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Student Association is presenting a proposal to Syracuse University’s Board of Trustees to include student representatives in the board’s voting process.

At Monday’s Assembly meeting, Vice President Ryan Golden introduced the proposal that recommends that the SA president hold half of a vote, an undergraduate student representative selected by Chancellor Kent Syverud hold another half vote and a graduate student hold one full vote on the board.

Until SA and Syverud agree on an application process for the undergraduate representative, SA has chosen Pat Penfield, a senior finance major in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, to hold one half vote. SA President Justine Hastings would hold the other half vote.

While Golden recently finished the proposal, it still needs to be approved by the Board of Trustees.

“This is in the beginning stages,” Golden said. “If the board likes the proposal as is, hopefully they will pass it. If not, we will go back and amend it.”

Over half the colleges in the ACC, including Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University, already include student representatives on their boards, Golden said.

SU’s Board of Trustees is in charge of the most important issues regarding students in almost every aspect, Golden said. Student participation on the board is the next step toward equal representation in SU’s main governing bodies, he said.

“Tuition is a big (concern),” Golden said. “The Board of Trustees (controls) university finances. Students should have a direct say in this.”

It’s not fair that students often feel out of control on big university-wide decisions, Golden said. Students are the main group affected by the Board of Trustees’ decisions, so there needs to be student representatives voting on these important resolutions, he said.

While he cannot predict whether the board will approve his proposal, Golden said he hopes it will happen as soon as possible. More representation in major governing bodies is absolutely essential in improving the quality and fairness of student life and responsibilities, he said.

“(The proposal) should increase trust between students and the board so students can have more of a say in decision making processes,” he said.

Published on September 8, 2020 at 12:04 am

Contact Alexandra: azpollac@syr.edu