One of Ohio University’s student trustees argued to head the committee that will search for his counterpart in representing the student body to the Board of Trustees.
Keith Wilbur, first-year student trustee and former senate member, proposed restructuring the student trustee search committee, a subset of senate, by having the second-year trustee chair the committee at Student Senate’s last meeting of the year.
Currently senate’s vice president, Anna Morton, chairs the committee, which helps narrow the selection for the student trustee — a position appointed by the governor — and the two student trustees serve as members on the body. The chair of the committee does not vote in the selection process.
However, not all senate members saw a change in leadership to be necessary.
“It may be a conflict of interest,” said Alex George, University Life commissioner.
Wilbur argued this wouldn’t be the case, and instead would strengthen the committee by allowing someone with knowledge of the position to help lead the search.
“As a trustee I have more insight on the role ... that we are carrying out on a daily basis than does the Student Senate vice president,” Wilbur said.
Wilbur also stressed his desire for the position to be better advertised and the committee to be more organized.
“It’s just been a neglected committee for a little while in my opinion,” Wilbur said.
Senate passed a resolution against House Bill 348, proposed by Rep. Michael Henne, R-Clayton, which would bar state universities from automatically opting students into university health care policies. The bill would readjust OU’s current program, which requires students to opt-out of receiving health care.
The resolution cited added costs to disabled and international students as some reasons against supporting the bill.
“I think this is neither the time nor the method to discuss student health insurance,” said Matt Gusler, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine senator and co-sponsor of the resolution. “An overarching health care bill like this is ill-timed … and I think it puts constraints on the university by the health care they offer students.”
The balance of the Senate Appropriations Commission was $38,310.23 at the meeting while senate’s budget was $17,567.26.
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