The Akron Legal News

House members launch bipartisan student trustee voting rights bill

TIFFANY L. PARKS
Special to the Legal News
Published: December 1, 2011

After more than nine months of discussions, two state lawmakers have rolled out a proposal that would grant equal voting rights for student trustees at Ohio’s public universities and colleges.

The initiative, House Bill 377, is sponsored by Reps. Mike Duffey and Michael Stinziano and has been endorsed by Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee.

“By giving students full voting privileges under statutory law, you are enabling them to actively engage in decision-making processes that directly affect their academic success and university experience,” Gee said in a statement, adding that the proposed legislation has his “full support.”

Each of Ohio’s 14 public universities has two student trustees who are appointed by the governor.

Under current state law, student trustees have no voting power on their respective boards and are not considered members of the board in determining quorum.

Student members are also not entitled to attend executive sessions of the board.

Duffey, R-Worthington, said HB 377 is designed to equalize voting power for student trustees “empowering them to participate in all levels of (university) decision-making.”

“Now more than ever, it is important that Ohio’s public universities put students first when it comes to important decisions about curriculum, tuition pricing, facilities and all other aspects of student life,” he said.

“The bill Rep. Stinziano and I are proposing gives student trustees equal voting rights in those decisions.”

With regard to institutions such as Ohio University, Central State University, Northeast Ohio Medical University and OSU, HB 377 clarifies that the student trustees must be enrolled in classes at the respective universities and eliminates provisions that call for the students to be excluded from having voting power on the board.

The bill would also authorize the students to be considered as members of the board in determining whether a quorum is present and the student members would be given blanket authority to attend their board’s executive sessions.

“Across Ohio, student trustees are making extremely valuable contributions to the work of university boards,” Stinziano, D-Columbus, said.

“President Gee’s support for our legislation speaks volumes about the work of student trustees at OSU. This legislation has bipartisan support and it is time to include student trustees in all aspects of board decision-making and give them the right to vote.”

In his letter of support, Gee referenced OSU’s experience with its student trustees.

“I can attest to the fact that we have the utmost confidence in our student trustees, who demonstrate exceptional leadership and serve a critical function in communicating and advocating for the needs of students.”

OSU’s board of trustees includes an undergraduate student and a graduate or professional student.

“They serve as voting members on subcommittees and are included in executive session meetings,” Gee said. “In doing so, they gain a significant understanding of the university governance process while serving in a vital role.”

The governor, with the advice and consent of the Ohio Senate, selects a school’s student trustees from a group of five candidates who have been chosen according to procedure adopted by a university’s student government and approved by its board of trustees.

The term of office is two years.

In addition to its other aims, HB 377 states that no student could be disqualified from board of trustees membership because the student receives a scholarship, grant, loan or any other financial assistance payable out of the state treasury or a university fund.

The bill would also ban board exclusion for students who are employed by their respective university in a position pursuant to a work-study program or other student employment, such as graduate teaching assistant, graduate administrative assistant or graduate research assistant where the compensation is payable out of the state treasury or a university fund.

More than 30 states currently allow student trustees to have voting rights, including Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North Carolina.

HB 377 has gained bipartisan support from Reps. Cheryl Grossman, R-Grove City; Andrew Brenner, R-Powell; Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood; Debbie Phillips, D-Athens; Alicia Reece, D-Cincinnati; Tom Letson, D-Warren; Nancy Garland, D-New Albany; Jeffrey McClain, R-Upper Sandusky; and Sean O’Brien, D-Brookfield.

The bill is awaiting a committee assignment.

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