Opinion

It takes two

Pending a signature from Governor Doyle upon his return from abroad, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents will add a second student representative.

The second student regent, which will represent the interest of older, non-traditional students, has already passed through both houses of the Legislature and now awaits only an approval from the governor. We urge Mr. Doyle to approve the new position and applaud the Legislature for taking action to ensure all UW students have a voice on the Board of Regents.

The new student regent will enhance the student voice on a board that has tremendous influence over the quality and cost of education for all UW students. A second voice and vote on the Board of Regents will add weight to student positions and add another important perspective to the board.

In addition to expanding the student voice, the new student regent will represent a group that has been largely unrepresented by the board: non-traditional students. Non-traditional students, those who entered the UW System at an older age than the traditional college undergraduate, have different needs than other students. In addition to the personal and cultural differences that come with taking a few years off before entering college, non-traditional students have different financial circumstances than traditional students and some have families to consider. Theirs is a perspective that deserves consideration on the board.

Even traditional UW students have long been underrepresented. With only one voice on a 17-member board, the single student regent has often struggled to be heard. A second student representative should make it more difficult for other interests to sweep the student voice aside.

We hope the new regent, when appointed, will prove a strong advocate for student issues and a responsible voice for the non-traditional student body.

Additionally, we urge the governor and the selection committee to use the new position to place a student from the System's flagship university on the Board of Regents. This university is crucial to the success of the UW System as a leader in funding, faculty and prestige. As such a pivotal institution, it deserves a student voice on the board.

It's been a long time coming, but the students may finally have a meaningful voice on the Board of Regents. All we need now is a signature.