By Emily Rodriguez
Andrés Holliday, Student Government Association president, announced Friday that he will extend his office hours to the Brooks City-Base Campus beginning Tuesday.
Holliday’s tentative schedule for Brooks Campus will be 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Mondays and 6-10 p.m. Wednesdays.
The additional office hours are an extension of his regular hours from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m held Tuesdays and Thursdays in Room 339 at Main Campus Building.
Despite the 10-mile distance between the two campuses, student leaders held office hours mostly at Main Campus.
“How are we supposed to get the voices of Brooks Campus if we’re not at Brooks Campus?” Holliday said Monday in a follow up interview. “It’s a constant thing where people always think that Brooks is left out when it comes to Main Campus issues. I don’t want that to be something that SGA follows also. We want to give everyone an equal amount of time and an equal amount of representation.”
SGA Vice President Edward Rios will also extend his office hours to Brooks Campus.
Holliday said although there is no official requirement set by SGA’s constitution, executive board members are encouraged to hold office four hours a week. Senators should hold at least two hours a week.
Executive board members are chosen by the president of the association to complete specific tasks. Senators, who represent each college within the university, are members who create legislation, proposals and resolutions for the associations.
Interim SGA secretary Savannah Villanueva said a schedule for each officer’s office hours has not been set.
On another topic, lack of quorum amongst the senators prevented the addition of two officers being added to the association, senator pro temp and secretary.
A quorum consists of at least three out of five senators in attendance; only two were present.
Holliday said he was “extremely disappointed” with the lack of attendance, attributing it to scheduling conflicts and inclement weather.
“If our senators aren’t there, then our schools aren’t represented,” Holliday said.
Changes to meeting times may be made depending on members’ time conflicts.
In other matters, the association has a “simplified” survey they plan to conduct either today or Friday pending the day of approval.
The survey seeks student opinions ranging from commencement timing to student activities.
If conducted Friday, students will be sent a link to SurveyMonkey to participate. In addition to the online survey, SGA members will survey students in-person on Monday.
“When I sit down with the president of the university (Maria Hernandez Ferrier) we really go over specific things and topics that she needs from us and that we need from her,” Holiday said. “Some of the questions that are on the survey are ones that she has specifically asked us to look into.”
Students surveyed in-person on Monday will receive a SGA T-shirt.
In other business, discussion shifted to SGA brainstorming fundraising opportunities that will raise money for Systems Week, which is scheduled Feb. 24-28 but may be moved to March.
Each university within The Texas A&M University System is raising money that will be donated to Wounded Warriors, a group that assists injured military members.
The money earned will be given as a single check to the group from The Texas A&M University System.
SGA is coordinating a raffle to generate donation money for this campus to contribute. Prizes include paintball passes, movie tickets and Planet Fitness memberships.
The organization is sorting out the details on how to set up the raffle while complying with state law.
Holliday said since the university that raises the most money will present the check to the group at their campus, it’s an opportunity for A&M-San Antonio to show off the Patriots’ Casa to the public and veterans.
The next SGA meeting will be 5:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 21 in Room 204/207 at Main Campus. For more information, call 210-784-1329.
