Funding student travel at UTPA has long been a complicated process requiring students and their professors to go hat in hand to a number of funding sources, including the SGA. Fortunately, supportive Chairs, Deans and other administrators have generally come through with the money to help out students traveling to present their scholarly and creative work. A small number of students who are research assistants also have access to designated travel funds. The one constant source of funding for all students, though, was the SGA, and that money will be missed. I hope therefore that the administration will see this as a moment to address the issue of funding for student travel. We need a one-stop office that deals with such funding and a fair, streamlined application process. In the meantime, student fundraisers, I’ll keep buying your barbecue plates and hot Cheetos with cheese.

Dr. Rob Johnson
Professor of English