Serving The University Of Texas At Austin Community Since 1900 @thedailytexan | thedailytexan.com
Friday, November 15, 2019
Volume 121, Issue 68
NEWS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFE&ARTS
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President’s Award winners will conduct research across the world this summer.
Students need a designated space on campus to get informed about political events.
UT alumna makes entrepeneurship accessible to nonbusiness students.
Women’s basketball picks up victory over UTSA behind solid performance of Charli Collier.
CAMPUS
SYSTEM
Panhellenic sororities increase diversity awareness
TUITION TO INCREASE BY 2.6%
By Emily Hernandez @emilylhernandez
University Panhellenic Council sororities have increased initiatives to support minorities during the past year. These initiatives include a new organization for women of color, cultural awareness modules and a statement addressing issues women and minorities experience at Roundup, the annual spring event hosted by the UT Interfraternity Council. The council governs the 14 sororities affiliated with the National Panhellenic Conference, including Alpha Xi Delta and Kappa Delta. Anagha Kikkeri, who is in Kappa Delta, is the first diversity and inclusion vice president and leads the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which was created in 2018. Kikkeri, who is Indian American, said the Roundup statement provided solutions the council has been implementing, such as diversity awareness, cultural sensitivity training for leadership and recruitment guides, and an anonymous violation reporting tool on the council’s website. Government junior Kikkeri said she wanted to set a strong foundation for the committee and the executive position because she wants University Panhellenic Council sororities to be inclusive places for minorities, who have historically felt and continue to feel excluded from Greek life. “Being a part of the larger Panhellenic community, it was really difficult for me to get adjusted because I was running into different problems like microaggressions, and I
emma overholt
UT System raises undergraduate tuition by 2.6% per year for next 2 academic years to fund student success. By Areeba Amer @areeba_amer
T System academic institutions, including UT-Austin, will increase their undergraduate tuition by 2.6% per year for the next two academic years. The UT System Board of Regents announced the systemwide increase during its meeting Thursday. UT System Chancellor James Milliken said the increase is set to match the 2.6% inflation rate. “It has become increasingly clear to maintain ... affordability of high quality and cost containment, but also to do it in a way that we are providing the best known education as possible, and the most time for students
and their families to plan, that this ought to be taken up as soon as the board is ready,” Milliken said. Current resident full-time UT-Austin undergraduate tuition averages around $5,440 per semester and will increase by an average of $143 a semester for the 2020 academic year and by $146 for the 2021 academic year, according to the UT Tuition website. A portion of the increased revenue will provide additional funding for student success, student mental health services and expanded technology and internet on campus, UT president Gregory Fenves said in a campuswide email. “The increases in tuition will be used to help us improve UT — now and in the years ahead,” Fenves said in the email. This year, the UT System administration determined all tuition increases based on data provided by institutions, as part of a change in the tuition-setting process. Previously, institutions would request or recommend tuition increases for approval of the board. Gary Susswein, UT chief communications officer, said UT-Austin did not play a role in determining the rate of the tuition increase. Tuition for students on the guaranteed rate plan, which holds a participating student’s tuition at $5,841 a semester, will increase by 7% for future students, according to the UT Tuition website.
/ the daily texan staff
McCombs School of Business and Cockrell School of Engineering students will pay an additional charge of $550 a semester, and College of Natural Science students will pay an additional charge of $250 per semester in addition to the 2.6% increase, according to the website. Milliken said the additional charges are for programs that are expensive to offer, such as business and natural science programs, as they require expensive laboratory space and competitive salary scales. Most master’s and doctoral programs at UT-Austin will not be increased, according to UT’s tuition website. The Master in Professional Accounting, Master of Business Administration, Executive and Evening MBA and International MBA will experience tuition increases, according to the UT Tuition website. Students covered by the Texas Advance Commitment, which completely covers tuition and fees for students from families that earn up to $65,000 a year, will not be affected by the increase, according to the UT Tuition website. UT System board chairman Kevin Eltife said the increase does not impact those in middle and higher income as heavily because the increase can prompt more government T U I T I O N PAGE 2
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Austin City Council bans city funding to conversion therapy
False fire alarms disrupt student life, work, sleep
By Aria Jones @ariajonesetc
By Lauren Girgis
Austin City Council voted Thursday to prohibit the use of city funds in support of businesses connected to LGBTQ conversion therapy. Conversion therapy aims to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity through psychological or spiritual means. According to a 2015 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “conversion therapy is not effective, reinforces harmful gender stereotypes, and is not an appropriate mental health treatment.” With a resolution from the LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission, the Austin City Council will also no longer allow LGBTQ conversion therapy in city of Austin employee benefits. The decision places Austin in the company of at least 47 municipalities that have banned the practice, according to the resolution. City Council Member Jimmy Flannigan said he is proud of the LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission for bringing inclusive policies to the council.
Unwarranted fire alarms occur on campus a couple of times per month at UT and disrupt students from working, sleeping and studying, according to UT Fire Prevention Services. According to UT public records, seven falsely triggered fire alarms went off in residence halls in 2018 and five have occurred so far this year. Josh Lambert, UT’s assistant fire marshal, said the term “false alarm” is generally discouraged, and Fire Prevention Services refers to unwanted alarms as “nuisance alarms.” Nuisance alarms happen when the system is functioning as it should be but is activated in response to a condition that is not potentially hazardous, Lambert said. “Obviously, from the students’ perspective, having these alarms may interrupt classes or business or research,” Lambert said. “We will
@laurengirgis
amma ijaz
/ the daily texan file
The Austin City Council held a meeting Nov. 14, 2019, and approved a resolution to prohibit the use of city funds to support or provide anti-LGBTQ conversion therapy in Austin, including businesses affiliated with the practice. “When I first got elected as the first openly gay man on city council, the very first thing that we did was create the LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission because I knew that the community’s needs were much more diverse than any one person can represent,” Flan-
nigan said. An estimated 698,000 LGBTQ adults have received conversion therapy in the U.S. and 73,000 youth will be subjected to the practice before reaching 18 B A N PAGE 2
usually have an inspector responding. We should have one or two folks, at least, from UTPD responding and folks from Fire Safety System Shop, who does maintenance on all the systems, responding. ... That is also part of the reason why we’re here, so it is anticipated.” Peter Scheets, the UT Police Department assistant chief of police and chief of operations, said UTPD investigates whether alarms were activated with criminal intent. He said UTPD monitors all fire alarm systems so in the event of any fire alarm on campus, the department is also called to secure the scene. “Every time there’s a fire alarm, we respond initially to assist in evacuation and also to assist Austin Fire Department personnel because we’re more familiar with the layout of the building (and) where the fire panels are,” Scheets said. Lambert said UTPD is usually notified within a few seconds of an alarm going off. He said AFD will be called from the station, and its F I R E A L A R M S PAGE 3