By: Anna Aguillard, Senior Writer
On Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, Wofford’s board of trustees met directly with current students for the college’s first formally-organized Student-Board Engagement Forum.
The Forum was organized by Jay Wolfe, chairman of the Student-Board Relations Committee, an ad-hoc committee created by Campus Union after Student Body President Billy Moody had the idea to increase communication between students and the board.
Wolfe and Moody invited a small group of involved students and Campus Union representatives to the Harvey Room, where eleven board members and 28 students met for an opening group discussion followed by smaller “break-out” sessions facilitated by students.
“In creating the event, I hoped to establish an informal setting wherein board members and students could interact and talk about issues on campus board members often do not have the opportunity to spend a lot of time on campus, and they need to be informed on issues that affect the day-to-day lives of students,” says Wolfe.
The opening discussion covered relevant issues ranging from the need for new faculty in the economics, business and finance departments, funding for The Space and a change in the Student Code of Rights and Responsibilities that would increase the number of students present on Administrative Court Judicial Hearing Panels to two rather than one.
“All three of these issues were raised by Campus Union as either proposals or resolutions and then presented to the board members present. The board members seemed very receptive to these concerns,” says Wolfe.
Issues discussed in the smaller break-out sections differ, says Wolfe. Conversations generally focused on social life on campus, the lack of a row, improving general education requirements, the provost search, the presence of a school identity and reports of lower SAT scores.
Sophomore Chie Mushayamunda said that she found the topic of Wofford’s ranking “particularly interesting.”
“I personally want to keep Wofford’s ranking high among similar institutions. The school needs to remain on the same tier as Furman or even rise to the level of Davidson,” says Mushayamunda. “We as a school need to find our competitive advantage, or else we will watch exceptional students go to our competitors.”
Wolfe, along with the handful of other students responsible for planning the forum, hope that discussing issues directly with students will help the college come up with solutions.
“We have amazing board members that were willing to use their personal time to attend the event, which shows that they care deeply about the college and its students. I feel strongly that their knowledge of student concerns will impact their decision-making,” says Wolfe.
Harold Chandler, Chairman of the board, said that events like Sunday’s are his “favorite part” of serving on the board.
“I personally feel a great deal of satisfaction and pride that members of the board of Trustees and the student body reached out to each other in a mutual sense of respect and interest,” says Chandler.
Chandler also recognized something else exchanged during the meeting: a common love for Wofford, shared by both students and board members alike.
“As we attempted to absorb the students’ thoughts and concerns relative to their experiences here at Wofford, we also witnessed a deep sense of love and appreciation for Wofford. That is why they were there. And, that is why we were there.”
After the event, Wolfe hoped to see the Student-Board Engagement Forum organized before every board meeting and called Campus Union to create a permanent Student-Board Relations standing committee.
“Sunday, at least to me, was not a singular happening but rather one of a series of steps that builds cumulative value,” says Chandler. “It is a continuous journey, so I hope we will focus on the opportunities as they occur and as need might dictate.”
