senate meetings and little has been heard of the program since.

While officially sanctioned SGA events with students were infrequent and small-scale, the Rizk administration and those within his party were prominent in activism with other advocacy organizations. The Gala for Gaza and cooperation with other on-campus protests, for example, were events organized by or with members of SGA.

Legislative changes: C-

So far, the Rizk administration has passed around 13 pieces of legislation, nearly double that of the previous presidency but below average compared to the previous five administrations. For comparison, the 55th administration passed 43 bills, and the 56th passed 24. 

Despite their many campaign promises, Rizk’s party, Students Unite, was unable to substantially impact student life via direct legislation and policy. Most of the more significant action to come of the 60th administration revolved around the creation of resolutions that advocated for student needs. 

Of the election code reforms proposed under Rizk, most aimed to reverse the previous administration’s sprawling changes. Among other changes, the 60th administration reverted the voting system to ranked-choice — from first-past-the-post — and significantly decreased campaign spending limits for parties and independent presidential campaigns from $10,000 to $1,200. 

Though the 60th administration may not have produced much actual legislation outside of bureaucratic reforms, the Senate did manage to author several impactful resolutions. Resolutions, while not affecting procedural change to the university, are able to draw attention from students and other organizations and affirm the administration’s opinions.

After the passing of SB 17 — a state law prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public universities — Rizk’s administration passed a resolution condemning the removal of DEI programs and expressing solidarity with students who made use of their resources.

An initial celebrated victory of the administration was its resolution to create a task force to  install Wudu stations in specific areas around campus. Wudu stations around campus would provide designated areas for Muslim students to perform a ritual cleansing before prayer.

However, SGA quickly ran into roadblocks in the form of state legislation and University policy. Among other stipulations, UH required the project be funded  by non-state entities  — a complication which was compounded by delayed response from UH Facilities Planning and Construction. Ultimately, the completion of campus Wudu stations will depend on the  incoming SGA administration.

Another celebrated victory during the beginning of Rizk’s term was the resolution to affirm the administration’s increase of the minimum wage for students and staff. 

Campus impact: C

The SGA president is limited in their options to directly impact the campus, but there are other ways for them to use the influence of SGA to influence life on campus. 

While the Senate was rife with vacancies, membership on significant committees such as the Student Fee Advisory Committee and the Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee were occupied and aligned some of their policies with Rizk’s, though the result of their efforts is uncertain.

Another way the Rizk administration impacted campus life was to use SGA as a platform to advocate for social issues not directly related to the University. 

President Rizk and senators in his administration frequently organized and participated in protests and demonstrations on campus advocating for Palestinians in Gaza. The Senate also introduced a bill to create a select committee that would further this advocacy.

The administration also hosted a small mayoral candidate forum that encouraged students to register to vote in the city elections.

Closing thoughts

While Rizk’s presidency was vocal about many issues regarding the University and SGA, his attempts to address them pale in comparison to his proposals and promises. However, this failure to meet promises and expectations is not due to a lack of effort, but the limitations on power that prevent SGA from making their proposed items on their agenda in a swift and effective manner.

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“Report card: 60th SGA administration doesn’t make the grade” was originally posted on The Cougar

“I’m proud of what I saw. The collective generosity in labor, resources, and time commitment left me in awe,” said industrial design junior Yasmeen A, leader of SJP.| Courtesy of Gala for Gaza 2024.

Editor’s note: Some of the sources The Cougar spoke with for this story chose to withhold their last names for fear of retaliation. 

Various university student organizations cooperated to host a fundraiser that raised over $55K to benefit the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. 

The Gala for Gaza was held Jan. 28, and was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, the Young Democratic Socialists of America and the Student Government Association.

“The support of large student organizations reflects the large support that the Houston population holds for Gaza,” said industrial design junior Yasmeen A, leader of SJP. “I’m proud of what I saw. The collective generosity in labor, resources, and time commitment left me in awe.”

Tickets to the Gala were sold out days before the event. All proceeds went to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, a humanitarian nonprofit organization tasked with providing aid and medical care to Palestinian children. 

Yasmeen claimed that the cooperation with other student organizations made planning and hosting the event much easier and that any challenges were mitigated by the community created around their cause.

“All these different organizations share the same commitment to ending the U.S.-Israeli-led bombing campaign on Gaza, which led to the development of the coalition,” Yasmeen said.

For many of these student leaders and organizers, the Gala was a success, surpassing their initial expectations of their goals.

“I think we were able to go above and beyond. SGA was initially discussing the idea of a fundraising event, but it wouldn’t have amounted to nearly as much if we hadn’t teamed up with motivated and experienced organizers,” said SGA Sen.Cody Szell. 

The other organizations involved with planning were the Muslim Students Association, Jewish Voice for Peace, the Arab Student Association, the Ahlul Bayt Student Organization, the Palestinian Youth Movement and the Rice University chapter of SJP.

The Gala hosted various speakers, such as poet Fady Joudah and historian Ussama Makdisi, along with an auction of items by local artists, with all proceeds also going to the PCRF. 

“To me, it has always taken huge amounts of courage in this country to speak about Palestine in the West,” Makdisi said during his gala address to student activists. “Your activism, as you may know in your direct experience, has been accompanied by disinformation and slander.”

The state of medical care in Gaza is strained, with millions of Gazans depending on weakened medical infrastructure for care, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. 

Along with guest speakers, was a performance by the band composed of Palestinian, Lebanese, and Pakistani musicians named Zaytounat. 

One of the biggest contributors outside of student organizations was the Arab American Community Center board, which provided resources and allowed them to use their venue at no charge. Palestinian businesses around Houston also sponsored the event.

Also in attendance was the Consulate General of Indonesia, Andre Omer Siregar. 

“Seeing so much love flow from members of a diverse volunteer team, planning board, and food vendors brings light to a bleak time. Despite the small spark compared to the endless suffering of our people in Gaza and the West Bank, these spaces aim to reenergize the community not to give up,” Yasmeen said.

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“Student organizations host Gala for Gaza, raise over $55k for children in Palestine” was originally posted on The Cougar