Does anyone remember the old slogan “No Taxation Without Representation?” I am betting many people do. I would also wager many MSU students would not be happy to find out that they are not currently represented in all campus facets.
No need to grab the nearest blunt object (ironically for me, it would be a textbook), and gather into mobs. The solution here is student participation.
The Wichita Falls Museum of Art, which has been the property of MSU since 2005, does not presently have a student on its advisory board. Newly appointed Museum Director, Dr. Francine Carraro, said nothing is stopping a student from being on the board.
“There’s nothing preventing that. In fact, Dr. Rogers says he likes that idea very much,” she said.
Carraro said she viewed the prospect of having a student on the Board as “very positive.”
“Having a student from the university on the board would be one more positive way to get engagement and to get participation,” she said. “We do need to build that bridge. I need to hear their point of view.”
Sounds to me like words from a reasonable museum director who understands the vitality of having a connection with the students.
Without the students there is no university, and without the university there is no museum. That is simple logic.
So why haven’t there been students on the board previously? Apparently there were, but they did not “participate actively.” Those students graduated during a transitional period for the museum, and consequently, they weren’t replaced.
This is a good opportunity for business majors, including finance, marketing and education majors, not to mention, obviously, students majoring in art. You guys should be getting tingles just by reading this.
But hold on, all you eager beavers! Carraro said she wants to develop a nomination process and find students who are interested.
Not having had a student on the board for some time makes it difficult to dive back into the process; the selection procedure will need to be tweaked in order to ensure success.
As a student on the museum advisory board, you could have some say in which classes are taught in the new lecture hall, what new events and activities the museum could host for students, and help target organizations and majors at MSU that would be interested in the events and exhibits. It’s an exciting and exceptional opportunity.
“A student on the board would be another good way to continually have a voice from the university,” Carrao said.
“It would continue to build those bridges, build better communication, and that’s what we’ve got to do.”
We need a student member on this advisory board. I mean, hell, we have a student on pretty much every other board, including the Board of Regents.
Additionally, a portion of our tuition and fees is allocated to fund the museum, so why not? In this way, we’ll have more input into the use of this facility, given its current applications and future potential.
Let’s get the ball rolling and get a student representative on that board to collaborate on ways to better utilize this university asset for all students.