The Graduate and Professional Student Council, GPSC, drafted a letter Tuesday expressing concerns on the decision-making process the Board of Regents used to change the university seal.
The letter’s content was unanimously approved in a vote among the council’s general assembly. The letter was drafted and voted on after GPSC was contacted by the Century Men’s Society, CMS.
CMS hopes to form a coalition of student organizations across campus, in order to better voice student concerns on the way student input was sought on the Board of Regents recent actions.
John Rangel, member of the Century Men’s Society and science & technology editor for The Battalion, said student input continues to be viewed as unnecessary in changes made to important aspects of Texas A&M.
“There’s been a lot of student outcry over this,” Rangel said. “We’re putting together this coalition of student organizations across campus to share our views that the student voice should be heard in Regent decisions like these.”
There has been a petition with more than 15,000 signatures calling this board to change the seal back, and The Battalion editorialized against the new seal. Social media outcry has been seen on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
In agreement with CMS, President of GPSC Matthew Fitzmaurice drafted the letter.
“I wrote this letter mostly just taking a stance expressing our dissatisfaction with [the board] not taking student’s input and not being transparent throughout the process,” Fitzmaurice said. The 30 to zero vote in favor of sending the letter to the Board of Regents showed student concern for having a part in what changes across campus, and what doesn’t.”