We hope the newest student trustee is a true advocate for OU students and their needs.
The student representative spots on the Ohio University Board of Trustees are two of the most critical positions the student body should care about.
We hope the newest student trustee, sophomore Brooke Mauro, takes her new post just as seriously.
We hope she is a true advocate for students — not one who says one thing but does another — and specifically, is a fierce supporter of extending voting rights to student trustees at Ohio’s public universities.
Some past trustees have unfortunately not taken up that call as seriously as we would have liked. Although it’s promising that those trustees thought other members of the board took their opinions seriously, what is an opinion’s worth if it isn’t backed by the teeth of voting power?
Voting rights affirms the student body’s voice in the direction of our university. Being visible on campus affirms the student body’s faith in the trustees. We hope Mauro prioritizes meeting with student organizations, particularly those made up of multicultural students, perhaps holding office hours at Front Room or elsewhere on and off campus.
Visibility and advocacy will both be critical during Mauro’s two-year term. We expect her to be fully engaged in board decisions that will project OU into the future.
She’ll likely take part in the search for President Roderick McDavis’ replacement, approval of campus renovations and expansions and the decision to raise tuition (which we hope doesn’t end up happening).
We have no reason to think Mauro won’t be an advocate for OU students, we only hope her interpretation is one focused on the board’s significance, not on its prestige.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors: Editor-in-Chief Emma Ockerman, Managing Editor Rebekah Barnes and Digital Managing Editor Samuel Howard. Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage.
