UH Regents approve $39.5M Student Center expansion amid Pro-Palestine protests

Last Thursday, the UH System Board of Regents met at UH-Clear Lake for their quarterly meeting.

Regents approved a $39.5 million expansion of UH’s Main Campus Student Center North; however, the meeting was overshadowed by the Pro-Palestine protesters chanting and calling out for divestment from Israel.

Student Center North expansion

“Regents approved expanding the Student Center North building to centralize Counseling and Psychological Services in one location, and provide additional space for other student needs, such as Career Services,” Lindsey said.

This expansion comes after a recommendation from a 2023 mental health task force to create a central campus location for CAPS.

Construction is estimated to begin in the summer of 2026 and finish by winter of 2027.

SJP protest

Students for Justice in Palestine HTX organized a sit-in at the meeting. Upon arriving at UHCL’s Bayou Building, regents and attendees were confronted with wanted posters that featured UH President Renu Khator and BOR Chairman Tilman Fertitta.

“Wanted for: investing the UH endowment in genocide. UH has invested over $10 million in weapons manufacturers and Israeli apartheid,” read the posters.

Since 2016, UH has invested more than $7 million in arms manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Boeing and General Electric among others, according to SJP.

“We’re having this sit-in to express student solidarity with the Palestinian people,” said SJP member Francis Bolger. “We’re supporting divestment from weapons manufacturers and Israeli apartheid.”

Only 10 SJP members were allowed into the meeting, with five permitted to speak while others gathered in different parts of the Bayou Building.

They did not occupy the overflow room which was available for the public to watch the meeting, deeming it a hostile environment.

The fire marshal determined the Garden room’s capacity, so a limited number of SJP members were allowed within the meeting room, said UHCL’s vice president for student affairs Dr. Tina Powellson.

“Generally, the public forum is 30 minutes, but this was cut down to 10 minutes,” Bolger said. “It’s to reduce the allowable time for us to actually voice our demands.”

Regents adjusted the time allowed for individual public comments to ensure the meeting could proceed efficiently while covering all agenda items in accordance with public meetings guidelines, said UH associate vice chancellor and associate vice president of media relations Shawn Lindsey.

SJP speakers were given two minutes to make their speeches. All five speakers gave speeches where they called for divestment, accused the BOR of having blood on their hands and wished that the names of victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to haunt the board. 

After the speeches, SJP read off names of victims until the time was up for their speech.

“Board of Regents, your continued investment in weapons manufacturers and Israeli Apartheid has contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians,” SJP speakers said. “You have blood on your hands.” 

Protestors donned red gloves to symbolize blood, and wore keffiyehs to express solidarity with Palestinians. The last SJP member to speak shouted the beginning of a call and response chant. The members outside of the Garden Room continued the chant. 

Attendees could hear the chant throughout the building as they were ushered outside by police from inside the Garden Room as well.

“Board of Regents, you can’t hide, you’re financing Genocide,” protestors chanted.

After getting out of the building, they were corralled by police behind barriers, where the members continued chanting and waved pro-Palestine banners.

“My fellow board of regents, I understand their plight, but I do not think any of you are financing genocide,” Fertitta said, addressing the board.

Protestors continued chanting until both the BOR meeting and the executive session had concluded. As Khator and Fertitta left, protestors shouted chants including their names from behind barriers.

“Renu, Renu, you’re a coward, we the students have the power. Renu, Renu, you can’t hide, you’re financing genocide,” protestors chanted.

This was not the first time SJP had organized a sit-in at a BOR meeting. The organization was present for the board’s meeting last May as well.

Elected officials

Fertitta was successfully elected unanimously to continue as chairman for the BOR for the 2024-2025 year. 

John A. McCall and Gregory C. King were unanimously elected to be vice chairman and secretary respectively. There was only one nomination for each position.

UH accomplishments

Since the BOR’s last meeting, UH had a number of achievements to share with the board. Khator elaborated on them in her report. 

UH received a generous $10 million gift from the Michael and Rebecca Cemo Family Foundation to support UH Intercollegiate Athletics. The west-end scoreboard at TDECU Stadium will be named in the family’s honor.

One of UH’s very own faculty, Houston physics professor Dr. Zhifeng Ren, was included in Big 12’s First-Ever Faculty of the Year Honorees.

The Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship was ranked No. 1 in the nation for its sixth year in a row by the Princeton Review.

“I’m always very proud to present all the great things happening. It’s difficult to select only a few bullet points,” Khator said.

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