A study of the attitudes of selected campus leaders toward the role of student trustees at New Jersey state colleges and universities

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of college and university presidents, board chairpersons, student trustees and student government presidents at eight member institutions of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities (NJASCU) concerning the role of student trustees. The major areas of interest included voting rights, compensation, roles, training, and conflicts of interest. Seventeen campus leaders from NJASCU institutions participated in the study. The subjects were mailed a survey to complete to document their attitudes toward the roles of student trustees. The study found that the majority of selected campus leaders agreed that student trustees should have voting rights. The majority of respondents did not believe that student trustees should receive compensation in terms of tuition assistance or academic credit for service on the board. There was a consensus that student trustees do receive the same training as appointed trustees and that it is the responsibility of the institution to prepare student trustees to serve on the board. Findings suggest that the role of the student trustee should be more in alignment with that of an appointed trustee