As of July 1st, 2013, I’ve taken on the role of my elected position as Student Trustee of Governors State University. I appreciate the
many students who participated in the elections that granted me this role, however, I know that there are some students on campus who don’t know that this role exists, let alone what the responsibilities entail.
In general, the BOT (Board of Trustees) operates, manages, controls, and maintains Governors State University. I know what some
of you are thinking – Doesn’t GSU have a president for that? Yes, we do have a president, Dr. Elaine P. Maimon, but in essence, she is the Chief Executive Officer of the university. Dr. Maimon works with the BOT by recommending the actions they should take to
operate, manage, control, and maintain Governors State University. See how the two roles work hand in hand?
Civic engagement and student representation on campus is important for the GSU community. In the BOT Governing Policies, it is encouraged for students “to engage in a sustained and independent search for truth,” and for the university to “provide means by which students participate in university governance.” That is why GSU has a Student Senate, an Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) student rep, a Student Trustee, and more.
My predecessor, Erin Fletcher, has helped me to understand my upcoming duties. Simply put, the Student Trustee attends all GSU board meetings as a member of the Board of Trustees, and is the liaison between the Board of Trustees and the students of GSU.
Personally, I have included an additional item on my list of responsibilities – to create a channel to communicate directly to the general
student body. It is my goal to write The Student Trustee Exchange, a column in the Phoenix intended to communicate information that I feel students should know, and to promote the exchange between students about the happenings at the university. If you have an
opinion or a question about what goes on at GSU, please email me at KRandolph-Clark@govst.edu. I may even discuss your topics or address your concern in this column! After all, the student voice is what drives student governance. How can I fulfill the Student Trustee role without it?