Leaders in the UT Student Government are hopeful for the upcoming school year despite the overturned disqualification of the current executive alliance pair in the last campus-wide election.
SG acts as the “official association for the expression of student opinion,” according to its website. It passes legislation related to campus life and student interests, proposes constitutional amendments to its governing documents and allocates funding for student organizations and events. Each spring semester, campus-wide elections are held for multiple seats in SG, including the executive alliance, which is composed of a president and vice president.
Last spring, current SG President Hudson Thomas and Vice President Thierry Chu ran on a platform that aimed to elevate the campus experience, cultivate belonging for Longhorns through community and integrate community service into University culture, according to their policy documents.
The SG Supreme Court disqualified the pair on March 9 after a complaint was filed by another executive alliance candidate claiming that Thomas and Chu failed to disclose non-monetary contributions for their campaign, specifically videography equipment, which violated campaign finance rules. However, the Office of the Dean of Students overturned the disqualification, citing the Supreme Court did not follow due process in disqualifying the alliance.
“The process that the Supreme Court has taken is inconsistent with their own governing documents, Campus-Wide Election Code, University process and fails to provide due process to the accused,” the Office of the Dean of Students wrote in an email. “This process has been flawed, and consequently, this decision is invalid.”
UT Chief Justice Isaiah Mosley, who wrote the original majority opinion disqualifying the alliance, said he had “never seen such an overreach” by the Office of the Dean of Students in his three years of serving on the court.
The Daily Texan reached out to Thomas for an interview but was redirected to the Office of the Dean of Students for a statement. The Office of the Dean of Students is the sponsoring department that oversees the Student Government and assists in communications when needed.
Tina Shively, a spokesperson for the Office of the Dean of Students, wrote in an email that the current SG leaders are reviewing their governing documents to see if any changes are necessary, a process that typically occurs every year.
Anthony Nguyen, speaker of the SG Assembly composed of multiple elected student representatives from each college and school, said he is not concerned that the branches will not cooperate in the upcoming year.
“Trust or agreement between the branches (is) less so my concern because regardless, everybody will try (in) their capacity to represent students as best as they can,” Nguyen said. “The most important thing is trust with the student body.”
One way that incoming students can engage with SG is through the first-year election. While most positions are filled during the spring election, two representatives from the incoming class, including transfer students, are elected to serve on SG each fall semester.
Additionally, any UT student can write legislation if sponsored by one Assembly representative or speak on legislation during weekly Assembly meetings.
While SG cannot directly intervene in academic, administrative or financial matters at the University, Nguyen said SG’s goal is to advocate for what students want.
“Student Government is only as important as what students make it,” Nguyen said. “A lot of our job is to amplify students’ voices and stand for students. If students are uninterested in the organization itself, then that mission cannot be properly accomplished.”
