A new member of UF’s Board of Trustees has been appointed. But in order for that to mean anything, it’s important to know what the Board does.
Anita Zucker is the newest addition to the 13-member board. Zucker is taking over for Carolyn Roberts, whose term was up, UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes said.
The Board of Trustees is UF’s legal owner and final authority, according to the university. The board is in charge of making policies, prioritizing resources, budgeting, and maintaining programs and education standards.
When a trustee member’s term is up, the Florida university system’s Board of Governors collects nominations and applications before the board or the governor makes a selection, Sikes said.
For being such an important part of the university, however, the board may be something few students know about.
“I’ve heard about the board, but in a very loose sense,” said Randy Bayas, a 20-year-old UF English junior. “They do things. That’s all I know.”
Bayas said the only reason he knew the board existed was because he was involved in the push for UF to give undocumented students in-state tuition.
“They’re kind of removed from the students in a way,” he said. “I don’t even know where they meet. I don’t think there’s really a (recognizable) face in the Board of Trustees.”
Lily Iglesias, 22, didn’t know the board existed. Though she said she knew someone had to be in charge of the university overall, she didn’t know who.
“I think I’m pretty involved, and I didn’t know about it,” Iglesias, a UF biology major, said. “I’m a senior — I’ve been here four years. I would think the younger kids would know even less.”
If more students knew about the board, Iglesias said she believes more would want to be involved.
Bayas said the university should do more outreach for students to get them involved in the upper-level workings of UF. He said he likes President Fuchs’ presence on campus.
“What Fuchs is doing right now is a good start,” said Bayas. “(Former UF president Bernie Machen) wasn’t seen around very often. He was another faceless voice in many ways.”
The university informs media, including the Alligator, about upcoming board meetings in hopes of spreading the word, Sikes said. UF doesn’t specifically reach out to students in other ways.
Sikes said she has seen students attend meetings for the Educational Policy and Strategy Committee, which she said focuses on student issues and programs. Other than that, Sikes said she hasn’t seen a lot of student involvement with the board.
All of the board’s meetings are required to be open to the public, according to the board’s bylaws. Students can also request to address the board about agenda items.
It is up to students whether they decide to be informed about the Board of Trustees, Sikes said.
“They certainly perform very important duties that impact on the overall quality of the student experience at the university,” she said.
While 11 of the members are selected by the governor and the Board of Governors, the last two members are the faculty senate chair and the Student Body president.
Pradeep Kumar, the current chair and a UF physics professor, said student involvement is low because of their busy schedules, but meeting attendance tends to increase when important issues are discussed.
“If the subject is of interest and controversial, then they do show up,” Kumar said. “If not, then they believe in their representation.”
Kumar said student involvement increased when UF was selecting a new president. During the process, two meetings were held, one for just students and one for just faculty.
“These were large auditoriums, and they were filled with people,” Kumar said.
More information about the Board of Trustees can be found at trustees.ufl.edu. The next meeting is Monday.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 - 4 on 3/27/2015 under the headline “Get to know UF’s Board of Trustees with new member”]
