Legislative committee backs Rutgers students having more say on school’s direction

Rutgers University students who want more input into how the school is run, won a small victory Monday. The Higher Education Committee in New Jersey’s Assembly approved a resolution urging the appointment of a voting student representative to Rutgers’ Board of Governors.

Suzanne Link is the legislative affairs chair of the Rutgers Student Assembly. She said current Rutgers students know best about the challenges they face and the services they value.

“Passing this resolution will help ensure that the concerns of the student who has no choice but to work two jobs to afford a college education are taken seriously, that the needs of the student desperate for the expansion of mental health services are taken serious, and that we can all work together to make Rutgers a better place.”

David Hughes leads the Rutgers faculty union. He said the Board needs a student member.

“Their experience is mostly 10, 20, sometimes 40 years old because they were alumni, but they’re not involved in Rutgers now. They need the competence of somebody present on campus to talk about mental health for example, to about gaps in the curriculum.”

Rutgers Vice President Pete McDonough said the university’s Board of Trustees has no problem with the resolution.

Assemblyman Gary Schaer wants to examine whether lawmakers could mandate the Governor to include at least one student on the university’s governing board.