MSA selects reps to regents

A new group of student representatives to the Board of Regents from throughout the University of Minnesota system have been selected for the 2010-11 academic year.
The four Twin Cities representatives, along with four alternates, were selected Friday by members of the Minnesota Student Association and the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly.
The incoming group from the Twin Cities campus is highlighted by current MSA President Paul Strain, who will trade places with outgoing representative Sarah Shook after losing to her in the MSA election.
The group is made up of four members from the Twin Cities campus and one member from each of the Duluth, Crookston and Morris campuses. Representatives are responsible for presenting a student perspective to the regents during deliberations, according to policy.
“I have a lot of experience in a lot of the issues that the student reps to the Board of Regents will be dealing with,” Strain said. “It’s a good position to be close to administration but also to be close to the people in [MSA] forum. I knew I didn’t want to walk away from MSA.”
Strain said the two issues he will focus on as ranking representative will be the addition of a new residence hall on the Twin Cities campus and continued work toward shared governance, which would seat students on University committees.
Rounding out the list of new appointees from the Twin Cities campus are undergraduate student and current representative Martin Chorzempa and graduate students Abdul Omari and Matt McGeachy.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Chorzempa said, “because I think it’s one of the best ways for students to make sure we’re heard by the University, because the regents serve as the top level of University leadership.”
Chorzempa said another year as a representative allows him to build on relationships he has already established with the regents.
“I expect to learn a lot, and I am confident that the regents are also willing to learn and be open,” Omari said.
He said his primary goal as a representative will be to support timely graduation.
“I would say I’m very happy with the outcome,” incoming GAPSA president and selector Ryan Kennedy said. “We had a lot of really good candidates, and it was a hard decision, but by the end of it we had a consensus both on the representatives and the ranking rep.”
The selection committee narrowed down the field of 18 applicants to fill the eight spots allotted for the Twin Cities campus.
“I thought the interview was very thorough,” said first alternate Chantel Wilson. “I was a little disappointed about the selection, but I am very young, so there’s another chance next year.”
When asked about the influence of students on campus, Strain said, “I think we have a lot of influence … I think it’s just that we currently lack the power to back some of our statements and get a lot of administrative support.”
The selections will now be sent to the regents so orientation and training can begin.