Pulse Magazine

Edinburg, TX— During a Student Government Association meeting on Aug. 31, a referendum was proposed that would establish new sports and spirit programs at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Maggie Hinojosa, senior vice president for Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs, and Chasse Conque, vice president and director of Athletics, proposed the referendum to the Student Senate regarding a new football team, a marching band, spirit programs and a women’s swimming and diving team for UTRGV. If the referendum is passed, the teams will be established in 2024 and 2025.

Special guests Maggie Hinojosa, senior vice president for Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs, and Chasse Conque, vice president and director of Athletics, spoke Aug. 31 via a Facebook live presentation on Zoom. Screenshot by: Priscylla Guzman

“This is truly a historic day for UTRGV. Everybody needs to remember Aug. 31, 2021. It is going to be a day that you will never forget,” said Hinojosa. “As an institution, all of us are part of this institution and we have a responsibility, not just to our students but to the entire Rio Grande Valley to be competitive and to offer opportunities to our students within the confines of the academic portion of our institution. As well as outside of the classroom. Frankly, we deserve it, don’t we? All of our students deserve the same opportunities that other students get and unfortunately don’t come to school here because they have other opportunities that we don’t quite offer. But guess what? Today we are on track.”

The four programs will be available on both the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses to create equal opportunities. This will also expand the spirit programs, such as cheer and dance. Conque said the proposed marching band will attend local parades and campus and community events to add tradition and spirit to the university. The football program will be a division one Football Champion Subdivision (FCS) team.

“There is 24 division one institutions in the state of Texas. Twenty-one of them compete in division one football. So there are three that don’t compete, and we [UTRGV] are one of those right now,” said Conque.

In addition, Hinojosa and Conque said these new programs, if approved, would create about 500 new opportunities for involving student-athletes, musicians, dancers, cheerleaders, student managers, student athletic trainers and Student Media.

Chasse Conque, vice president and director of Athletics, explains a tentative timeline about the proposed student programs Aug. 31 via a Facebook live through Zoom. The four programs mentioned in the referendum are set for Fall 2024 and Fall 2025. Screenshot by: Priscylla Guzman

Furthermore, an $11.25 increase per semester credit hour, capped at 12 hours, was proposed and will only impact new students attending UTRGV in the fall of 2022 and current students who are not receiving the tuition guarantee. For the programs to occur, a student referendum is needed. The SGA will be deciding if the referendum goes to a vote by the student body on the proposed increase.

“It is important to remember … you are not voting on that today. As SGA Senate, your responsibility is to allow this referendum to move forward so that the entire student body can then potentially vote on this particular increase,” said Hinojosa.
The next Student Senate meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Sept.7 at Salon Cassia on the UTRGV Brownsville campus. For more information, visit https://www.utrgv.edu/csi/student-government-association/index.htm.

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