For the first time, a faculty member will be selected to serve on the Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee in the Board of Trustees.
The Ohio State Board of Trustees will vote Friday among five candidates, after the committee submits its recommendation.
“I’m confident that we’ll get an excellent ambassador that understands the role of the university and academics,” said Jason Marion, graduate student trustee and member of the Committee on Trusteeship. “The committee has made its point known that this is a good step forward for the university to have this kind of expertise.”
The idea to add a faculty member to the committee has been around for some time, said Tim Gerber, chair of the Faculty Council. But several factors have led to the decision to add the faculty member now. Gerber cited the expansion of the Board of Trustees several years ago, the arrival of OSU President E. Gordon Gee, and the fact that faculty participation was lacking in the board.
“It’s something we’ve been talking about for some time,” Gerber said. “It rounds out the conversation about important issues on the board. We’ve been pleased with the receptiveness from the board, and their willingness to select a member of faculty.”
The faculty member will be a voting member of the Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee of the Board of Trustees, and will serve a term on the committee for two years.
Gerber said he looks forward to the announcement on Friday.
“I’m just as interested, if not more than most people, because this person will be representative of our faculty in a very vital committee,” Gerber said. “It’s both exciting and encouraging to our faculty.”
