UTSA Releases First Title IX Annual Report
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5 | Arts & Life 7 | Sports Investing in Soccer wins third identity straight game Vol. 60, Issue 9 Est. 1981 October 22 - October 29, 2019 The Paisano Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community /PaisanoOnline /ThePaisano @PaisanoMedia @ThePaisano www.Paisano-Online.com Faculty UTSA releases first senate Title IX votes on Annual Report plus/minus of complaints regarding discrimination of protected grading classes, this Title IX report focused on student-related By Joseph Torres sexual harassment and Co-News Editor sexual misconduct. Continued on page 2 The report includes UTSA’s Faculty Senate voted against the Joint See “GI Bill benefits extended for statistics on the number Committee on Plus/Minus Grading’s (JPMC) STEM majors” of training sessions held; recommendation of a “complete discontinuation of the number of students, the plus/minus grading system at UTSA” on Oct. faculty and athletes who 17. The JPCM, composed of undergraduate stu- completed training; the dents, graduate students and faculty from multiple number of reports made and colleges at UTSA, was charged with reviewing the the number of reports that current plus/minus grading system and producing a became official cases, which recommendation to Provost Dr. Kimberly Espy. went through a resolution A student-wide email was distributed on Feb. process. 21 requesting opinions on the plus/minus grading According to the report’s system. Approximately nine percent of UTSA stu- introduction, it contains data dents participated in the survey. Out of the 2,723 Graphic by Emma Reeves on investigations that the Ti- students who participated, nearly 68% showed a By Heather Montoya duct. A link to the report with comprehensive data to tle IX Office handled during preference for whole letter grades. The survey also Co-News Editor was included in an email identify next steps in our ef- the 2018-2019 fiscal year included four alternative suggestions for the plus/ Suzanne Patrick, director of forts to communicate while without violating confidenti- minus grading system. The most popular option UTSA released its first equal opportunity services honoring confidentiality to ality and FERPA limitations. was to eliminate minus grades while adjusting the Title IX Annual Report, an and Title IX coordinator, those who report,” Patrick quality points for the remaining letter and plus outcome of the Presidential sent to the UTSA commu- said. Continued on page 2 grades. Initiative on Preventing nity on Oct. 16. While the EOS/Title IX See “421 reports made in “The Committee has voted to recommend Sexual Assault and Miscon- “The report provides us office handles a wide range 2018-2019 fiscal year” a complete discontinuation of the plus/minus grading system at UTSA consistent with student opinion expressed in the responses to the survey,” the recommendation states. “In the event that the San Antonio community plus/minus grading system is continued at UTSA and mandated university-wide, the Committee rec- ommends that, consistent with the student option participates in BestFest expressed in the survey, minus grades are discon- tinued and that quality-point awards be adjusted.” By Kayla Burford Following the Faculty Senate’s decision not to Staff Writer endorse the JPMC’s memo, a motion was made to discontinue the plus/minus grading system without Students, faculty, staff and other members of the caveats. Upon voting, the results were 15 yes, UTSA community participated in UTSA’s forty- 18 no and 5 abstained. The split decision by the second Annual BestFest on Oct. 18. Festivities in- Faculty Senate will be reported to the provost, and cluded the Rowdy Rampage Fireworks Spectacular, the plus/minus grading system remains in effect at a guest performance from Grammy award-winning UTSA. artist Daya, food booths, carnival rides and games. “I love BestFest because of all the great food that we have; it is like another State Fair of Texas here at the university,” homecoming court nominee Jerusha Thomas said. Fireworks on display at BestFest. Emilio Tavarez/The Paisano Student government Construction on new hosts T-shirt Exchange residence hall begins By Breahna Luera people I have talked to in my own con- Assistant News Editor stituency, [the T-shirt Exchange is] a great way to talk to them.” The UTSA Student Government As- In addition to using the event as a sociation (SGA) held their annual T-shirt way to speak to UTSA students, chair of Exchange on the Student Union Lawn on the Student Affairs Committee, Alicia Oct. 17. Students could donate a non- Moreno, came up with the idea to donate UTSA shirt in exchange for a SGA shirt the t-shirts they collected to an elemen- while enjoying the snacks and games. The tary school in south San Antonio so that event, funded by SGA, was put together students will have college shirts to wear by the Student Affairs Committee. for their college day. Senator for the College of Liberal “If we have the opportunity to impact and Fine Arts, Taylor Edwards, used students to start thinking of these things this event as a means to communicate early and start, not just wondering if they with students about any comments and are going to go to college, but start think- concerns they may have about things hap- ing, ‘I am going to college’ then that’s pening on campus. when we start moving the needle to the “This is just one of the ways that we right,” Moreno said. “I just saw a great reach out,” Edwards said. “Considering opportunity to bridge the gap between the amount of people who have come out this level of education and primary educa- [to general assemblies] and the amount of Photo courtesy of Alamo Architects tion.” By Jada Teague other campus resources Treanor HL, the Alamo Staff Writer for students. Architects will assemble The residency is called Guadalupe Hall. UTSA has recently start- Guadalupe Hall, named “Design teams are ed building the new fresh- after the Guadalupe River. chosen in accordance with man residence hall on the “We name many of our UT System procurement Main Campus. The con- buildings to embrace the requirements. The uni- struction of the 101,351 richness of South Texas versity issues a Request square-foot building began and Hill Country,” said this fall. It is located at the Kevin Price, senior associ- Continued on page 2 corner of Brenan Avenue ate vice president for hous- See “Guadalupe Hall and Tobin Avenue, near ing and campus services. set to be finished for Fall the Roadrunner Café and Students participate in T-shirt Exchange. Breahna Luera/The Paisano In partnership with 2021” 2 | [email protected] October 22 - October 29, 2019 421 reports made in 2018-2019 fiscal UTSA year Continued from Page 1 In addition to the statistics, assist them prior to or during the reporters quicker. The online The Main and Downtown This specific report focused only the report includes information reporting process, including the reporting link is on the UTSA Campus Student Union on student-on-student Title IX regarding reasons for employees Student Ombudsperson, Coun- Office of Equal Opportunity Ser- facilities are undergoing reports and cases. reporting, reasons for students seling Services Department and vices site under ‘file a report.’” remodeling. The Main During the period from Aug. reporting, how the office has the UTSA Peace Center.” In addition to the office’s Campus facility is upgrading 1, 2018, to July 31, 2019, there raised awareness, bystander The report states that sexual implementations, the Texas the bathrooms and meeting were 421 reports made; 103 of intervention, the Set the Expec- assault prevention training will legislature passed two laws that rooms. The Downtown these reports were classified tations campaign, the Employee be mandatory for all incoming went into effect on Sept. 1. Campus facility is upgrading as student-on-student Title IX Assistance Program, the ombud- students beginning the Fall 2020 “Senate Bill 212 requires all the information desk and reports, and only 41 of these be- sperson services, the Behavioral semester, and future reports will university employees to report game room as well as its came cases. Out of the 41 cases, Intervention Team, the UTSA include faculty-on-student data, incidents of sexual misconduct own Roadrunner Pantry. 36 were sexual misconduct Police Department, the LiveSafe staff-on-student data and ad- to the Title IX Coordinator, Construction will continue cases, while five were sexual application, the UTSA PEACE ditional EOS matters. something UTSA already had through the fall and spring harassment cases. Center, the President’s Initiative According to Patrick, increas- implemented,” Patrick said. semesters. In the same 2018-2019 fiscal on Preventing Sexual Assault ing outreach, visibility and com- “House Bill 1735 creates new year, the EOS/Title IX Office and Misconduct and the Safe munication has increased the requirements for institutional conducted 50 in-person training Campus Website. The report number of people reaching out policies on sexual harassment Texas sessions; 2,425 students com- also provides information and to the office. The office hopes to and sexual misconduct and will pleted sexual assault preven- statistics for the Student Health implement new initiatives aimed authorize civil penalties for non- tion training; 6,384 employees Services and Counseling and at creating an environment compliance.” Texas lawmakers are completed discrimination, Mental Health Services. where students feel comfortable. On Nov. 1, UTSA will launch pushing for voters to approve harassment and sexual miscon- “Not everything students “We have a new online report- its EOS and Title IX office at the Proposition 5, which will duct training and all athletic bring to the office has to go ing system that allows us to Downtown Campus in the Frio change the Texas Constitution employees and student-athletes through the formal process,” get reports in real-time by text Street Building (FS 2.422).