Friday afternoon brought more than just an end to the workweek for students gunning for a position as Ohio University’s next student trustee after five finalists were named.
A Student Senate committee released the names of five finalists for the open trustee position Friday — junior Drew Hudson; sophomores Allie Dyer, Jackson Lavelle and Amanda Roden; and freshman Alex Molnar. Those five will advance to the next stage of the appointment process.
Though all five students are competing for the trustee position named by Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the similarities end there.
The finalists represent a variety of majors from different colleges at Ohio University. Only two of the finalists, Dyer and Lavelle, are studying political science. All five serve on Student Senate in some respect.
Some finalists felt they were qualified for the position on the OU Board of Trustees simply because they were students.
“I believe that everyone who is a student at Ohio University is qualified because they should have the best interests of the university at heart,” said Molnar, who is studying industrial-systems engineering.
But Lavelle said being a student trustee requires more than just a student viewpoint.
“I know people talk about the student perspective, but I think that the role of a student trustee is way more than just a student,” Lavelle said. “So I think it’s important for students to know the impact (the position) has on the community and then also larger, so just around the state, national and international level.”
Hudson, who served for three years in the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army and rose to the rank of Corporal E-4 Team Leader, added that many trustees’ resumés should include service to the country and the community.
Most finalists highlighted the budget and tuition hikes as current problems the board should address.
“I think a big goal for Ohio University is to build a strong brand. I know that they’ve worked on that,” Lavelle said.
Dyer said communication between the board and the student body should be improved.
“I think the Board of Trustees needs to be a little more direct in helping the Ohio University student population understand the logic and reason and information that goes into their decision-making process,” Dyer said.
But unlike last year, student-trustee voting rights were not a contentious issue.
“Personally, I don’t feel like student trustees should be given voting rights simply for the fact that I don’t think we have the level of distance from the institution needed to make decisions that are going to affect students in the future,” Hudson said.
Molnar, Dyer and Roden all said they would prefer student trustees have voting rights. Lavelle did not strongly support either side.
The finalists’ applications were forwarded to the office of OU President Roderick McDavis. When that review is complete, the applications will be sent to the office of Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who will appoint one student as a student trustee for two years.
bv111010@ohiou.edu
