MSA cools fight for student spot on regent board

A student regent has been on MSA's list of things to do for quite a long time. After about 25 years of trial and error in getting student representation on the University Board of Regents, the state government may be making things a little easier for the assembly.

Differing in opinion from former Attorney General Frank Kelly, Attorney General Jennifer Granholm stated that no conflict of interest exists if a student were elected to the board of regents.

The opinion Granholm released on Aug. 25, was in response to a question posed by Senator Alma Smith Wheeler (D-Salem Twp.)

In a written statement, Granholm said, "no prohibited conflict of interests arises solely from being a student at an institution of higher education."

This opinion offers new hope to MSA, after its attempt to form a Student Regent Liaison Committee was stopped in its tracks.

"We think this may be the first step ever toward constructive negotiation," MSA President Bram Elias said.

Elias added that this opinion will lead to further discussion on this topic with the General Counsel's office.

In March, assembly opted to play down its fight for a student regent in order to pursue the SRLC, which would have set aside time with the regents every month to discuss students with the committee. It would have been comprised the presidents of the Michigan Student Assembly, the Flint Student Assembly and the Dearborn Student Assembly as well as four elected students from the Ann Arbor campus.

Working with Regent David Brandon (R-Ann Arbor), former MSA representative Elise Erickson constructed the idea of this committee for approval by MSA and potential approval by the regents.

After the assembly approved the committee, Erickson met with other regents in June and said Regent Rebecca McGowan (D-Ann Arbor), Regent Olivia Maynard (D-Goodrich) and Regent Kathy White (D-Ann Arbor) encouraged her to try the open invitation the regents have offered the assembly for a number of years.

"The board had given the president of MSA enormous power and opportunity to speak whenever he wanted and to bring in who ever he or she chose," McGowan said.

"I just don't think it has been tested enough."

McGowan called the interaction between MSA representatives and the regents in dealing with the Code of Student Conduct during the past few years as successful communication.

"We hadn't used this time in the past because it seemed impractical," Erickson said.

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