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:
- The University of Missouri operates four campuses in
Columbia,
Rolla, Kansas City and St. Louis. Total enrollment is approximately
63,000 students. The Board of Curators currently consists of nine
voting members and one non-voting student member.
- Missouri State University in Springfield has a total
enrollment
of approximately 19,000 students. The Board of Governors consists of
nine voting members and one non-voting student member.
- Truman State University in Kirksville has a total
enrollment of
approximately 6,000 students. The Board of Governors consists of nine
voting members and one non-voting student member.
- Missouri Southern State University in Joplin has a total
enrollment of approximately 5,500 students. The Board of Governors
consists of nine voting members and one non-voting student member.
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.