M embers of the UNC BOG Democracy Coalition are on the right side of history when it comes to a petition seeking a greater, more representative student voice.
The UNC Board of Governors should take seriously any organized effort by the student body to air its grievances.
The board rejected the low-risk gender-neutral housing campaign with little explanation in 2013, stunning supporters and making clear that student concerns go virtually unheard in the board’s meetings.
Other examples of the board acting without student input include capping need-based aid at 15 percent of tuition, shortening the add-drop class period and increasing tuition. These are all incidents when the board has either ignored or overruled the student body’s mandate.
The board is either ignorant of student voices or intentionally contradicting them. In either case, the coalition’s demands for transparency and accountability would be helpful.
Board members have encouraged students to speak with them directly about their concerns, though such a gesture seems empty when the board doesn’t purport to represent student interests.
The petition for a public comments section at board meetings, among other demands, is reasonable. To deny such a request would prove the board’s deciding interests are derived independently of student concerns.
Interested students should attend UNC BOG Democracy Coalition meetings Mondays at 8 p.m. in the Campus Y.
