University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ScholarWorks @ UTRGV The Collegian Special Collections and Archives 1-13-2014 The Collegian (2014-01-13) Cleiri Quezada Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/collegian Recommended Citation The Collegian (BLIBR-0075). UTRGV Digital Library, The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Collections and Archives at ScholarWorks @ UTRGV. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Collegian by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ UTRGV. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Last day to register to vote for the The March Primary Election is Feb. 3. Collegian For more information, visit Monday, January 13, 2014 http://www.votetexas.gov/register-to-vote/ VOL.66, ISSUE 15 | SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT BROWNSVILLE | UTBCOLLEGIAN.COM Next step: Select president UT-RGV’s new leader to be appointed by end of semester By Marlane Rodriguez Hidalgo County. the number of candidates,” he said. new administration and organizational THE COLLEGIAN The bill was signed into law by Gov. Reyes does not know when the search structure, deploying the assets, facilities Rick Perry in July. will be narrowed to fewer candidates. and human resources of the existing Now that the name for the new Reyes was not able to say who is “[The search committee] met once campuses, combining and creating new university has been selected, a University applying for the presidency because it is already, we’re going to meet for a second programs and adding a new school of of Texas System official said the next step confidential. time,” he said. That meeting date has not medicine. is to find a president. “[The board been set yet. “We have a lot of groups working “We will select somebody, someone, of regents] will The mascot on those issues right now,” Reyes by the end of the spring semester, or interview four or and school colors said. “Those are being discussed and sometime during the spring semester,” five candidates, for the new deliberated upon, and at some point in Pedro Reyes, UT System’s executive vice and out of those university will not time those recommendations will come to chancellor for academic affairs, told The four or five be discussed until the new president, and the new president Collegian in a phone interview Jan. 6. candidates, they the new president will work with those recommendations The new university, which was created will determine one sole finalist,” he said. is selected. and send it up to the system for approval.” by House Bill 1000 and Senate Bill 24 last Reyes said there are many candidates “That decision is made by students, The working groups are being advised year, authorizes the UT System board of being considered. faculty and alumni,” Reyes said. by Julio León, former president of regents to abolish UT-Brownsville and “We have many applicants, and the Redundancy in colleges, schools Missouri Southern State University, who UT-Pan American and create a university search committee is working through and programs are being discussed by was hired by the UT System as a special with academic campuses in Cameron and that process. There is paper screening, 50 working groups that are tackling adviser to the Office of Academic Affairs. Hidalgo counties, an academic center then you do interviews, then you do an estimated 600 tasks related to the “They are joined groups of equal in Starr County and a medical school in some more interviews until you refine transition, including establishing the number of faculty from each university in each group,” León said. The working groups consist of 13 academic program working groups, UT-Brownsville President Juliet V. García 14 academic/administration working answers questions on the school’s See CONSOLIDATION, Page 10 consolidation with UT-Pan American during a town hall meeting last November. July 2013 November 2013 December 2013 Spring 2014 Texas Gov. Rick Perry signs Senate Bill 24, The UT-Brownsville community reacts after merging the University of Texas at Brownsville the UT System board of regents approved and UT-Pan American into a new university “University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley” as UT-RGV's President and creating the Rio Grande Valley’s first the name of the new university to be created medical school, during a ceremony July 16 in from the consolidation of UT-Brownsville and to be selected the Arts Center. Collegian File Photos UT-Pan American. Welcome back, Ocelots! Fewer students enroll this spring First week starts with Club Rush, Orange Squeeze Festival Officials say about 7,800 have registered for classes By Magaly Rosales Volunteers at the tables will help guide SPANISH EDITOR new students through campus and the services that different departments offer, UT-Brownsville welcomes back according to Heather Olague, director of Ocelots this week with fun-filled events. leadership programs. Students can get assistance finding On Thursday, students can check out their classes at two information tables Club Rush from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the set up from 8 a.m. to noon and from 4 to Union lawn. Student organizations will 7 p.m. today in the Main Building and on set up tables to give out information the Student Union lawn. about clubs and seek new members. Free hot dogs and soft drinks will be served. “It’s an opportunity for us to reach out to those students, to give them the firsthand experience of what college is like and what to expect, ways to get involved on campus through student organizations,” said Stephen Cisneros, MICHELLE ESPINOZA/Collegian a student development specialist for the Office of Student Life. “When a student Freshman Crystel Cardenas gets assistance Jan. 8 from Kimberly Lapsley in the Enrollment joins a student organization, they Services Department. Collegian File Photo automatically get tied to the university and to the different traditions that we By Ana Cavazos 2014 semester with nearly 900 fewer Members of the Society of Physics Students have.” THE COLLEGIAN students than last semester, university talk to a student during the Fall 2013 Club Cisneros said this event will also target officials say. Rush. See WELCOME, Page 10 UT-Brownsville will start the Spring See ENROLLMENT, Page 10 2 Monday, January 13, 2014 THE COLLEGIAN THE COLLEGIAN ON CAMPUS Monday, January 13, 2014 3 Hearing set in TSC lawsuit College claims foundation’s assets have to be used on TSC students and we have asked them to foundation breached provide us with documents that establish fiduciary duty that that, in fact, is the case.” The Collegian asked TSC President By Amanda Arredondo Lily Tercero and UTB President Juliet THE COLLEGIAN V. García for an interview regarding the lawsuit. Tercero said she was advised by A temporary injunction hearing her lawyer to not comment. has been scheduled Feb. 12 in the García responded to the interview lawsuit Texas Southmost College and request with the following e-mail: “We its president filed against some board never interview on pending litigation.” members of the TSC Foundation Inc. Robert Pinkerton, who serves on the over plans to change the name of the TSC Foundation Inc. board of directors foundation and award scholarships to and is one of 13 defendants named in UT-Brownsville students. the lawsuit, directed all questions to the According to the lawsuit, filed Dec. 12 in foundation’s lawyers. the 197th state district court, foundation TSC board of trustees Secretary Juan board chair Mary Ann Fore sent an “Trey” Mendez said it is “completely e-mail Nov. 26 to the board of directors wrong” that the foundation wants to to notify them of a board meeting on remove Tercero’s voting rights. Dec. 13 to amend the bylaws and articles “I think it’s pretty obvious the motives of incorporation of the foundation. The were anti-TSC,” Mendez said in an board’s bylaws committee recommended interview Jan. 8. “I think it’s pretty clear that: that they want to be more inclusive with --the name of the foundation be UTB and its administration.” changed to Historic Fort Brown Prior to the UTB and TSC partnership Foundation for Higher Education; in 1991, the articles of incorporation for --the purpose of foundation be changed the foundation were amended to clarify to provide scholarships for students of that TSC was to be the only beneficiary of both TSC and UTB; the foundation: --the current qualifying positions on “No activities shall be carried on, or the board be eliminated and replaced distributions or application of funds or with individuals who have no voting property made by the corporation … rights, specifically the president of TSC which are not made for the benefit of and the president of UTB; Texas Southmost College,” according to --the president of the institution the lawsuit. of higher education be removed as A news release posted Dec. 12 on the AMANDA ARREDONDO/Collegian executive officer of the corporation and TSC website states: “The legal action was give all power to control the affairs of the amendments to the current bylaws. the role and mission of Texas Southmost necessary to preserve the assets of the TSC Foundation to the chair; and The foundation was created in 1984 College.” Foundation for TSC and its students.” --the board be given power to and received $3 million from TSC. Of The lawsuit also alleges that the “It is extremely disappointing that recommend the number of scholarship this amount, $1 million was raised by the foundation breached its fiduciary rights. we have been forced to take legal action recipients and dollars for both TSC and college and $2 million was a matching “That’s completely false,” attorney to preserve the intent and purpose of a UTB.