Letter from SGA

Hello Fellow Students,

The Student Government Association (SGA) has been closely watching the actions of the Legislature and Congress in an effort to make you more aware of the changes to come. These changes will directly affect the student body at Austin Community College (ACC) as well as other institution of higher education. We have been surveying the student population to get opinions on these issues. Now is the perfect time to get involved with SGA. We need your help collecting information and passing information about the issues at hand.  Currently, we are collecting information about guns on campus. Should we or should we not allow guns on campus? Senate Bill 354 is about to go to the Senate floor for debate. According to the news, a student of Austin Community College, the Legislative Director for Student Concealed Carry on Campus, has stated that he supports the guns on campus bill and is advocating changing state laws to allow licensed handguns on campus. SGA has passed a resolution stating that we do not support guns on campus, and have collected a number of signatures to support this resolution.

We are also surveying the body about financial aid cuts. Should the Pell Grant be cut or eliminated? Currently there has been talk about Pell Grant not being available for the summer months, however, keeping the Pell Grant at the current rate of $5550 for full time students. As an alternate, the legislature is considering decreasing the Pell Grant by $819, back to the 2008 levels. One may think that there is nothing we as students can do about these changes, when in all actuality there is a lot we can do. Considering the students attending ACC, if 15% of the student body went to the polls and voted or called their State and Federal Representative and Senators to voice their opinions, we can guarantee our voice be heard and stop these changes from happening. Being silent in the past is hurting our future. ACC combined with other community colleges and four year institutions in the Centex area totals more than 210,000 students, a number greater than votes received by representatives and senators to be elected into office. In future elections if every student voted, we could make or break any candidate on the ballot.

We need to hear your voice. SGA works hard to advocate for you, but in cases brought up at the legislative level, individual petitions and phone calls carry so much more weight. Students alone can make a difference by taking a more proactive approach before the bill becomes a law by stopping the bill on the floor.

In regard to current issues within ACC, SGA is currently reviewing the topic of tuition increases and add/drop rules. In regards to tuition increases, it is possible that in as early as the summer months, the first tuition increase level may increase by $5 per credit hour, $5 fall semester, with the final increase, $5 in the spring semester for a total of $15 increase per credit hour over the three (3) semesters.

SGA has presented a resolution to the board of trustees stating that we support no more than a .03% increase in tuition. Considering the potential financial aid lost, it is the recommendation of SGA that increases not take place over the summer as it is the time when aid is at its minimal amount awarded.

It has been explained that overall, the reason for a tuition increase is to compensate for loss of state revenue the college previously received, with a small amount allocated to salary increases. In the opinion of SGA, if the faculty salary does increase, so should the services provided by the faculty.

Now is the time for you to share your thoughts and opinions. You may do so by sending a confidential email to sgapres@austincc.edu. We strive to represent all 45,000 plus students of Austin Community College to the best of our ability. Your voice, your letters and most important your opinion can make the difference.

Respectfully,

Sophia C Downing

SGA President