University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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Directors Hold Union Reins The Texas Union Board of Directors is the policy-making board for the entire Texas Union, and is responsible for approv- ing major staff appointments, building use, building expansion, program directions and the Texas Union budget, said Susan Mengden, board chairwoman. Actions of the Texas Union Board are routed to the UT Board of Regents, and the Board of Regents may approve, reverse or modify each action, added Mengden. The Board ' s major concern dealt with a fee hike controversy. Aimed at inflation, a 1979 spring budget proposed a $200,000 increase for the 1979-80 fiscal year. The Texas Legislature reacted by passing a bill in late May, with an amendment calling for a student election. The Board of Directors held a fee referendum July 10. proposing to increase Union fees from $10 to $12. How- ever, students opposed the increase on principle that the small percentage of students who attend summer school should not decide such an important issue for the entire student body. Of 18,000 registered students, only 990 voted, rejecting the hike by a 129- vote margin. The result was a $100,000 cut-back by the board for the fall semester, including closing the Union on weekends, no air conditioning or heating in October and Novem- ber, and charging students for room set-ups and after-hour usage. In response to the controversy, another referendum was slated for November 6. This time the fee increase proposal from $10 to $12 passed 2411 to 912, though only 7 percent of the entire stu- dent body voted. The increase returned $20,000 in programming, opened the Union on weekends and increased the building ' s oper- ating hours. In the spring, Board members worked primarily on building up the Union ' s image on campus, Mengden said. This included continuing their search for alternative funding means (other than increasing student fees) and continued existence from campus research groups concerning information, she added. Six students and three faculty members, all of whom are vot- ing members, and two ex-officio members without a vote from the Board of Directors. The President of The University appoints faculty members for three-year terms. Student membership consisted of the Coordinator of the Texas Union Program council, one student appointed for a one-year team, and four students appointed for two years. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: FIRST ROW: Steven McConnell Smith. Ken ncih Andre Allen. Magdalena Hernandez. Orolvn M Bible SECOND ROW. Frank B. Barrow, Philip Ignatius Danzc, Richard H Kraemcr, Patricia S. Kruppa. THIRD ROW: Susan Collette Mengden. Charles T Clark 228 Texas Union

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i 111 and VVstfrn Union - ' he ( )K ( orral. the Texas jn all nightcr with a - ' rn flair d In (he Tcxa ; e .ial mince, ihc event featured enter- tainment u, .mpletc with the .rners, kik- kcr dat .round the ballroom tllf Ml cm i ; it-il m th ,tc and Rcxiill runners who prcfcrr -mk V roll hejiied to the Tavern. A favorite wi-stcrn pastime in the r. and the Mihicit ot j popular iountr gambling -tncd the Ouadranxlc nto the ( Blaik l.uk anil (raps lured the luikv or stupid Die m also had . ach as Cannonball 1 ; aiheTern- and Ix n ne k I Square dannnp attraitcd sparse irowds, but ivernor ' s nx m offered a respite from led Union as browsers drifted through, eyeing western artifait dis ;ig old me-, hit ot Western horror. incmatually. ' .uirls were spooked out by ten. ;!1 the entertainment pro probably more time was spent bellying up to the hui . KC dollar glasses of beer or hurricanes than anything else Eric Sheffield The R . Texj Union 22 1

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Council Coordinates Busy Schedule [: Program Council oversees all of the pi ' NlNwJI i luding shaping the :ung and orienting Union committee me mix-is and producing the programs themselves The Program l a the ng budget and cixirdinates all Union ,u : : pro gram- :es on e.impu- ibers inc. - d chairman from e.u h of the dlBg ' sifA ' 1m. Idea- and Interaction. Cultural Entertainment, .ation. Einc Arts. Special Event-, l ' hu ano Culture. Afro Amen :c and Entertainment (, ' ommittees. Coordinator Steve : tliat council members work te train, develop and CO .ile-d this year unique at the Union : -.t) reduction in budget in the fall for each committee, :he fee increase failure in the summer. This failure caused . nto three. Idea- and Issues joined Inter.u :c tie n. Recreation and Entertainment :d Sjx-eial Program- joined Special Events. Despite all problems, dose to sVt -tudent- were involved in committees on a volunteer .apautv This spring ( interview XX ' hcn the fee mm : in the tall, raising fees from J: $12, the Union restored its lull o|x-r4tin t budget anil returned of the most i-ible a--ct- Smith said that tlie tut may have helped the I ' nion since it iaused maintaining quality programming witli a andard budget lie- added that programming was better beiausc of the extreme scrutini ing and campus wide attention on the I : nion, ' rograms provided bv the Union are de-,. tuple- mcnt and expand the education received in tl, our Distinguished I-euurc S -ries. l ; me Arts Symposia, ami C. ' ultural Entertainment series. -.ml Smith. At the Program Council ' s annual changing of the guards. awards were presented to committees ami committee member- .aiding Leadership award went to Carmen Serna. co-chairman of Idea- and Interaction, and Virginia Mills. c chairman of tin cial I ' vents Committee. Sarah Horany. Film Committee chairman. and Elaine English, co-chairman of the Special Events Comn were award ' :ritcd. MON I ' KO(,RAM 01 SMI HK-IKOVA l,,ram. ..inun. -K i )SI) Kc ) Ellen : Willum W S hrhr. Kjihmnr T Par.lur THIRD RO X !i icn. Ion M HCJII-. SUrujtri R.iixnc . I.inn Ann ljuchlin icll Smnh J Trxi Union 229