Some students have suggested to me that the Hatchet editorial board is wrong on the Board of Trustees issue (Read the editorial here). The editorial clearly states reasons why a voting student on the board might actually be detrimental to mitigating student concerns. However, the students I have talked to claim that not having a voting student on the board of trustees is contrary to basic principles of democracy. For them I have only one statement:
The University is not a democracy.
The University’s main job is to provide an education for its students. To that end, administrators, deans and faculty (hired without student input) develop a cirruculum and policies that they feel will best complement their goals. Students who have an issue with the way that GW operates need to take the intiative to seek out the individuals responsible and address their concerns.
When students do address their concerns with administrators, they often feel that if their demands aren’t met then they have failed. The University is a slowly evolving animal, and it takes time for things to change. If enough students address the same concern then changes will be made. For instance, a couple years ago a bunch of students banded together to protest a SAC policy requiring rosters of every student organization. Students cried foul and presented a united front against this invasion of privacy and succeeded in reversing the policy.
I try to be fairly open about student concerns in the opinions section of The Hatchet, and I give priority to campus concerns over national issues when selecting letters and columns to include in the section. This is a great venue to address broad student policy concerns, and often is easier means for grabbing the attention of the relevant individuals than going through formal channels.
There are outlets for students to have their voices heard if they so desire, but desire is a key part of the equation. No administrator is going to come to your room and ask you what you think, but they might listen if you try to tell them.
