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STUDENT AFFAIRS
Director moves into new position to focus on diversity, accessibility President Renu Khator announced the appointment of Elwyn C. Lee to a new Cabinet-level position on Thursday. Lee, who has served as the vice president of student affairs for the past twenty years, will now serve as the vice president for community relations and institutional access. “I am confident that his leadership and broad range of experience will enhance our commitment to academic freedom, equality of opportunity and Lee diversity in all of its human dimensions,” Khator said in a UH news release. J
Naheeda Sayeeduddin
THE DAILY COUGAR UH Residential Life and Housing and UH Dining Services presented their strategic vision plans for 2012, which include rate increases for some of the amenities available to students. The first of two town hall meetings took place on Wednesday afternoon and opened with a presentation by Assistant Vice President of University Services Emily Messa and Interim Director for Residential Life and Housing Javier Hidalgo. “It was important for us to have goals as we looked at where do we want to go with residential life and housing in the very near future,” Messa said. With UH well on its way to flagship status,
Messa said, President Khator’s next goal is to make UH a primarily residential campus. To do that, UHRLH plans to launch a major overhaul of Moody Towers and the Quadrangle. The renovation, estimated to cost around $5 million, will begin this summer and is expected to last 92 days. “This renovation is for the most part aesthetics, covering some infrastructure issues. Some of those infrastructure issues will be the elevators,” Hidalgo said. “It’s not necessarily an issue that we have ignored, but it’s an issue that requires a significant (amount of) money.” The Moody Towers renovation includes removing the old furniture and replacing it with new moveable furniture, while the INCREASES continues on page 3
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THE DAILY COUGAR
No announcements have been made as to who will replace Lee when he leaves Student Affairs on Feb. 17. “This new position is but another phase of my commitment to the University of Houston, another opportunity to continue to contribute to our collective efforts to take this University to even greater heights,” Lee said.
CORRECTIONS Report errors to editor@thedailycougar.com. Corrections will appear in this space as needed.
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EVENTS Celebrate Tier One status The Cullen Performance Hall will be the setting of UH celebrating its new status as a Tier One research university. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m., with the event beginning at 11 a.m. The event is free. Showing of Albert Herring - The Moores School of Music is showing Albert Herring by Benjamin Britten. General admission will cost $15, and students can buy tickets for $10.The show begins at 7:30 p.m.
FOR MORE EVENTS, CHECK OUT thedailycougar.com/calendar
Esmeralda Valdez, director of Auxiliary Services, explains the planned changes for the 2012-2013 school year. | Naheeda Sayeeduddin/The Daily Cougar
SGA approves appointment, code changes
“If so, the University will be stronger through the combined talents of the extraordinary people from diverse backgrounds.”
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If the goal can be achieved, Lee believes the position will enhance UH.
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“Although they are not identical, each has, at its core, the goal of working to ensure that their respective university is accessible to different communities and a place where opportunities are available to talented individuals from all walks of life,” Lee said.
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Many flagship universities have similar positions, Lee said in an e-mail, citing the University of Texas Austin, Texas A&M and Rice University.
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Issue 82, Volume 76
Rally for immigrant rights
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ills recently proposed by state representatives have been compared to Arizona’s SB 1020. A rally held on the steps of the capitol drew opponents of the bills. Daily Cougar reporter Daniel Renfrow made the trek to Austin. Read his report on page 3. | Daniel Renfrow/The Daily Cougar
SGA discussed rule changes for the upcoming elections, and how the new judicial branch, which was implemented last semester, will play a part in a special session held on Wednesday. SGA changed part of its election code in response to candidates violating election code the night before the last elections were over in Spring 2010. “The reason for the changes is that we feel the process is not clear and worded weird,” SGA Public Relations Director Mila Clarke said. “Because of this, individuals are able to find loopholes in the election process.” Under the old rules, candidates were prohibited from canvassing door-to-door and sending mass e-mails to University of Houston students. Candidates, however, opted to employ such tactics because the punishment for the infractions was minimal. The election code that will implement the stricter policy on infractions has been revised. The new rules indicate that when infractions occur during the election process, complaints can be filed with the election commission. Once a complaint has been filed, the candidate has 24 hours to file an appeal. If the appeal is successful, it will then be taken up by the judicial branch, which is headed by Chief Justice Taylor Kilroy. “The Judicial Branch serves as a watch dog,” Kilroy said. “It does not handle student cases and is different from the hearing board. “We’re here to make sure elections run smoothly and that no one abuses power,” Kilroy said. SGA officers unanimously approved Terry Chung for the position of assistant election commissioner. In his new capacity with the SGA, Chung will assist in the oversight of upcoming SGA elections. He was nominated after applying for the position interviewing with President Prince Wilson. The SGA’s next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9 in the University Center Cougar Den. news@thedailycougar.com