In a gesture Student Assembly President Jon Heavey '97 called "symbolic," the Assembly last night passed a resolution requesting that all Dartmouth students be given the right to vote in the election of new members of the Board of Trustees.
Heavey said the resolution highlights the need for direct student input into College decision-making. Student input "is often seen more as a hindrance than a benefit," he said.
Student contributions accounted for almost half the College's $17.6 million unrestricted operating budget surplus last year, although students have "no formalized means" of influencing how this money is spent, the resolution states.
Seven trustees are elected by all the College's alumni. The other seven are appointed by the Board. The College President and the Governor of New Hampshire fill the two ex officio positions. Last night's Assembly resolution calls for Dartmouth to give students the same rights as alumni.
Heavey said he does not expect immediate change, but said it is possible that students will be able to join the committees that search for and nominate potential trustees. He said membership in such committees could be a starting-point for later inclusion in the entire selection process, from nomination to election.
The resolution also asks that students be given access to mailings sent to alumni so they can make informed decisions in the selection of Trustees.
