MoStuGov
Helping Missouri students get the most out of State Government

Student Representation on University Governing Boards

Introduction

Students at public universities in Missouri have long struggled to obtain a vote on their respective institutions' governing bodies. Although several attempts have been made in recent years to pass legislation to accomplish this, the measures have all died out at the end of each legislative session.

This legislative session includes three bills that would grant voting rights to a student representative at a handful of Missouri universities. Two of the bills include expiration dates to allow for a trial period since many are hesitant to grant students so much responsibility. Although all parties agree that student needs and viewpoints are important, some are simply opposed to the idea of a student vote on university governing bodies. 
 

Bill Information and Links

SB 673
Sponsored by Sen. Chuck Graham

This bill would grant voting rights to a student representative at the University of Missouri, Missouri State University and Truman State University. Currently, each institution has non-voting student curators or governors.

The legislation would affect all appointments after August 28, 2006, but would expire after four years. This means that should the legislature wish to make the action permanent, additional legislation would be required.

The bill was introduced to the Senate in January and referred to the Senate Education Committee. A hearing was conducted on March 28.

HB 1308
Sponsored by Rep. Bryan Pratt
Co-sponsored by Rep. Sally Faith, Rep. Maynard Wallace, Rep. Rachel Storch, Rep. Brian Baker, Rep. Esther Haywood, Rep. John Burnett, Rep. Patricia Yaeger, Rep. Raymond Weter, Rep. Jeff Harris, Rep. Timothy Flook, Rep. Walt Bivins, Rep. Judy Baker, Rep. Rodney Hubbard and Rep. Juanita Head Walton

This bill is nearly identical to the Senate bill above, including the four-year expiration.

The bill was introduced to the House in January and referred to the House Higher Education Committee. A hearing was held in February and continued in March.

HB 1229
Sponsored by Rep. Jim Avery
Co-sponsored by Rep. Patricia Yaeger, Rep. Judy Baker, Rep. Tim Meadows and Rep. Sam Page

This bill is very similar to the Senate bill above, with two major distinctions. First, the House Bill also includes Missouri Southern State University. Second, this law has no expiration date and would therefore be considered a permanent change to the statutes.
The bill was introduced in January and referred to the House Higher Education Committee. A hearing was held in February and continued in March.
 

Public Opinion

Supporters of the legislation say that students are the recipients of a college education and should therefore have a say in how their universities are governed. Although the universities named in the legislation already have nonvoting student representatives to express the viewpoint of the student body, students say that a vote would further solidify their representation.

Opponents express several reasons for their hesitancy to grant students voting privileges. One reason is that they say students are inexperienced with many of the complex financial and personnel matters that the bodies consider, and they may be more susceptible to peer pressure or outside influences. In addition, some express concerns over the matters students would be voting on, citing a conflict of interest when dealing with issues such as faculty tenure. Finally, some say that although students are the main constituency of a university, other interested parties exist (such as faculty, parents and alumni) and that soon all of those parties will want a vote.

In general, most university students support the bill and most of the university governing boards oppose it.
 

What's Happening in Other States

The matter of student representatives at universities around the country varies considerably by state and institution. To find out if a particular university has a non-voting or voting student representative, visit that university's website.  


Helpful Links

News stories on the proposed legislation

Columbia Daily Tribune (2-25-06)
The Maneater--University of Missouri-Columbia (1-20-06)


Other Links

University websites:   University of Missouri, Missouri State University, Truman State University and Missouri Southern State University

Governing Bodies: University of Missouri Board of Curators, Missouri State University Board of Governors and Truman State University Board of Governors. No website could be found for the Missouri Southern State University Board of Regents.

Student governing bodies for those universities: Associated Students of the University of Missouri (University of Missouri), Student Government Association (Missouri State University), and Student Senate (Truman State University). No website could be found for Student Senate (Missouri Southern State University).

 
Reporting Tips

Why this story is worth reporting

Many students in high schools across Missouri are already thinking about their college education. Many of those students will be attending public universities in the state of Missouri. Students are likely to be interested in news of how the college they plan to soon be attending will be governed.

Interesting facts

Facts on the universities mentioned:
Who to Interview

Talk to students who are planning to attend college at one of the universities mentioned. Are they aware of current student representation on the governing body? What do they think of a potential voting student representative?

Talk to recent alumni from your high school who are attending college at one of the universities mentioned. What are their reactions to the bill? 

If you live in an area near one of the affected universities or have a current curator or governor in your area, speak with them about their reactions to the proposed legislation. You can also find out if your state Senator or Representative supports or opposes this concept. 

Talk to parents and your school administrators. How do they feel about students' ability to make educated decisions on the governing board of their universities?  

Some guidance counselor's offices keep records on where the school's alumni attend college. Talk to your school's office and see if they can tell you how many of your school's recent graduates would be affected by this legislation.

Sidebar/Infographic/Photo Ideas

Student reactions in the form of a graph or quote listing.

A summary of the current policy guidelines concerning student representatives along with a summary of the proposed changes.

If available, statistics on alumni from your high school on attendance at the universities named.



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