University of South Carolina Libraries
Students d first .... In recent months a lot of emphasis has been put on obtaining a student vote on the USC Board of Trustees. This is one possibility for getting more student opinions through the Board, but another, more effective way of increasing (or rather creating) public input into ad : i.: J * it ^i. 4.1 iniiiisuctuve uecisiuiis lb uiruugu iiiti public election instead of political appointment of board members. Why not? After all, officials, board k 1 1_. ?1 i_ J A. 1_. iiiemuei s cue pupuuuiy eiecieu 1101 oniy for the State Department of Education but for the county departments as well. Not only would this give the oeoole who pay for the university a chance to make decisions in its operation, it would also free the board members of any 4'obligations" at thu Qtuto T-Tmico WmilHn 'f if Kn i-ii V4 V VJ11V/ VV? VV> AAVUUV* TV VUJIVI11 V JL1/ MV/ without such problems as the law and medicine schools have gone through as recently as this year? It just is not right for the taxpayer, not to mention the student, to have a voice in all other education levels except the most imoortant. the universitv * 7 / " If one examines the current problems of the law and especially the medical schools he would soon discover they stem from the State House. The obvious solution? A 1 n it uraniea, souin Carolina is a very politically influenced state, but a change is needed as the present way is proving itself incapable. If elected on a four-year-term basis, mere would be no reason for the students to complain about no voice, all they would need do is vote for someone f The I: BuijWbON, u*im mftKES voo FEEL- f[ L^J THP?T THE 0Oftftt> ^-<4. ?TM ^ \rr rxc hinOi \r CI e/Tlr*^71 mm M i caiot vou JELL- thfttj fl& ? I uje refluvcare? jr ft, i iii?"'i "ii n ft f Li 1 1 * * i fc.. eserve voi< acceptable in the next election. rra_* 1J ?l 1 ? nils wouiu ctisu give yuungtsr peupic, possibly students, the opportunity to run for positions on the board, thus obtaining that student voice with all the orivileees of a full-fledged member not just a student who finds himself representing the campus but getting the political runaround from the board members who view his presence there as a show of faith and good will requiring toleration of the junior "member" instead of inclusion. The only way such a plan could be HppitipH imnrantipal ic hv thnco nnlitinionc V?V/x/A? * V/ v? MVVIVMJl 1U VIIVUV ^VlAtlVAUlIO who are afraid of losing their prestigious, ego-building positions of influence at USC. Anyway, it would mean a loss of the VIP treatment, seats and pampering that is done now in hopes of keeping on a legislator's good side. Thp nnmilar olpptinn nf trnctooc ic o * **Vv ^/V/J^V4AV4A VAVVVIVil \/A VI UUVVVU AkJ M necessary move at USC. We hope this will not be the end of a push towards such a goal although it will be easily stifled if not perpetuated by student leaders and the student body in general. The taxpayers of thp stfltp shmilH finH it nni(p apppntnhlp since they are in reality the financiers for the institution. The Board of Trustees should be made answerable to the students and taxpayersemnlovers. not the small elitist crrnnn nf 1 u J ? ?~ D* " politicians from the State House. Their job is government, supposedly, not education administration. With this measure, a good well deserved job of spring cleaning can be done within the TTSn rnmmnnitv aHminictpafiAn " ? ? v V j J UVAVAlt ninamk y/wwmmmwmm I ! I I L^; K / Y?*H! unite} \ f . ?a/C ft/lal/. r-/\ I i uAmnwy 11/ I V K6CP VotM 7 Mr BMRD I TRUSTEES ce on Board or second .... For the past few years, SGA's leaders have preached the need to have a voting student on the University Board _r m a. mt_ _ a. ? at 1 i-i a j? 01 nusiees. 1111s vote, iney said, wouia permit me students to have a real voice in running the University, and, at the same time, prevent the Board from recklessly disregarding student rights. Since the Board has 20 voting members-16 of which are elected by the General Assembly, the chairmen of the General Assembly's Education Committees, the state superintendent of education and the governor-one vote by any student would hardly be heard, much less influence any decision. But, last year, President Steve Hill promised that the idea would be studied, especially by the General Assembly, which must make the final decision. In fact, Hill assigned one of his top aides, Michael Honeycutt, to inform the members of the General Assembly of the students' need for the vote, and, eventually, Hill assumed that the measure would be approved. Contrary to this promise, Honeycutt and his assistant, Sharon Rodgers, have done little more than talk with one legislator and have attempted to gather opinions from other state supported schools concerning a vote at these colleges, also. In their conversation with that legislator, Jean H. Toal, D-Richland, they discovered that a bill would have to be introduced and passed by the General Assembly, and that without the endorsement of the Board of Trustees, that bill would probably go no farther than the waste can. This meeting took place in October, 1975. So, Hill decided three days before the Board's December meeting.a student senator said, to nlace it on the Board's agenda. Without the necessary preparation, however, the Board's Student-Trustee Liaison Committee carried the idea over until its next meeting in May, citing lack of information as the basis for their action. And, this is where the measure rests today. T)..i I I il !J ! 1 ? * out, wuy nave uie iaeas siuaiea 10 oegin witn, especially since a voting student would be smothered by the mass of government bureaucrats joining him on the Board? This problem becomes especially acute when the Board's voting habits are considered. Seldom will a J: ~ i? ~ ? i i? * - luddcuiiug vuic uc uy any iiienioer in open session, one trustee said last week. In addition, another trustee said, the Board depends on its seven committees to form most opinions and make the decisions. In short, he meant, if the measure gets past committee, the full board will approve it. If the measure fails to leave committee it is nmhahlv rtpaH And, once this habit is considered the student vote becomes much less attractive, and the answer to SGA's search can be found.SGA's answer is already being used bv the Student-Trustee Liaison Comrmttpp and u/ith inct alittle work the idea could be expanded to all the Board's committees. As that committee works four trustees along with five students discuss the measures SGA would like to see begun on campus, such as closing Green Street ppttincf ? _ . ^ J C3 O " beer and wine license for South Building and the like. And as the Chairman of that committee, Dr. William S. Brockington acknowledges, no measure which has the approval of his committee has been defeated by the full Knarrl 'c n PkA/V?l V* U YVtVy. Here, then, is the solution to more influence in University policy decisions: allow students to sit with the other six committees and exoress thfiir vi^ws Such a solution would bypass the clumsy legislative process, something that might take a year or more to complete and provide the students the necessary voice in oil D AO?*rl an uuaiu uctiaiun^,