Student's views heard by trustees
Letter to the Editor
In last Friday's Viewpoint an Observer Editorial entitled "Board of Trustees should meet here" was a well written opinion with some interesting points. I would like to thank The Observer for noting the hard work of the Student Union Board of Trustees Committee. Additionally, I am glad to see that they agree with the Student Union's attempts to encourage a student voice at all Board of Trustees meetings. I cannot tell you how important Brooke and I feel that the voice of the students be heard at all levels of University governance. In fact, that is why we have worked so hard to allow students into the winter meeting of the Board of Trustees.
I do, however, feel the need to clarify some of the points raised in the editorial. First, the Board of Trustees does meet on campus twice a year. The Trustees meet three times annually. The Fall and Spring meetings are held on our campus, while the winter meetings remain at an off-campus location, most recently Washington, D.C. Secondly, this is not "the first time in Notre Dame history" that students will address the Board of Trustees meeting. It is our first time to present at the winter meeting of the Board. Students have had access to the Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees for about the last 20 years at both the Spring and Fall meetings on Campus. While the committee meets for approximately fours hours in a given day, the subject matter of the meeting is controlled by the students for about a quarter of this time. It is our opportunity to voice the concerns and issues with which students are most concerned. For the past two meetings, the students have met with both the Student Affairs Committee and the Social Values Committees of the Trustees, expanding student empowerment even more. Also, students this year, for the first time ever, have access to the full committee agenda. This insight allows students not only knowledge of what the Trustees are discussing, but also empowers us to address such issues in the time we hold the floor. In other words, this past year has seen students with more access to Trustee meetings than ever before. In working with Father Poorman, the Vice-President for Student Affairs and Mr. Goodyear, chair of the Student Affairs Committee, we have garnered the ability to give more student input into the highest level of debate about the future of our University. Brooke and I are extremely proud of these accomplishments.
For the winter meeting, John Osborne, Mike Heinz and the entire Student Union Board of Trustees Report Committee worked extremely hard to ensure that we represent all student viewpoints and not just our own. Such an effort requires a constant self-evaluation for everything we do. I would like to publicly thank these students for their diligent efforts. This past report was perhaps one of the most successful in recent history due to their dedication and hard work for the students. It means a great deal to me not only as a part of their team, but as a student whose views are represented.
Brian O'Donoghue
Student Body President
February 4, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Monday, February 5, 2001
