Two-year student regent term offers benefits

A bill to turn the UW student regent's term into a two-year deal has resurfaced in the state Legislature after failing to pass in 2002. Though it may seem like a small step, changing the term of our student regent from one to two years will effectively give students a louder voice in the University's highest governing body.

Other UW regents serve a six-year term that can be (and often is) renewed for another six years by the governor. For example, former Gov. Daniel J. Evans has been a UW regent since 1993. It's hard to imagine that students who join the board for only one year would have meaningful influence during their short tenure. While non-student regents tend to have staying power and repoire, student regents barely have enough time to gain an understanding of the pertinent issues before they are replaced.

A two-year term, as proposed in Senate Bill 5022, would strengthen the student voice on the board that sets tuition, revokes degrees and makes many other changes that affect students. Although the regents will ultimately decide if the student regent term will be extended, there's no reason to believe the regent's wouldn't opt for such a change.

In a Daily article about the 2002 bill ("Future student regent may get longer term," Nick Koveshnikov, Jan. 25, 2002), then-student regent Amit Ranade said it took him at least five months to feel comfortable in the position. He feelings were echoed by then-Regent Cindy Zehnder.

"From my perspective it takes about a year to get a really good sense of the people and the issues," she said, "I regret that every year we lose this valuable person."

We support the bill, sponsored by Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle. Getting the governor's signature on this piece of legislation will be a victory for students of universities throughout the state.