Kean University is an educational system that values student involvement and engagement. It allows students rewarding leadership roles that gives them the right to help build Kean University and its community.
One of these opportunities include becoming a student trustee. A student trustee's role is to represent the student voice to the Board of Trustees, where they are able to interact with the campus community and listen to student concerns.
In 1986, New Jersey became one of the first states in the nation to enact legislation giving student representatives voting rights on state college and university boards of trustees.
The voting and alternate Student Trustees are appointed to membership on the Board of Trustees Student and University Affairs Committee and the Kean University Student Leadership Council.
The Student Trustee then takes the ideas and feedback from students to the board, where the student trustee is a full voting member of the board and serves on the board’s Student Life Committee. In this committee, they share insight into the topics the committee is covering at that time.
Additionally, student trustees have the ability to communicate announcements and information from the board when they are released at various points in the year.
A student is eligible if they meet the following requirements:
- Full-time matriculated student
- No student conduct violations
- 18 years old and a citizen of the United States
- Minimum GPA of 2.75
- 30 degree credits
With all that being said, Kristen Failla, a junior studying sociology and psychology was sworn as a voting student trustee on March 5.
Failla understands that as the new student trustee her duties are to provide students with the opportunity to speak their minds and have their voices heard. She wants to apply what she has learned as the alternate student trustee to this new position.
"Last year, when I was a silver leader in the Leadership Institute, Sandra Espinal, the coordinator for student leadership programs informed me of the position," said Failla. "To me, being student trustee means that I am representing Kean University by being an active member of the community and serving students. During my time as alternate student trustee, I learned so much about how to effectively communicate students' ideas, as well as my own, in a professional setting. Now, as the new voting student trustee, I plan on continuing to bridge the communication and interactions between faculty and students."
Aside from being the new student trustee, Failla has also committed her time to the advancements of the Nancy Thompson Library Learning Commons where she is on the advisory panel.
"One of my primary goals as student trustee is to contribute to the advancements of our library. The learning commons are a central part of education outside of the classroom, therefore myself and our committee aim to be receptive toward students' concerns and ideas. Overall, we want to create an environment that supports different forms of learning such as studying and tutoring and provides students with a space to do so. I am also a member of the Student Leadership Council which allows me to connect with other student leaders and organizations by discussing past and upcoming events on campus," Failla explained.
Failla mentioned how honored and overcome with excitement she was following the announcement of her new position. She holds the position dearly and plans to represent Kean University and its students.
She also plans to implement the student body's needs by consistently being open-minded and listening to their needs because she believes that if one student has a voice, so do the other students as well.
"I plan on never dismissing a student's voice. I will ask questions and discuss the many aspects of the campus with students and help shape their concerns into ones that can be vocalized to professional staff," said Failla.
As student trustee, she will always strive to promote involvement on campus making sure to provide students with opportunities like student groups or community service projects.
"Taking part in these programs has benefited me both socially and academically, and I want other students to not only be aware of what is going on at Kean, but to be a part of it. All students should do their very best to be well-rounded in terms of academics and involvement, and I want to help instill that drive in students, particularly freshman."
For more information on what student trustees do or how they get involved, feel free to visit the Kean website. The student trustees may also be contacted by email at strustee@kean.edu.
So Kean University say hello to the new student trustee Kristen Failla!
