Saturday marks an important day for Student Government Association leaders and the rest of the student body. SGA will hold the first meeting of the renewed Texas Student Association in Austin.
We applaud SGA for reviving this organization, which is an alliance of student governments from 16 Texas universities (see story, Page 1).
The association will give student leaders an opportunity to offer input on higher education legislation and to convey student needs to officials in Austin. UH students share many common goals with others in Texas, and banding together is a great way to ensure these goals are addressed.
SGA has struggled to combat the high cost of textbooks and rising tuition, and joining other institutions as one body will give it greater ability to continue to do so.
With that said, we hope SGA keeps UH and its students at the forefront of its agenda and improves some areas at home before turning its eyes to the rest of the state.
Passed in April 2007, the SGA’s Accountability Act stipulates the association must regularly update its Web site with meeting times, executive member contact information and attendance records, among other things. More than a year later, the Web site still doesn’t list the names of the current president, vice president or members. Such basic information should be readily available to the public.
SGA is here to serve students, and to effectively do so, leaders must know what students want and need. Communication is vital to acquiring this knowledge, and students must know who their leaders are and how to contact them.
By bringing back the Texas Student Association the group is giving students a great opportunity to have their concerns heard at the state level, but must also do more to inform them of its actions and open the lines of communication.
If you have a concern you hope to see addressed, contact SGA representatives in Room 57, University Center or by calling (713) 743-5220.
Cooperation from the student body and its leaders will help ensure the Texas Student Association is successful in its noble effort to give students a voice in higher education.
