Role, Schedule, and Responsibilities
The role of the UMass Chan Worcester (UCMW) Student Trustee, like the student trustees from UMass Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell, is to represent the students of the Worcester campus to the Board of Trustees. While the other Student Trustees are typically undergraduates, the Worcester Student Trustee is always a graduate student (of Nursing, Medicine, or Biomedical Sciences). As a graduate student, the UCMW Student Trustee has the implicit responsibility of representing the unique voice of students who are engaged in the pursuit of a graduate level professional degree. You will find that this perspective is unique and valuable to the Board of Trustees. Moreover, our campus is unique among the UMass family campuses. As Student Trustee you will have the opportunity to learn how the University is operated and organized across the five-campus system.
Membership and participation in at least 2 committees of the Board of Trustees. There are a number of standing committees of the Board and Trustees are required to participate in at least two. These meetings are held at the UMass offices in Boston four times per year. Attendance at these meetings is required since most of the discussion related to voting occurs through these committees. Meetings are typically on Wednesdays, start at 8am, 10am or noon (subject to change) and are two hours long.
Possible committee opportunities include:
Committee on Academic and Student Affairs
Advancement Committee
Committee on Administration and Finance
Audit Committee
Board of Trustees Meetings are held four times per year, and the location is rotated among the five UMass campuses – Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell, and Worcester. Participation includes attendance at dinner and presentations the night before the official Board meeting, beginning with a meeting of the Student Life Forum around 2pm. Overnight accommodations are provided for the Trustee’s convenience. Board of Trustee meetings begin with breakfast and a presentation the following morning at 7:30am, followed by the Board meeting at 9am. Most meetings end around 11am, but educational sessions or committees can be scheduled throughout the day. Special meetings may be called and held at the discretion of the President or Chair of the Board and are usually convened to discuss special matters. These meetings usually take place in Boston and do not involve more than a single day’s commitment. On occasion, there are emergency meetings that may take place in order to approve an appointment of a role or to address budgetary concerns. These meetings take place in Boston as well. In addition to this, the trust will play an integral role in organizing the UMass Impact Day Legislative Reception. This involves recruiting students, contacting legislators, and meeting with UMass administrators to create a consistent message.
Board of Trustees Retreat is held once per year for one full day. Attendance is required.
The Student Government Alliance (SGA). On the Worcester campus, the Student Trustee is a member of the SGA which is a highly active committee consisting of the student leadership of the three schools and the Student Trustee. The business of the SGA changes dynamically with the needs of the students, but its work frequently involves interaction and cooperation with faculty and administration to address issues regarding students at UMW or to provide input where the students’ perspectives are needed. Additionally, the SGA is responsible for overseeing a number of student initiatives including the maintenance and promotion of the student web site, the Student Trustee election, and the continued promotion and restructuring of student governance bodies. The business of the SGA and the various committees and events around UMW that the Trustee will be encouraged to partake in will consist of the bulk of the Student Trustee’s time commitment to the position, with required Board responsibilities taking much less of the student’s time.
There are also several related committees, subcommittees, information sessions, social and educational events on the other four campuses. Time, location, and required attendance are variable. All expenses related to travel to and from other campuses on Trustee business are reimbursed by the University. It is suggested that each trustee tour each of the five campuses at their leisure, and continue to educate themselves on the needs and workings of each institution throughout their tenure.
It is the responsibility of the elected student to secure permission from academic advisor(s) to be excused from any conflicting academic responsibilities.