Est. 1981
Vol. 65, Issue 12
THE PAISANO
April 18 - April 25, 2023
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community /PaisanoOnline 1 | News
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SGA reports spending $25,784.96 of budget as of March 7 Out of $47,173.00 allocated from mandatory Students Services fees, $21,388.04 remains
Chloe Williams/The Paisano
By Gauri Raje News Editor
A
s the academic year comes to a close, The Paisano obtained a copy of expenses by the Student Government Association (SGA) for the year. Out of the $47,173.00 total allocated this year, $25,784.96 has been spent as of March 7, 2023. Like every year, the university determined the total amount allocated to SGA after the organization’s advisor, Chantea` Swinson-Rhoe, submitted a proposed budget. This is a process that all sponsored student organizations have to go through. “This proposed budget does
not lock anyone into spending money in any kind of way,” Swinson-Rhoe said. “It is to see what [we’re] spending student fee-related money on and [if] it [is] relating back to students.” In the case of SGA, funds are derived from the mandatory Student Services fee, which is “$16.18 per semester credit hour, with a maximum of $194.16 per semester.” Based on information shared with The Paisano, sizable expenses this academic year include $2,235.00 on SGA storefront painting, $1,138.95 on lapel pins as a part of promotional items in Fall 2022 and $4,959.00 on promo items in the Spring 2023 semester.
University prepares for transition to new learning management system to Canvas, including feedback By Jada Thomas from students and faculty reStaff Writer On Jan. 11, 2023, UTSA an- garding what they wanted to nounced to students and fac- see in an LMS. “Some of it was also based ulty that they would adopt the Canvas Learning Management on feedback that we were hearSystem (LMS) as the new aca- ing from students about things demic platform beginning in that were important to them the Fall 2023 semester, conse- in an LMS,” Vito said. “Being quently replacing Blackboard. mobile friendly, you know, and This development is other types of features.” not sudden; rather, it is one that Faculty feedback was also has been a long time coming. taken into account when makAccording to Melissa Vito, the ing this decision. vice provost for academic in“Faculty who use our tools novation, the adwere looking ministration began for more feaputting the pieces “Some of it was also tures, and we in place for the based on feedback would often find switch as early as that we were hearing out that Canvas from students about had those feaMarch of 2020. “We were ready things that were im- tures or better to go to academic portant to them in an integration with council in March LMS.” those tools that of 2020 and seek we use,” Jonafeedback and apthan Gutierrez, an associate diproval to move forward with rector for Digital Transformalooking at a new LMS,” Vito tion, said. “And so that also led said. “If you recall, March of to considering the realignment 2020 was right [around the] to Canvas.” pandemic. And so we decidAmongst the feedback that ed that was the one thing we was received from students, the couldn’t add on to everything primary desire in an LMS was else that we were working on.” its ability to be user-friendly on Given that the university has mobile devices. utilized Blackboard for the past 12 years, a lot of consideration See Canvas on Page 2 went into the decision to switch
However, Swinson-Rhoe pointed out that not all of the expenses listed have been processed at the university level. Some of the billing is pending reconsolidation by the Financial Affairs department, which can take up to 30 days. This includes signing contracts with vendors, among other things. “It takes a while for those things to process, and that’s just across the entire university,” Swinson-Rhoe said. The budget shared with The Paisano was a copy of SwinsonRhoe’s spreadsheet that helps keep track of spending, both processed and pending. All expenses for SGA go through the organization’s fi-
nancial affairs committee and its treasurer. Swinson-Rhoe explained that the treasurer could “make the determination” to make purchases for overall organizational needs. For events, senators, chairs and directors have to submit bid proposals that the executive committee assesses when it comes to purchases for events. The budget is also allocated so that each SGA director has a certain amount of money they can spend on programs. Some of the payment methods used by the organization include Interdepartmental Transfer to other departments on campus, OneCard — a credit card — and a PO or Purchase Order. According to Swinson-Rhoe, a PO is
used when going through a vendor on RowdyMart and is reconciled, as described above. Faculty and staff are given the aforementioned OneCard credit card to make purchases. Students are not allowed to have the card, nor does Swinson-Rhoe have one. In order to make any purchases, SGA has to coordinate with staff who have a OneCard. Finally, non-PO vouchers are used to pay stipends for SGA’s executive team members. Updates to the SGA budget will be presented at SGA’s final general assembly scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 20.
Zachary Nepote elected new SGA president By Gauri Raje News Editor SGA executive director Zachary Nepote was elected the new student body president this month. “I’m very, very excited to get started with the fall,” Nepote said. “We’ve begun work already upon my election. We solidified the transition [early]. We are beginning our planning for the fall semester.” Over the next academic year, Nepote plans to focus on three main goals — the student worker visibility initiative, increasing student organization engagement and expanding open education resources (OERs). Student worker visibility initiative Nepote got to represent UTSA at the UT System Student Advisory Council, where there was a system-wide discussion around student workers, including ensuring there is a voice for the latter. “I would like to create a forum for student workers who are need-based students, typically students who are middle class or lower income, to be able to discuss their working conditions in an anonymous manner,” Nepote said. Nepote explained that this would be different from go-
ing through HR, which can be “daunting” for students who lack access to legal representation or don’t know exactly what is happening. Increasing student organization engagement Student organization engagement is something Nepote described as essential for SGA. “It has to be a consistent goal for the student government,” Nepote said. “We have to constantly [be] out there representing the students.” Nepote plans on accomplishing this by appointing liaisons from “specific underrepresented populations to university-wide councils and to committees” while also working alongside organizations. Expanding open education resources Finally, when it comes to expanding OERs, Nepote wants to work with the university to ensure high enrollment classes have access to OER resources. Nepote also wants to ensure there is an increased dialogue between students and professors, letting the latter know the “demonstrated need of students for low cost or free textbooks in these high enrollment classes.” Sustainability initiatives on campus
Nepote was also asked about
environmental
concerns
and
implementing green policies on UTSA’s campus. According to
Nepote, SGA appoints student representatives to universitywide committees for student in-
put. SGA also engages with the Council of Sustainability. Furthermore, Nepote has also personally worked with the organization’s sustainability director.
See SGA on Page 2
Photo courtesy of Zachary Nepote