Another student voice could soon be heard on the UW System Board of Regents. The state Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee passed Assembly Bill 158 on March 22, which would add a nontraditional student-an undergraduate 24 years old or older-to the board.
Daniel Bush, shared governance director for United Council of UW Students, said the organization felt the move would help the Board stay better attuned to students' needs.
\It's something we've been working on for a long time,"" he said. ""Students are paying greater shares of their education, and nontraditional students are such a big part of the university that a number of legislators feel it will be a positive move.""
The new student regent would serve a two-year term staggered with the other student regent, allowing one to act as a mentor for the other.
Stephanie Hilton, president of the United Council, said she felt the university had reservations about the bill.
""We've had concerns that the UW System is lobbying against it,"" she said. ""But they did vote in favor of it in the past.""
System spokesperson Doug Bradley said he thought the board would have mixed feelings regarding the bill.
""From our perspective we want to see democracy in action and we hope it follows through the process,"" he said. ""I think the board will probably express strong feelings one way or the other about the bill, and it's still too early to tell which way that will be.""
Bradley added the Board of Regents had concerns about possible tie votes in the board, as an extra student would bring membership to 18. He said he hoped future student regents would follow in the footsteps of their predecessors.
""Students are very good about getting their opinions expressed to the president and the board,"" Bradley said. ""I think we've been very fortunate to have good experiences with very good student regents.""
The floor session runs through the middle of April and, according to the United Council, the bill should be passed before then and handed to Gov. Jim Doyle for approval.
""[The bill] got stuck in the Assembly last session,"" Hilton said. ""Hopefully by the end of the school year we'll have a bill turned into a law that adds a second student to the board. ... It's just a really easy piece of legislature for people to get behind and show students they care.""
