Students confront regents over SFAC appointments at Board of Regents meeting – The Cougar

The UH System Board of Regents held its first meeting of the 2025–26 fiscal year on Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston.

The meeting opened with public comments, where five UH students spoke. Among the speakers were members of Get Back SFAC and the Young Democratic Socialists of America. 

Students criticized UH President and Chancellor Renu Khator and argued the University illegally appointed members to the Student Fee Advisory Committee, citing sections of Texas law that require Student Fee Advisory Committee members to be elected by students if there is no functioning student government. UH has denied these allegations.

In an email to The Cougar, Vice President for Student Affairs Paul Kittle stated that the University worked with a group of student leaders to conduct interviews and fill committee seats on an interim basis.

“This pragmatic approach guaranteed that student perspectives will continue to shape decisions, while setting the stage for a return to the normal election process when SGA resumes its full function next spring,” Kittle said.

Texas Education Code Section 54.5031 establishes an SFAC at each public institution of higher education to oversee compulsory student fee allocations.

Co-leader of Get Back SFAC and English junior Christopher Hooper told regents he believes students are being shut out of key decisions.

“In the time I’ve been enrolled here, it’s been disheartening to see what the University has become and how it continues to put down its own students,” Hooper said. “Instead of being on campus, this very meeting, arguably the most important a student can attend, was moved. Our voices continue to be nullified, and the administration strategically moved this to prevent students from finding out the truth and holding those in power accountable.”

Hooper claims that students lack meaningful representation without a student government.

“UH continues to take our money to fund the athletic department and other ventures while undermining services and centers that students desperately need. With no student government, we have no other form of representation, and most of us did not vote for the students appointed to SFAC,” Hooper said.

Hooper alleged the University violated state law and said students deserve transparency.

“UH is not above the law, and we demand you answer truthfully for your actions,” Hooper said. “Students fund this campus and Renu’s lavish lifestyle while we pinch pennies to make ends meet.”

Political science junior Joshua Sambrano also addressed the board during the meeting, raising concerns about SFAC’s compliance with state law.

“SFAC is a state-established committee that reviews and recommends the allocation of more than $25 million in mandatory student fees each year,” Sambrano said. “Because of that role, the method by which its members are selected is not simply a procedural choice; it is codified in state law.”

Sambrano said student leaders had repeatedly raised concerns about the appointment process. 

Sambrano also read a statement from SFAC Vice Chair Muhammad Sami Tabara, who alleged that non-committee members edited portions of the committee’s final report, including language related to transparency, student protections and content referencing a recent hunger strike.

“When UH deviated from the two legally compliant methods clearly identified in Section 54.5062, the student regent, the SFAC chair and the vice chair all raised concerns,” Sambrano said. “More than a dozen state legislators from both parties are interested in hearing exactly what your defense will be.”

A University spokesperson stated through an email to The Cougar that no fee allocation recommendations were modified. To add on, they reiterated the purpose of the SFAC report, which is to provide recommendations on how to allocate student fees.

“Political or societal opinion commentary that is not relevant to this purpose has no place in the SFAC report, which is why it was removed,” the University spokesperson said.

After the open forum, several students left the ballroom chanting, “Renu, Renu, you can’t hide!” They joined a larger group of protesters gathered outside the hotel.

Later in the meeting, the regents approved a new sexual misconduct policy.

The board also approved the appointment of Vice Chancellor and Vice President for Research Claudia Neuhauser as the UH System research security officer and Senior Export Control Officer Angelica Grado-Wright as the secondary research security officer.

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