Upfront: MSU Trustees Help Direct Our Future
People often refer to the university by its main components of 'students, faculty, staff and alumni.' There is, however, another critical component of the university, not as large but perhaps the most critical: MSU's Board of Trustees. Our eight trustees are elected by the public to govern the institution. All members of our current board, I am proud to point out, happen to be products of MSU--and as such, they bring first-hand experience to their service and perhaps a positive vested interest.
The board's main function is to set policy for the university. Trustees work in close association with President John DiBiaggio and his administration. They deal with the most important issues facing the university, refine our institutional mission, and in short, help determine the direction we will take into the future millenium.
Although our current trustees all are Spartans, each brings a unique perspective. Like the institution itself, our governing board boasts a diversity of backgrounds, interests and strengths. We have a prosecuting attorney, a president of a TV station, an entrepreneur, a former distinguished university administrator, a local government specialist, an agricultural leader, a former professional singer and educator, and, with our newest member, the chief executive officer of one of the world's largest foundations. This diversity of talent comes together with great synergy to work alongside the chief executive officer of Michigan State, President John DiBiaggio, and his administration. They shape our evolving land-grant and AAU mission, and to the extent that they bring diverse knowledge to the arena, their interaction helps to ensure the strongest possible leadership for the institution.
In my ten years here as executive director of the MSU Alumni Association, it has been my privilege, as well as pleasure, to have observed and worked closely with our trustees. It is not uncommon for them to spend more than 20 hours of their valuable time per week working to further MSU's interests. Although there has not been unanimous agreement on every issue, that is, I believe, a sign of strength rather than weakness. In every organization, no matter how broad or narrow, a sign of health and vitality is the existence of room for disagreement.
Our trustees, with their diverse backgrounds, have brought diverse viewpoints. The important thing is that they advocate for what they believe best serves the interests of Michigan State. This year, all of us within the Spartan family have an opportunity to play a role in shaping our governing board. Two of the board's positions are open to election. Both posts are currently occupied by Republicans, but with the announced retirement of Chairperson Dean Pridgeon, both political parties will be looking for candidates.
You have a wonderful opportunity to make an input. Become involved in the political process, first, to identify the best and brightest people in each party that you think can serve the university. Secondly, once the candidates emerge, make sure to become as well informed as possible regarding their potential as trustees. I know that if we do our homework, we will make a very wise collective judgment on election day. Finally, after the election, we should be supportive of the mission of our trustees and, at the same time, hold our trustees accountable for their performance on behalf of the university.
In the final analysis, although our trustees play a key role, they do not govern in a vacuum. They are merely the leaders in an environment where all of us, the alumni and friends of Michigan State, should play key supporting roles.
