Letters & Opinion
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I am a student at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and an active member of the statewide student association, United Council of UW Students. I am writing to inform readers about a bill that would ensure a more geographically diverse Board of Regents, and I urge UW students to contact their state representatives to encourage them to vote in favor of this legislation.
The Board of Regents is an 18-member body that appoints top officials, sets admission standards and approves university budgets for the UW System. Fourteen of the board’s members are appointed by the Governor to seven-year positions. Currently, 10 of these 14 live in Milwaukee or Dane Counties. This week, the legislature will vote on a bill that will divide the state into seven districts and require that at least one Regent come from each district.
As a UW student, I believe it is vitally important for the Board of Regents to represent the opinions and concerns of all UW students. The board makes decisions about tuition increases and major system-wide policies which significantly impact the lives of students.
Currently, the board is heavily skewed to two of the 26 UW schools. By adopting the proposed bill, state residents will be assured that decisions made by the Board of Regents will better represent the UW System and the entire state as a whole.
Please call your state representatives and ask them to support Assembly Bill 276/Senate Bill 223 regarding geographic representation on the UW Board of Regents.
Lybra Olbrantz
