Alex Molnar
Year: Freshman
Major: Industrial systems engineering
Hometown: Grove City, Ohio
Activities: Ohio University Student Alumni Board, Student Senate, Athena Yearbook, University Programming Council
What do you believe qualifies you the most to serve on the Ohio University Board of Trustees?
Well, I believe that everyone who is a student at Ohio University is qualified because they should have their best interests of the university at heart. But, why I want to be on the Board of Trustees is because I have a life mission to leave the world better than I found it and I also believe it’s a human obligation to help others, and as a trustee I’d be able to carry out these beliefs in order to make my positive influence on all those who are associated with Ohio University.
What experience do you have, besides being a student, that gives you insight into students’ priorities? (This response was communicated via email)
The Student Alumni Board, University Programming Council, Athena Yearbook and Student Senate have allowed me to be involved on campus, providing many interactions with other people.
Along with leadership or team-member positions in many other organizations, I have many characteristics and qualities that will allow (me) to excel at being a student trustee. To name a few, I am a good communicator, respectful, honest, organized, and (have) a genuine interest for the well-being of Ohio University.
Are there any recent Ohio University Board of Trustees decisions that you feel strongly about or that you do not agree with?
That I don’t agree with, I would say no. That I feel strongly about, well, I would say — not being able to be in the meetings or, not having a lack of knowledge, but not doing extensive research on the decisions that they’ve made (…) — I would say that in an overarching context, I think that the renovation of the dining halls and then the master plan for Residential Housing would be things that I feel strongly about. But, as for their direct tie to the board, I’m unsure. But of course, they’re decisions that are ultimately going to be influenced or made by the Board of Trustees.
What issues do you think are most important for the Ohio University Board of Trustees to address?
First and foremost, it would be academics and making sure that we are an academic university, because that’s what everybody — all the students coming to Ohio University — have as their first goal: to graduate with a degree.
As President McDavis said during the freshman convocation, “You are here for a reason, not for a season.” That has always stayed with me, I liked that, what he said.
But outside of academics, just continually making sure that the university is at a best possible state, and giving the most to the students and all those who depend on it, with the least amount of waste — maximizing efficiency and productivity.
What is your stance on whether student trustees should or should not be given voting rights?
I believe that after this rigorous process of being interviewed and all the tests that the trustee has to make or take, that they should be able to vote; because first of all, they sought the position out, so they have to at least give (the student trustees) some credibility for wanting to be on the board. And then after making it through the first interview process, and then the second, and then multiple application reviews, I think it would be unlikely that a person who would vote in an unresponsible (sic) manner would make it on to the board. So, after all the tests that a student trustee has taken, they should be able to vote.
In general, what are the main things you would like to accomplish in the student trustee position?
I would like to continually improve the university and make sure that we are providing everything we can for the students and meeting all of their needs — that we can, of course, within reason.
Currently, I am on the Student Senate on the Academic Affairs committee, and one of our projects this quarter that will probably go up to next year is to make end-of-quarter evaluations electronic. That would decrease turnaround time and make it that the professors and faculty members can better understand what the students want and better plan their lessons.
So, again, making academics a forefront and providing the students with the best possible education.
