Ecomium to HB 10-1206

Colorado’s House Bill 10-1206 should be approved by the Colorado House Education Committee because it gives student members of the Colorado State University system a voting right on the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors oversees the CSU system and makes crucial decisions that affect everyone within Colorado State University Fort Collins and Colorado State University Pueblo. Two students already represent the voices of the student body at the respective universities. These students are elected and chosen by the votes of the students in the student government elections. However, these student members do not currently hold any right to cast a vote; a right that is crucial to the success of student advocation. The approval of this bill will incorporate two elected faculty members—one from Fort Collins and one from Pueblo—who are members of their university’s faculty council with advisory member positions that hold no voting right. In addition to the approval of this bill, one student member from each university in the CSU system will have the right to vote on issues concerning the CSU system. According to csusystem.edu, the intent of the BOG concerns “development as separate and distinct institutions through planning and resource development…maintain each institution's flexibility to address challenges and opportunities that arise as the institutions seek to fulfill their statutory missions…support opportunities for cooperation in program and resource sharing between the institutions…facilitate system-wide financial accountability through annual financial audits as well as the program of the internal auditing unit within the CSU System structure…promote administrative efficiency through a small central system staff, relying upon the expertise of institutional personnel where necessary and appropriate…[and] measure and promote administrative efficiency consistent with the policies of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.” In other words, they vote and determine the outcome of all issues that directly affect each and every one of us at CSU-Pueblo. This bill is a tremendous opportunity for the Board of Governors to actively engage the student voice in its policy.