Texas State student may be appointed to Board of Regents

Apr 28 2009 - 12:02am | Theron Brittain

A Texas State student may be appointed as a member to the most powerful authority in the Texas State University System.

The Board of Regents, a nine-member committee with an operating budget of $794 million in 2008, appoints a student representative every year by the governor to liaison between those who call the shots and the students most often affected by them.

Gov. Rick Perry is required by law to make the appointment before the term term begins June 1. Perry is expected to announce his pick sometime between May 1 and May 15.

The student representative holds a non-voting position, but is designated to represent the interests and opinions of thousands of students in the eight institutions included in the Texas State University System.
Two Texas State students, Clay Patterson and Caleb Hudgens, are vying for the position.

“Anytime I go anywhere, I like to leave it better than when I found it,” said Patterson, international studies sophomore. “I have noticed inconsistencies with certain areas of our university, and I am sure the same thing is going on throughout the system. I want to make it run more efficiently and serve the students better.”

Patterson said he believes it is important to give voting members student opinion on issues being discussed, despite the non-voting status of the position. Patterson, an Eagle Scout and former Marine, serves as the financial coordinator for the Student Foundation and will serve as president of the organization during the 2009 to 2010 academic year. He said his experience operating within organizations has provided him with the tools to negotiate between different individuals.

“Throughout my time serving in leadership positions, I have been successful in relaying messages between one group of people and another, which is something I feel is important for somebody who is going to be representing the student opinion for all the universities in the system,” Patterson said.

Hudgens agreed, saying effective interaction with peers and administrators was the primary responsibility of the position.

“Communication with each of the student governments at each of the respective universities is paramount,” said Hudgens, public relations and English senior.

He said running for the position is his way of paying Texas State back for everything the campus has provided, namely, with the experience of working in the political arena. Hudgens said he expects his experiences to serve him well as the student regent and later in a career in state politics.

“The administrators really love the students here, and it has given me a really good insight on how institutions and government agencies operate and how effective they can be,” Hudgens said.

Except for continuing to serve as chair of the Foundation for Excellence committee, a Student Foundation event honoring outstanding faculty and staff, Hudgens said he declined office nominations in his organizations to dedicate himself to the duties of the student regent.

“What is really going to set me apart is that I have set aside next year entirely to devote to the students of the Texas State University System,” Hudgens said. “I am really exited about taking the student regent’s position and create what it should be, which is accurately representing the constituents of the system.”

He elaborated on the seriousness with which he considers the regent’s job, saying the “best of the best” are usually considered for the nomination, but these students tend to be involved in too many organizations to be effective liaisons.

The Board of Regents is the highest governing authority in the Texas State University System, overseeing a system enrollment of 64,000 students divided among Lamar University, Sam Houston State University, Sul Ross State University and Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College, Texas State University, Lamar Institute of Technology and Lamar State Colleges in Orange and Port Arthur. The Board was awarded $349 million in fiscal year 2008 in state appropriation funds.

ASG President Brett Baker was involved in the collection of applications for student regent. Baker reviewed Patterson’s and Hudgens’ applications before they were sent to the administration for appraisal.

“I think both of them are very qualified for the position,” Baker said. “Both of these guys are ready and willing to work for Texas State, the

Texas State University System and all of the schools that are part of it. I think it is time for a student from Texas State to serve as regent, and I am completely confident in any one of these two individuals.”

Nicole Lozano, who is the current student regent from Sam Houston, said she has found the board to be welcoming of her views.

“Both the board and the system’s office are very supportive of having a student in an official position,” Lozano said. “I think whoever is appointed will be lucky. This is something that you should take joy in, as it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

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