The Board of Trustees (BoT) is the governing body for the University of Maine System (UMS). They approve new buildings and infrastructure alongside deciding tuition and room and board rates. The board is made up of 16 people appointed by the governor of Maine. On Nov. 18, the board will be meeting on the Orono campus with an opportunity for public testimony. I encourage members of our campus community to use this time to voice their concerns and opinions on the daily function of UMaine.
I frequently give testimony at the BoT meetings. For me, it started my freshman year with the divest movement. Divest UMS worked to divest the UMaine system from fossil fuels. Due to the tireless activism and pressure from the group, the University started the process of divesting from fossil fuels. Divest is proof that testimony to UMaine administrators can spark real change.
Since Divest, I have testified about 7 times on many topics, from the cost of tuition and fees to campus privatization. Every time I come out of those meetings, I feel like I actually made a difference. I didn’t wake up and scream into the void. I chose to take action.
Even if the BoT has minimal legislative power over your concern, these meetings typically attract people who do have power. University President Joan Ferrini-Mundy and the Chief Financial Officer Kelly Sparks typically attend every meeting. Many more administrators watch the meeting on YouTube.Your concerns and issues will be heard by an audience of people who either can control it, or know someone who can. Giving testimony at these meetings is an easy and effective way to have your voice heard by the administration.
UMaine students have a problem. Too often, I see students voicing their concerns on Yik Yak or with their friends at Hilltop. If we take UMaine’s issues seriously, we can turn complaining into advocacy. We can then turn our advocacy into progress. I love UMaine, but without student advocacy, this school will turn into an engineering research facility with only online classes.
Monday, Nov. 18, at 9 a.m. is your chance to make a difference at UMaine. This is your opportunity to voice your concerns. At worst, everything stays the same. At best, we have a more student-centric UMaine system.
