Ohio University’s student trustees, Sharmaine Wilcox and Patrick Roden, could have voting rights on the Board of Trustees if Michael Stinziano’s bill passes.
Rep. Michael Stinziano, D-Columbus, is hoping the third time's the charm for his bill.
Stinziano’s bill is trying to give student trustees who serve on boards of trustees across the state the opportunity for voting rights.
“I think our student trustees are important voices,” Stinziano said. “They add a lot to the board in representing the mindset, questions, concerns, ideas of the student, and I think there’s nothing more powerful than a vote of support or a vote of disagreement if something comes up.”
Student trustees are appointed by the current governor of Ohio and sit on the board, but most can’t currently vote on any issues.
Stinziano has been trying to change that during each of his three terms.
“(The bill has) actually been around for about four decades,” Stinziano said.
His father, Mike Stinziano, served in the legislation in the 1970s and was one of the original sponsors to allow student trustees on boards across the state, the younger Stinziano said.
“Now I’ve introduced it, so it’s kind of a legacy bill for this district,” Stinziano said.
During the 1980s student trustees were allowed on boards with the compromise they would not have voting rights.
Ohio University’s first two student trustees were selected in 1989 by then Gov. Richard Celeste.
OU’s Board of Trustees has nine voting trustees, two national trustees, two student trustees, one alumni representative and two faculty representatives.
Currently, Ohio State University is the only school that allows student trustees to have voting rights due to a provision in the latest state budget.
“We think it’s beyond time for student trustees across the entire state, not just one or two universities, to have voting rights,” Stinziano said.
Patrick Roden and Sharmaine Wilcox are OU’s two student trustees.
“I think that while this bill may have a big impact on other campuses, I don’t think it will change much here because I feel very heard on the board and know that having a valued opinion that could cause multiple votes to be in question is much more valuable than just having one vote to myself,” Roden said in an email.
Wilcox said OSU will provide a chance to see the impact of the bill.
“As a student trustee at Ohio University, I feel incredibly fortunate that my opinion is taken seriously,” Wilcox said in an email. “Our student trustee position is involved in every aspect of board discussion, including executive session, which is unlike many other universities.”
Roden and Wilcox both feel the board takes into account their opinions.
“The Board of Trustees here always respect (sic) what we as student trustees have to say and take our opinions and thoughts into consideration,” Roden said in an email.
A vote on board resolutions will “formalize the support” student trustees have at OU, Wilcox said in an email.
“The Ohio University Board of Trustees has asked President McDavis and Board Secretary (David) Moore to keep them updated as this proposed bill moves through the legislative process,” Chair of the Board of Trustees Sandra Anderson said in an email. “The board values the significant contributions made by OU's student trustees, and they have always welcomed and been influenced by their voice.”
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If the bill passes, Stinziano said it would not be mandatory for all student trustees in Ohio to have voting rights; it would ultimately be the decision of the university.
“I think it’s an important voice, our student trustees serve a key role on boards, and I think that they are more than capable and deserving to have full voting rights,” Stinziano said.
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