MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
JEFFERSON CITY - Supporters of legislation to let student curators sit in on closed board meetings have added a provision they hope will ease legislative opposition that has helped shelve the bill in past years.
Added to the proposal is a provision that would let the curators kick the student curator out of a meeting by a unanimous vote.
The idea was approved last week by the House Higher Education Committee that combined the bill with another bill to add a non-voting faculty representative to the University of Missouri Board of Curators.
Like the student curator, the bill would allow the faculty curator to attend closed-door meetings unless excluded by unanimous vote.
The bill is sponsored by the House Higher Education Committee chairman, Ted Farnen, D-Mexico. Similar legislation made it through committee and the House last year, but failed in the Senate, Farnen said. The bill did not make it to the floor until the last day.
"This bill is in no way intended to send a message to the university that they are being unfair. The more input given, the better results, is my personal belief," Farnen said in a committee hearing on the bill.
Curator President Paul Combs said the sessions currently closed to the student curator are closed for a reason.
"The reason is that sometimes the curators meet to discuss sensitive matters such as litigation or the hiring and firing of personnel," Combs said. I think that the presence of a student curator at these meeting was seen as just one more opportunity for a media leak. It could cause problems in the need to keep things confidential."
The Associated Students of the University of Missouri is a lobbying group of UM system students who spend a semester in Jefferson City trying to affect government to best meet the needs of the 55,000 students at the four campuses. ASUM members have testified in favor of the bill.
In an earlier form, then-ASUM member Chris Benjamin testified in favor of the bill. Benjamin has since served as the Missouri Student Association vice president, and is currently a legislative assistant for House Republican Leader Delbert Scott, R-Lowry City.
He said the presence of a student curator should offer no more problems with confidentiality than are already present.
"There has been problems with confidentiality in the past, but the problem has been with the regular curators," Benjamin said. "The student curator is selected in the same type of basis as the other curators. The student curator is also held by the same laws of confidentiality."
Benjamin said the integral role students play in the university make it necessary that a student voice is heard in all matters, including those sensitive in nature.
"The student opinion is needed in these meetings," he said. "Students are the consumers of the university. I think it's important for the students to have a say."
Although Benjamin said he believes the bill has a better chance of passing without the faculty curator included, he said he believes it has the best chance of passing this year.
Benjamin said he has not discussed the bill with Scott, who said he feels differently about the issue. Scott said he has opposed similar bills in the past and the provision will have no impact on his stance.
"It's a little change," he said. "It's not much of a change because it would be hard for the curators to get a unanimous vote."
Combs said programs currently in place allow for sufficient faculty input. Activities such as faculty breakfasts with the curators allow for more members of the faculty to let their interests be known to the curators. He also expressed concern that more groups will seek representation in the future.
Robert Weagley, chairman of the MU faculty council said having an employee serve as a curator should not create a problem in helping make decisions for the university.
"I think hopefully the person chosen would have the best interest of the institution at heart," Weagley said. "Assuming they pick the right person, I don't think there would be a problem."
Weagley said problems with media leaks will always be present with more people.
"Any time you add another mouth you create a bigger chance of problems," Weagley said. "Just because it's a faculty member doesn't make it any more likely."
Student Curator Sarah Welch could not be reached for comment.