Scrolling down the list of 37 names of the Board of Trustees members, I look for anyone who never attended Southwestern: 13. I look for anyone who graduated before 1970: 4. I look for anyone who does not live even close to Georgetown: 34, with 3 who live out of state.
Why should these numbers bother students? Because, the “Board of Trustees has the responsibility for the system of governance, academic life, student life, and the fiscal affairs of the University.” In other words, they decide everything students will have to live. This is why a Student Government Association is not enough; members of SGA are not in the room where the big decisions are made. No student is in that room. The Board is not hearing a student perspective and no student is learning the important work of the Board. Is this structure not another version of the glass ceiling? A tinted glass ceiling, might I add?
How about Southwestern follow the lead of Cornell University and the University of Massachusetts, and officially allow the appointment of a Student Trustee to the Board? A Student Trustee would have an advisory vote and participate in all non-executive sessions. She would receive the same documents as the other members, and participate in the conferences and meetings as scheduled. Furthermore, she would be the liaison between the Board and the student body. Students would give the Student Trustee complaints, comments, and concerns to address at the Board meetings, and the Student Trustee would report on decisions and conversations as allowed.
A Student Trustee would be rather easy to implement, too. Southwestern already has a Student Foundation whose members are supposed to be the student contacts for the Board. It is just a matter of enforcing that responsibility and appointing a Student Trustee. Yes, the Dean of Students and President Burger would have to be involved in the process, but such involvement is important for solidifying the weight of such a role.
I wonder if the Board of Trustees knows about the Zero Tolerance Policy petition still in the works, or the political climate on campus, or the numerous Green Fund projects being implemented. I wonder if students’ visions and realities align with theirs. I wonder what would happen if students advocated for a Student Trustee.
