2008 Woodie Awards
Board hears case for student trustee
By: Jakob Wartman
Issue date: 3/10/06 Section: News
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The Board of Trustees could find itself with a new addition if the current proposal brought forth by MCSG President Ben Johnson â?TM06 to include a student on the Board is brought to fruition. The student trustee would ideally serve as a full voting member, representing the student body in the Board meetings and communicating the general student sentiment to the Board of Trustees.
Johnson, a major proponent of a student trustee position during his 2005 campaign, presented his idea to the Board of Trustees at its meeting last week, addressing the Campus Life committee before shortly briefing the entire Board of Trustees.â?oeIt was a really high level summary,â?? Macalester trustee and former MCSG President Colin Mothupi â?TM00 said.
â?oeWe have started a good conversation,â?? Johnson said. â?oeThe meeting was intended to start a discussion on the idea [of a student trustee] and address communication issues between the student body and the Board.â??
Dean of Students Laurie Hamre said she was surprised by the amount of feedback the trustees gave students on the idea of a student trustee.â?oeIt was hard to tell how open the trustees were to the idea of a student trustee,â?? Johnson said, noting especially the magnitude of change required to facilitate a new student position on the Board.The student joining the Board of Trustees would help govern the college, as the Board is charged with hiring and evaluating the president, managing the endowment and approving large-scale plans and programs.
The argument behind allowing a student trustee is twofold: it keeps colleges operating on democratic principles and it keeps the Board of Trustees more closely in touch with the community it governs, Matthew Caires, Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Wyoming and former student trustee at the University of Vermont said in a July/August 2003 article with the national magazine Trusteeship.
While the Board of Trustee only has 30 minutes of each meeting closed to faculty, staff and students, many feel it is during this time that the most important decisions concerning the college are made. With a student trustee, students feel that they would have a representative with influence at all times.
Johnson, a major proponent of a student trustee position during his 2005 campaign, presented his idea to the Board of Trustees at its meeting last week, addressing the Campus Life committee before shortly briefing the entire Board of Trustees.â?oeIt was a really high level summary,â?? Macalester trustee and former MCSG President Colin Mothupi â?TM00 said.
â?oeWe have started a good conversation,â?? Johnson said. â?oeThe meeting was intended to start a discussion on the idea [of a student trustee] and address communication issues between the student body and the Board.â??
Dean of Students Laurie Hamre said she was surprised by the amount of feedback the trustees gave students on the idea of a student trustee.â?oeIt was hard to tell how open the trustees were to the idea of a student trustee,â?? Johnson said, noting especially the magnitude of change required to facilitate a new student position on the Board.The student joining the Board of Trustees would help govern the college, as the Board is charged with hiring and evaluating the president, managing the endowment and approving large-scale plans and programs.
The argument behind allowing a student trustee is twofold: it keeps colleges operating on democratic principles and it keeps the Board of Trustees more closely in touch with the community it governs, Matthew Caires, Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Wyoming and former student trustee at the University of Vermont said in a July/August 2003 article with the national magazine Trusteeship.
While the Board of Trustee only has 30 minutes of each meeting closed to faculty, staff and students, many feel it is during this time that the most important decisions concerning the college are made. With a student trustee, students feel that they would have a representative with influence at all times.
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