Save the Cactus Cafe.org

A campaign of Friends of the Cactus Cafe

The University of Texas Graduate Student Assembly unanimously approved the passage of the below resolution in support of preserving the Cactus Cafe. Their announcement added “We understand the current need for fiscal conservation, but recognize that the minor budgetary shortfalls of the Cactus Cafe can be easily overcome, while closing the Cactus Cafe is effectively an irreversible decision.”

In Support of the Cactus Cafe

Authors: Samuel V. Scarpino, National Science Foundation Fellow, Integrative Biology; John O. Woods, National Science Foundation Fellow, Cell & Molecular Biology; Hayley Gillespie, Integrative Biology

Sponsors: Samuel V. Scarpino, John O. Woods, Manuel A. Gonzalez, Kyle Shelton, Austin Carlson,

WHEREAS, The Cactus Cafe, a cultural and historical icon for the students at the University of Texas at Austin, is slated to close due to decisions made by the Texas Union Executive Director and the Texas Union Board of Directors; and,

WHEREAS, The Texas Union Board of Directors has no graduate student representation, effectively excluding a key constituency from deliberations on the Cactus Cafe’s future; and,

WHEREAS, The Cactus Cafe is a major component of the cultural environment that makes The University of Texas at Austin so appealing to current and prospective graduate students along with the entirety of the University of Texas community; and,

WHEREAS, The budget shortfalls cited as motivation for closing the Cactus Cafe, amounts to only $66,000 out of total annual revenue of greater than $500,000; and,

WHEREAS, Elimination of the Cactus Cafe is effectively an irreversible decision, which will result in the loss of a nationally renowned¹ brand and cultural icon for both The University of Texas at Austin and the City of Austin; therefore,


BE IT RESOLVED, That the Graduate Student Assembly at The University of Texas at Austin believes the Cactus Cafe is a cultural icon and an important bridge between the University and the Austin community; and furthermore, the Graduate Student Assembly recognizes the profound impact the Cactus Cafe has on the University's stated mission to develop new knowledge, promote education, and advance society through creative activity and the arts; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Graduate Student Assembly at The University of Texas at Austin supports preserving the Cactus Cafe and believes it is central to graduate student life as well as culture and the arts at this University and in Austin; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Graduate Student Assembly at The University of Texas at Austin opposes any decisions regarding the Cactus Cafe made without the direct input of graduate students; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Graduate Student Assembly supports the creation of an endowment to support the continued operation and development of the Cactus Cafe, and believes $66,000 per year is a minor financial obstacle; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That as a result of the Cactus Cafe’s importance to the graduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni and to the advancement of its mission, the Graduate Student Assembly hereby establishes an ad-hoc committee of its members, in conjunction with other members of the community, to develop a plan for the preservation of the Cactus; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this legislation be sent to the Texas Union Board of Directors, the Texas Union Executive Director, the Student Government Executive Board and Student Government Assembly, the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Office of the Vice President and Dean of Graduate Studies, the Office of the President, the Office of Representative Elliott Naishtat, and the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System.

¹ http://www.utexas.edu/txunion/ae/cactus/