[24863] in APO-L
Re: [APO-L] Board restructuring comments from Michael Gallagher, Active in Zeta
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Rich Quodomine)
Mon Jan 9 21:31:41 2006
Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 21:31:19 -0500
Reply-To: Rich Quodomine <aposatan@hotmail.com>
From: Rich Quodomine <aposatan@hotmail.com>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
In-Reply-To: <43C2D9A3.3090302@udel.edu>
I know I've been out of the APO loop in terms of active service for a few
years now, and I am not going to take sides in an issue with which i don't
have any familiarity fromn a policy standpoint. However, I do have a
relevant experience that might help shed some light...
In all SUNY 4-year institutions, there exists a board of governors on which
a student *must* serve as repreresentative. At SUNY Buffalo, my alma mater,
we call this the University Council. In 1996, I won election to this board.
I sat on this council, much like a Board of Directors, and I had voice,
vote, legislative powers and generally speaking, they granted me the respect
due a memeber of this board. A Board of Directors doesn't exist to carry out
or create policy (except as needed on an interim basis) - it exists to
guide, envision, and provide experience and perspective to the organization
it represents. Although a student representative will certainly be unlikely
to have the worldliness of other board members, when conducted with a degree
of respect and acumen the position deserves, this perspective can be a very
powerful one and highly useful.
In pragmatic terms, since our student base is of all kinds of personal
socio-economic backgrounds, and since a student is rarely a high-wage
earner, funds will have to be set aside for the student to travel, and the
board calendar would have to be adjusted around a student's schedule, such
as avoiding finals or midterms. We are all here, after all, to graduate and
bring success to our chosen fields.
In leadership, Friendship, and Service,
Rich
>I agree with Brad's concerns and questions. Regarding qualified students,
>some may be qualified, but the question then is "How do we not overburden
>them?" Others must agree with Brad on students being very qualified.
>Could some of you comment on how to compensate for lack of certain life
>experiences that could be helpful, for example, legal and financial ones
>(buying a home, working full time, supporting dependents, contract work,
>estate settlement, etc.)? In addition to Brad & Ken's concerns, that is
>what my original comment about student ability was in essence.
>
