Talk of student trustee voting rights in the Ohio State House
Though reading 500-page agendas, sitting in conference rooms and wearing business formal may not be ideal for some college students, 17 Bobcats are hoping to see that in their future.
Seventeen Ohio University students have applied to be a student trustee starting in the 2016-2017 academic year, which is almost double the number of applicants in the past, Jared Ohnsman, the vice president of Student Senate, said.
“From what I’ve heard there’s is usually like right around 10. Seven to 10 is like average,” Ohnsman said. “So, 17 is kind of surprising.”
Sharmaine Wilcox, a senior studying international business and finance, currently sits on the Board of Trustees as a student trustee and said she is very excited about the turnout of applicants.
“I think it’s great more people applied this year,” Wilcox said. “The position of student trustee is one where you can really leave a great impact, I think. It’s one of the most wonderful learning experiences that I have ever had on campus, and I hope that I have contributed as much as I could to it.”
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The process of becoming a student trustee has changed throughout time, but currently, it consists of filling out an application online that a committee, made up of members from various senates — undergraduate, graduate, faculty, etc. — then evaluates. The committee then chooses five students from which the governor of Ohio appoints one, Ohnsman said.
Last year, students were allowed to vote for finalists, but that is not the case this year.
Ohnsmn said that the committee is going to plan an open forum and some Q-and-A sessions, so that way students can get a chance to interact with the candidates before they narrow it down to the final five.
P.J. Roden, a junior studying engineering technology and management, is also currently a student trustee and said he had hoped that many people would apply.
“It’s one of those positions where I don’t think that people realize how important it is and how vital it could be,” Roden said.
Wilcox said she suspects that the reason for more interest was due to a campus-wide email that her and Roden sent out about the position and the fact that the application was online and easier to fill out than in the past.
Gabby Bacha, the president of Student Senate, said there has been more engagement on campus as a whole.
“I know in Student Senate we’ve seen a lot more engagement, a lot more interns, a lot more people coming to speak to our body and want our help on something,” Bacha said. “I think the trustees are experiencing the same thing.”
The role of the student trustee may also change in the future, as legislatures, students and administrations talk about the possibility of student trustee voting rights.
A bill in the Ohio State House would give student trustees voting rights throughout all state universities, as well as access to executive sessions where board members have policy discussions, Ohnsman said.
Ohnsman said he has traveled to Columbus to speak to the house in support of that measure.
“Without (voting rights), the students voice isn’t really being put into use,” he said. “It’s there but it’s not really taken into account.”
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Wilcox and Roden both said they feel their voices get heard without the voting rights.
“I think I’ve built good relationships and established that with them, and I think they respect my opinion,” Wilcox said. “I can’t say that there have been too many votes on the board, in my time being there, and I’m sure through the past where there have been too many dissenting opinions.”
Roden said that voting rights would be more valuable at another university.
“Your voice honestly has more value than your vote because you get to ask questions and bring up issues that could sway multiple votes instead of one.”
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