'Students are the primary reason this university exists'
An agenda for The Board of Trustees sits in the lap of an attendee, Tuesday, Feb. 6, in the Bovee University Center. (CM-Life | Nico Mendoza | file)
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was edited to clarify information on the presidential profile online form.
As the search for the next university president continues, the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees invited students to join the process alongside them.
The board is looking for students’ input on the ongoing presidential search as they develop a presidential profile that will be used to find possible candidates, according to March 26 email that was sent out to students.
There are two meetings where students can participate in the presidential search. Both meetings are virtual through Zoom. They are:
- A listening session at 4 p.m on April 2, where students tune in and watch the meeting.
- An open listening session at 2:30 p.m on April 10 at 2:30 p.m, where students can directly provide feedback during the meeting.
Denise Williams Mallett, the vice chair for the Board of Trustees, was the one who signed the email. She said the Board wants to include diverse voices and perspectives in the search, including student voices.
“Students are the primary reason this university exists,” Mallett wrote in an email statement to Central Michigan Life. “Their lived experiences on our campus, in our community and even in our online classes are unique, and they can bring an important perspective to our discussion about the future of the institution and its leadership.
"It is my hope, and the shared hope of my trustee colleagues, that many students will choose to participate in the listening sessions or use the online form to share their thoughts with the presidential search advisory committee.”
Students can learn more about the CMU presidential search on the presidential search webpage, and they can provide input on the presidential profile through an online form if they are unable to attend a listening session.
