The Transition Advisory Team’s subcommittees held their kickoff meetings over the last couple of weeks, and while students on the subcommittees say they feel their voices are being heard, some say there should still be student representation on the Advisory Team.

The Transition Advisory Team is examining the LSU System and will recommend a reorganization plan to the LSU Board of Supervisors. It will present its initial findings to the Board on March 18.

Rebekah Jones, a geography graduate student on the Research and Discovery subcommittee, said the process has been a good way for students to participate, but students need to be on the Transition Advisory Team.

“There needs to be one graduate student and one undergraduate student on it. The subcommittees report to the Transition Team, which reports to the Board,” Jones said. “It keeps us three steps down. We should be included.”

Academic subcommittee member and Director of Academic Affairs for Student Government Thomas Rodgers said student input on the Transition Advisory Team is important.

“I would like to see a student representative on the Transition Advisory Team, but I don’t feel like there is a disregard of student opinion, because in my subcommittee, they were more than willing to listen to the students,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers said the meetings are effectively educating those involved.

“After my first meeting, I have a much better understanding of the roles that the units in the System play,” Rodgers said. “Chancellor Jenkins was more than willing to hear from the students. He made an effort to ask for student opinion, so I do feel like student voices are being heard.”

Jones said the process has been enlightening.

“I learned a lot about the structure of the system that I didn’t know,” she said. “The guest speakers that we’ve had come in have really put an emphasis on expanding research and taking better care of grad students, so having two grad students on the subcommittee … we’re kind of the anecdotal example in the room. Our perspective is very fresh.”

Technology and Operations subcommittee member and Student Government President Taylor Cox said the second meeting was better than the first.

“My first meeting was very long, and I didn’t feel like I got a word in, but the second meeting in Shreveport was phenomenal. I really feel like all of the participants were able to individually say the problems that we face,” Cox said.

 “In order to fulfill the students’ needs, there needs to be representation
on the Transition Advisory Team.”