The Student Government Association voted Tuesday night to approve a referendum application for a student vote on establishing a football team, womenโs swimming and diving teams and other programs by increasing the Intercollegiate Athletics fee.
The proposal would also create two marching bands and two spirit programs if approved by the student body.
Currently, the Intercollegiate Athletics Fee is $15 per credit hour. The referendum proposes that the fee be increased by $11.25 per credit hour, capped at 12 hours, for a total of $26.25 per credit hour.
โWe have the opportunity as students, and SGA has the opportunity as community leaders, to set the foundation of what this university will be perceived as for the foreseeable future,โ UTRGV political science senior Zakary Borja told the senate.
Students will vote on the referendum from Nov. 8 to 10.
SGA President Pablo Rojas requested time during the meeting for Maggie Hinjosa, senior vice president for Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs, and Chasse Conque, vice president and director of Athletics, to speak on the proposal.
โCongratulations, this is a legacy moment for our institution,โ Conque said. โWe have a lot of work to do with the referendum over the next couple of months.โ
Hinojosa said she looks forward to working with the SGA and the rest of the student body as they move forward with the referendum.
In other news, the SGA invited two guest speakers, Graduate Assistant for Engaged Scholar and Artist Awards, Roman Sanchez, and service learning coordinator, Neida Gutierrez.
Sanchez spoke of the different resources available through the Engaged Scholarship & Learning office.
The Engaged Scholar and Artist Awards (ESAA) offers awards for undergraduate research, creative work and community engagement. Each of the awards helps students gain real-world experience, one-on-one mentoring and help them build their professional or career identity.
In order to be accepted into the ESAA, students must complete a pre-application phase.
โUnfortunately the program right now is only for undergraduates but, hopefully, in the future, we can push those programs for graduate students as well,โ Gutierrez said.
Today is the last day to submit a pre-application.