ISC pushes governor on curators

The student group sent the governor a letter voicing its concerns.

By Jedd Rosche

Published Dec. 8, 2006

UM system students want to remind the governor what's important this January.

On the four UM system campuses, student leaders united to pressure Gov. Matt Blunt in his search to replace three retiring members of the Board of Curators. The nine-member governing body makes all rules and regulations for UM system campuses, including setting tuition rates, faculty salaries, building names and construction projects.

The Intercampus Student Council, with representatives from UM-Rolla, UM-Kansas City, UM-St. Louis and MU, drafted a letter to Blunt.

The letter, which Blunt received last week, aims to convince the governor to pick curators who "understand the importance of higher education to the state of Missouri."

"The ISC wanted to remind the governor that students have an awareness of the effect these decisions (the new curators) have on everyday student life," said Maria Kerford, student representative to the Board of Curators.

Student leaders from the Missouri Students Association, the Student Government Association, Graduate Professional Council and the Associated Students of the University of Missouri signed the letter.

"If the three new curators understand higher education and the irreplaceable role it plays in our state, everything else is learnable," the letter stated.

Curators are selected every two years, and serve six-year terms. The last round of curators took office in January 2005.

Curators Thomas Atkins and Anne Ream and President to the Board Angela Bennett will step down when Blunt chooses successors for them in January.

Although the letter does not make any recommendations as to specific candidates ISC supports, it does state what the authors don't want.

"We grow weary of individuals who show little respect for the University of Missouri," the letter states.

ISC Chairman Thomas Helton said some of those individuals the letter references are current curators.

"David Wasinger has said things that made (ISC) question his loyalty to the students and the university," Helton said.

At the October board meeting, Curator Wasinger said he felt funding for "queer studies" courses was a misuse of university funding. His remarks angered members of the UMSL Faculty Senate so much that they passed a resolution "rejecting all forms of bigotry, including homophobia," in direct response.

Helton, who is from the UMSL campus, said he worried about current curators exhausting "certain issues."

"Wasinger, for example, made comments questioning diversity-related classes," Helton said. "We don't want those to be the main issue of discussion."

Helton said it was not just the curators that influenced the letter, but also actions of the Missouri General Assembly.

Kerford, also from the UMSL campus, did not indicate whether her contributions to the letter were in response to Wasinger's actions or comments, but said she would like improve the relationship between students and the board.

"We could increase the knowledge of student's needs on each campus," Kerford said.

On Thursday, Wasinger said he was unaware of whom the individuals were that ISC was growing "weary" of and that no members of ISC had contacted him prior to the letter being sent last week.

Wasinger, whose term expires in January 2011, said he did not know who the governor would choose to replace the old curators, but said their replacements needed to have "passion and love" for the UM system.

"It is a very time-consuming position," Wasinger said.

Gov. Matt Blunt's interim spokesman Brian Hauswirth said his office was also not certain as to whom the letter is referring to when it references the individuals making ISC "weary."

"We think it's a positive letter," Hauswirth said.

He said Blunt heard the students' concerns and respected their request.

"The students have asked us to a make good decision," Hauswirth said. "That is what we do."

Hauswirth said Blunt would not begin to pursue replacement curators until after the start of the new year.

"Those positions don't expire until Jan. 1," Hauswirth said. "We're not looking at anyone until then and no decisions have been made on that."

Hauswirth said the new curators must come from the congressional districts where the original curators came. Blunt must find candidates from Districts 5, 8 and 9, including areas such as Kansas City and Columbia.

Scott Charton, UM system spokesman and spokesman for the Board of Curators, said the governor had the constitutional authority to appoint members to the Board of Curators, though appointments are subject to confirmation by the Missouri Senate.

The next board meeting is scheduled for Dec. 14 and 15 in Columbia and is open to the public.