Students receive non-A&M affiliated email poll

Two polls meant to gauge student opinion regarding renovation funds for the east side of Kyle Field reached student email accounts.

An organization called “Aggie Polling” released a survey to an uncertain number of University email accounts before midnight Tuesday. This poll came prior to and separate from a University poll expected to be sent to the entire student body via email beginning at midnight.

Potentially three surveys regarding the student body’s role in funding stadium upgrades will be presented to students this week — the two aforementioned polls sent via email and a separate referendum put on by Student Government Association that will be accessible alongside student elections Thursday and Friday.

Aggie Polling’s survey refers to Aggie Polling as “an independent student-run project.” The web address “Aggiepolling.com” redirects to an online publication called “Aggie Guardian.”

On its website, Texas Aggie Conservatives, TAC, lists among its officers Marc Pitts as editor-in-chief of Aggie Guardian. Pitts’ email address is affiliated with TAC. Aggie Polling and TAC also list the same P.O. box.

The poll by the A&M administration was motivated by University officials’ concerns about the language of the SGA referendum. The A&M administration proposes 60 percent of the renovation to the east side of Kyle Field be funded by an increase in the University Advancement Fee while the SGA referendum proposes 40 percent come from a UAF increase. The remaining fund source would come from an increase in sports pass prices.

The poll by Aggie Polling contains more questions than either the SGA or A&M administration survey. The survey by Aggie Polling asked whether the SGA or A&M administration poll would have “binding power,” whether the A&M administration would widely or quickly publish the results of its poll, whether funds should be drawn from existing sources rather than from a fee increase and whether or not and to what extent Kyle Field should be upgraded.