On Wednesday, the Student Government Association Senate passed legislation to advocate veteran’s support, change the student traffic court’s appeal process, improve and expand the UH Health Center.
The meeting was the last of the spring semester.
Holzman Moss architect Brad Lukanic presented plans to renovate the University Center and UC Satellite.
"We’re looking at this as a project of two scales. One is about the University Center, the Underground and the Satellite today and about the deficiencies in the building and how to make this building better for you all," Lukanic said. "We’re also looking at this project from a master-planning point-of-view, about where this institution is growing to within the next 10 to 15 years."
UH enrollment could grow to as many as 45,000 students, and the campus make up could shift to a residential on-campus based population from commuters, he said.
"This has a pretty important dynamic on how the University Center, the Satellite and all the facilities will operate and serve these students," Lukanic said.
He said the consultants working on the renovations have been looking at what makes UH unique. They have organized focus groups to see what the student body needs.
Lukanic said the consultants are starting to develop a building program to decide how many square feet UH will need to renovate the UC facilities to support and enhance programming activities that are done within the facilities.
"One is that there is a lot of improvement that can be done on your food service… from the hours of operation to the choices that you have," he said.
Lukanic said that another concern is that the SGA Senate office, located in the UC Underground, is not the right location for student government. Consultants are looking into the campus bookstore as well.
"We know (the UC) is a functional heart (of UH), and it’s going to continue to be a functional heart no matter what you do, unless the food service goes away – and the bookstore – but do you want it to be something more?" he said.
Lukanic said he and the consultants will return to campus about once a month until mid-July to present the University’s Executive Committee with different options to improve facilities.
The SGA bill to modify administration procedures and processes to become more veteran-friendly and the resolution to provide the Veterans’ Services Office more capability to establish UH as a more veteran-friendly college passed unanimously.
College of Social Work Sen. and veteran Josephine Tittsworth said she approved of the legislation, but was concerned both the bill and the resolution were biased in favor of younger veterans and did not incorporate provisions for older veterans.
"I have no problem with the bill itself other than the fact that the older veterans here on campus who are students will not benefit from this bill in any way, shape or form, yet they gave up parts of their lives for each and every one of us in this room," Tittsworth said.
Tittsworth said she hopes the Senate will reconvene soon and address the issue of provisions for older veterans.
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Sen. Sean Tarver, who authored the bill and resolution, said the legislation was necessary to start the process of improving conditions for veterans on campus. He said the long-term goal was to help out all veterans.
The SGA bill to improve student awareness concerning personal financial aid account information and the resolution to support the expansion of the UH Health Center also passed unanimously.
The bill to change the appeal process of student traffic court, which was postponed from last week’s meeting, passed with only Tittsworth voting against it.
SGA President Samuel Dike said one of the most important things the Senate needs to help improve is campus dining services, and the Food Service Advisory Committee is currently in talks with the administration and food provider Aramark. Dike also stressed the importance of an effort to improve parking and financial aid.
