SGA President Charles Haston addresses the senate, calling for the resignation of Carlucci, Messa and Valdez. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar
At the Student Government Association meeting Wednesday night, SGA had a reading of UB-51006: No Confidence Vote, which calls for the resignation of Administration and Finance Vice President Carl Carlucci, Associate Vice President Emily Messa and Assistant Vice President Esmeralda Valdez.
Present and former SGA administrations have continually brought student concerns, including auxiliary services, parking and transportation and HigherOne to light in an effort to try and change them. SGA will vote on the bill in the coming weeks.
“After many trials and tribulations over the past year, I have finally asked the committee to move forward the conversation on the No Confidence Vote for Vice President for the Division of Administration and Finance Carl Carlucci, and his two deputies Emily Messa and Esmeralda Valdez,” SGA President Charles Haston said.
Bauer senator Pooja Magadi reads the first draft of UB-51006: No Confidence Vote. | Justin Tijerina/The Cougar
“(The bill) states that this Student Government Association has no confidence in Carl Carlucci, Emily Messa and Esmarelda Valdez and asks for their resignation.”
Haston has been calling out the Department of Administration and Finance since November, when he spoke during a public comment portion of SFAC hearings and said parts of a referendum passed by students were not honored.
The Student Service Fee, passed in the Memorandum of Understanding, was increased by $45 to fund the construction of TDECU Stadium and the renovation of the Hofheinz Pavilion. The stadium’s construction went over budget, leaving no portion of the fee for the renovation of Hofheinz. This was a violation of the memorandum, as half of the fee was supposed to go toward the construction and half toward the renovation.
Additionally, a portion of the memorandum allowing students to utilize the stadium and Hofheinz for one event with no facility rental fee has not been honored, as Frontier Fiesta submitted a request to SFAC for the cost of using TDECU Stadium as the location for the event this year. Haston has also called out Sports and Entertainment, a contracted management company as being incompetent.
These events have been the “last straw,” said Haston, for members of SGA that have fought on “a litany of serious issues affecting students to no avail.”
Carlucci presented to SGA on Nov. 20 in response to Haston’s allegations, where “he sat there and lied about those contracts,” according to Haston.
“He knew damn well what those contracts said and what they were and sat there and told us that Sports and Entertainment is on this campus and their only responsibility is to secure contracts with monetizing facilities and not the managing of facilities on campus,” Haston said. “(SGA is) acutely aware that not only does the contract say that Sports and Entertainment is in charge of managing these facilities on campus, but we saw that they were in charge of managing them and they were completely incapable.”
The bill states that “(SGA) has brought student concerns regarding Sports and Entertainment management of facilities forward to the Division of Administration and Finance in the form of private meetings and correspondence.”
Carlucci, Messa and Valdez have spent six months refusing to honor the terms of the MOU, according to Haston.
“The conclusion that I’ve come to is that the division has, because of its leadership, institutionalized the marginalization of students,” Haston said. “And that the only way that we could possibly have any type of culture change within our division, where we have a division that acts as a fiduciary for the student body – where they are actually representing us as opposed to representing third-party contractors or God knows what other reason – is that we need new leadership up there.”
“Boo hoo, we feel like the most competent and transformative leadership we’ve had in decades in our Admin and Finance staff didn’t do enough to let us get free concerts in our new stadium. THEY MUST RESIGN.”
–Charles Haston, Professional Billy Baldwin Impersonator
What did you just say about me, you little incompetent administrator? I’ll have you know that I have cheated electoral systems at the highest level, and I’ve been personally involved in firing over 9000 university administrators. I am trained in frank underwood impersonations, and my opinion is more important than anyone else’s. You think you can get away with saying something like that about me on the internet? Think again, snausages. As we speak I’m in my office riling up the SGA to call on the internet to ban you from ever having access to it again. You’re banned, kiddo. I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can find 700 ways to ban you for not agreeing with me. Not only am I trained in underwood impersonations, but I have access to the entire arsenal of the SGA, and I will use it to forever ban you from the internet. If only you would have known the unholy retribution that your little “clever” comment would have brought upon you, maybe you would have held your tongue. But you didn’t, and noe you’re gonna pay the price. I will rain fury upon you. You’re banned from the internet, kiddo.
This article was so unnecessarily complex in it’s language, syntax, and quote usage that I had a harder time keeping up with the story than I would reading a NYT/WSJ article.
I disagree with the sentiment but this comment made me laugh.
This is the most competently written article on SGA The Cougar has written in quite some time.
You have a hard time keeping up with articles in the NYT/WSJ? That may be a problem as you’re working for a university…
Haston will not be re-elected, he rubs people in the wrong way like two strangers reluctantly grinding
Haston hastily hates administration and finance. Be thankful we have a new stadium.
The University often functions as a bureaucracy and is very different from Universities that garner greater respect nationally. We have a lot of positive things happening at UH, but our administration is much more powerful than the students. I have personally never seen anything like it in a serious higher education institution. I am very proud of our bold SGA leader for stepping up and battling for US, the students. We pay our money for a Tier One EXPERIENCE, not just a research designation. As students, we should be more adamant about fighting for our University if we expect it to improve in a meaningful way. There need to be serious and pressing discussions about how much power the administration at UH has relative to the students. Thanks CHARLES HASTON AND THE SGA FOR REPRESENTING ALL UH STUDENTS. KEEP PUSHING!
Glory to the dear leader!
ALL PRAISE AND GLORY BE TO HASTON. HASTON IS THE ONCE AND EVER KING OF SGA. ALL PRAISE AND GLORY BE TO HASTON.
Just look at U Michigan. The SGA is so powerful there because it works closely with the alumni.
With all due respect, John, we have a $120 Million NEW facility that is incomplete. Banners are falling, band hall is incomplete, etc. Just drive past it–it is very obvious that something is badly off. Texas A&M RENOVATION costs $475 Million. We are trying to get in the Big 12 or another Power Conference. We need facilities that are acceptable (not great, just acceptable), and we are struggling to get that complete.
First of all, there are two sides to every story. The Daily Cougar seems to have forgotten that.
Secondly, Mr. Haston does not seem to understand what the MOU states. The Cougar provides the link. I recommend everyone click on it and read
it. It is pretty straightforward. No legal mumbo jumbo. The facilities rental
fee means just what its name says. It is not an all-encompassing term to
include every cost associated with holding an event, such as security, etc…
If you win free rent for an apartment for a month, does that mean you also get
free cable, free wi-fi, free electricity, free water, too? Of course not.
Thirdly, as I read it, the student fee is going to be charged to students for the next 25 years. At $45 a pop times 40,000 students we have right now, that’s a lot of dough. Where does the MOU state that the money has to be used RIGHT NOW for Hofheinz work? Why can’t the money from future students be used?
What UH needs more than anything else in this world is a SGA that is competent and open-minded and doesn’t come into a situation with a closed mind that is already made up.
UH could use a student newspaper that takes the time to find out the true facts.
It’s common sense after a certain point–the funds have been mismanaged. The Student Fees and Advisory Committee is doing everything it can to cover its tracks. The SGA should not even have to be probing this topic. It is a University responsibility to use the money in an appropriate manner. The fact that SGA is taking time to investigate is a bold and honorable act. All students at UH should be proud about this. I have heard several faculty members and professors complain (in class) about the mismanagement of funds for the stadium. What does this do to future giving? What does this mean for the future of UH? Prominent people in the alumni network are also complaining about the stadium. The students could honestly sue the University and win the case–it is our money. That may not be a bad idea if the University administrators are more interested in being cynical and degrading when addressing a serious topic. I can understand disagreeing, but this is completely unprofessional response by Mr. Carlucci and his team.
If you honestly believe Dr. Carlucci posted the comment in this thread attributed to him, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale. Cheap.
I appreciate the good joke. I am referring to the overall response by his administration to the SGA probing. I’d buy the bridge buddy! How much?
Dude, wait for them to post it on Trulia so you can see the interior photos and look for mold/water damage. Everyone knows that.
Where to start.
Way to go again, SGA and Leader Haston.
I too am already fed up with Mr Carlucci and staff decisions on Campus and especially TEDCU Stadium. The beauracracy contracted again with Aramark to supply concessions at the football stadium ( rest of Campus too? Mediocre decision, at best. I am a Season Suite Holder and after the first two games I refused to order any more of that subpar food. Prison Food. Embarrassing. I won’t serve that to our guests.
Oh, it looks pretty, but it’s embarrassingly, horrible: Prison Food. I only ordered chips and salsa for the rest of the Home Games last season. Hard to screw that up, Aramark and Carlucci. Fire Carlucci !
I mentioned the “crappy” food to another UH Alum and Suiteholder and he suggested we get more Suiteholders to boycott ordering Aramark food to our suites. Let’s see next Football Season.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all the SGA leaders and Students who voted to tax yourselves ( Student fees) into the future to build the Coogs New House ! My wife and I, both former students, donated to the new stadium and were concerned that the bureaucracy that runs our tax supported University would reneg and not build what we students and especially we former students know in our souls we needed, a new stadium to compete in our future conference ! When I saw the Student vote, I couldn’t help but cry.
Totally got to me, still does as I type. I am so Proud of all y’all. The vote affected many other Former Students the same way. Right Bruce McAdoo?
I knew when I saw y’all’s vote, that the Stadium now would get built. The Bureaucracy couldn’t divert the money to a renovation of Robertson as the Administration wanted, or some other mediocre decision.
Nope. We are going to, & do have a Real Stadium for us all to be proud. Your student vote, “closed the deal”. I am so proud to be Among you great Cougars. I thanked the former SGA presidents and staff at the Stadium groundbreaking. I thank every one of you now, and forever.
Whose House ?
COOGS HOUSE !!
Old grey Cougar player