At Tuesday’s Undergraduate Student Congress meeting, Academic Affairs Committee Chairman Jason Robison proposed legislation that would designate a specific student to two important education boards.
The Constitutional Elections Act of 2011 would create an election for two positions that would foster relations with the OU Board of Regents and Student Advisory Board to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
Robison proposed the Regents’ Student Representative Race be included in the spring general election to ensure someone is accountable for attending regents meetings and reporting back to UOSA members.
Currently, no UOSA member is required to attend the meetings though President Franz Zenteno has attended some. Because the UOSA constitution says the president will represent the student body in all official occasions, we hope Zenteno makes these meetings a priority.
He should feel obligated to attend these meetings, represent us and ask questions of the administration. A student voice is routinely absent from the meetings and it is important Zenteno and his successors speak on behalf of OU students who do not attend the meetings.
That is why we elected him.
However, we think Robison’s idea of having an additional student appointed directly to the regent’s committees is a step in the right direction.
When OU administrators and UOSA members were asked whether Zenteno had attended meetings, many were unsure. By having a specific representative, the regents will be able to see our commitment to improving the university and will hopefully listen when student leaders propose change.
The importance of this representative shouldn’t be decided during a general election which routinely becomes a popularity contest between candidates looking to add another line to their résumé. This role needs to be a person who has had experience and is appointed by those within the organization.
The appointment of this representative should be seen as an opportunity for UOSA to improve the lines of communication between the heads of state higher education and the OU student body.
Though this representative will not have the power to alter legislation — initially — we hope their presence alone will remind the regents every decision they make directly affects students. That’s a start.
The next OU Board of Regents meeting is March 24. UOSA, who are you sending?
