The five Ohio University students vying for the student trustee position disagree on voting rights and how to best represent their constituents.
Gov. John Kasich is reviewing applications from sophomores Zach George, Victoria Calderon, Tiffany Schlein, Allison Arnold and freshman Allie Dyer for the opening two-year student trustee position on the Board of Trustees.
All five said they felt their role as trustee would be to communicate between faculty and students, but each had a different view on the degree to which they represented students, as opposed to the rest of campus.
“You’re supposed to be an informational resource for both groups,” Dyer said, “by relaying what the board is thinking and the decisions they’re making to the students and also relaying the student perspective back to the board.”
Calderon agreed, but added that the board also must consider how its decisions affect faculty, administrators and Athens residents.
The applicants were polarized on whether or not the trustee should have the right to vote. George and Calderon remain on the fence, but Schlein and Arnold support the idea.
“Not that the students are ignored or anything like that at all, but just that it would create more of a record of accountability,” Schlein said.
Dyer did not agree, however.
“I don’t think two years is really enough time to gain long-term perspective that some of the other voting members have,” Dyer said. “… I don’t think it’s good policy.”
All of the applicants also indicated they were neutral or felt that Budget Planning Council meetings should remain closed — at least for now. The council advises OU President Roderick McDavis on major financial decisions.
“I think that the budget committee could be opened in the future; I don’t think it’s in the best interest right now,” Arnold said. “I think things need to be done … to keep the university functioning on a day-to-day basis.”
All five candidates also said the university’s budget would be the major difficulty the next student trustee must deal with during the upcoming two years. OU is facing $9.6 million in budget cuts for the 2012 fiscal year.
“I think that, as a new student, I feel that I can see my diversity centers shrinking here at Baker, the LGBT center, the Women’s Center, the Multicultural Center … to me those things are dear to my heart,” Calderon said. “It’s not just the money that’s being lost; it’s what that’s going to take away from these students and the stress they’re going to feel.”
Applicants had additional concerns they each felt were important. Dyer said she is interested in increasing campus safety. George and Arnold said they worry about the 2012-13 quarters-to-semesters transition, while Schlein said she worries OU’s enrollment will suffer in coming years.
“You walk up to the average person, the average student, and they have no idea what a student trustee does. They have no idea that they probably even exist, in all honesty,” George said. “So one thing is I want to make them more visible. Last year, they were given offices, and I’d like to make those office hours more accessible and more visible to students.”
The selected student will replace outgoing trustee Kyle Triplett. Having spent two years in office, Triplett said the experience has changed the way he viewed OU.
“Going into the position, I didn’t know how the meetings would operate, what the working relationship would be between voting trustees and the students,” Triplett said. “But, they want us to speak; more often than not they actively solicit our opinions.”
Triplett also said it has not been easy, and he hoped the newcomer would be prepared for the rigors of the job.
“I think the new trustee needs to have an open mindset and a willingness to learn,” Triplett said. “In the beginning, so much is thrown at you all at once.”
Read Q&As with each candidate here.
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