Associated Students of Madison members said Wednesday they will try to raise awareness of a state Senate bill that would open a new seat on the UW System Board of Regents for a student seat. The bill has been sitting in Wisconsin's Legislative Board since its introduction in May 2001.
ASM members said the current board does not represent students' interests and concerns.
The UW System Board of Regents consists of 17 members, including one student. Most of the members were appointed by the governor.
\The Board of Regents provides no place at the table for a student selected from and by [the student body] that is affected by every decision,"" said Brad Vogel, a UW-Madison freshman and ASM Legislative Affairs Committee member.
ASM members stress that the board affects every student attending a UW System school. This is because the UW Board of Regents appoints the chancellors of the universities and colleges, sets enrollment numbers, sets admission standards and approves the UW System budget.
Vogel said a Wisconsin state statute guarantees students ""shared governance"" in the institutions of the UW System. By adding a student-elected seat to the board, the voice of the students will be harder to overlook, he said.
State Rep. Julie Lassa, D-Plover, a co-author of the Senate bill, said she agreed with ASM members on the need for another student voice and plans to push the legislation through in the next session.
""It's about time that we have a student elected by the students themselves,"" said state Sen. Richard Grobschmidt, D-South Milwaukee, who also co-authored the bill.
The bill would also reserve the current governor-appointed student board position for a non-traditional student, Grobschmidt said. He added that these students, who are over 24, work at a job or are parents account for 25 percent of the student body.
ASM representatives promised to rally support for the bill and will use the slogan ""Give A Say to the Students Who Pay.""
