Between tests, papers, governing the student body and serving on the Board of Supervisors, Student Government President John Woodard has his plate full, but he aims to keep the University at the forefront of his plans.
Woodard was elected as Student Government president last semester and was also elected as the student Board member in June for a one year term.
Assistant Vice President for System Relations Robert Rasmussen said he first met Woodard after he was elected as SG president, when he met with Woodard to ask him to run for the Board position.
Woodard ran unopposed and is the first SG president to serve from LSU A&M on the Board since 2007.
Students from each campus have to wait two years after their last student Board member term to run again.
With a new system president and LSU 2015, the system’s reorganization initiative, Woodard said he felt motivated to run for the position so he could help move the University to the “forefront” of decisions.
Woodard said his goal is to advocate for students while allowing the University to be more unified.
Rasmussen has worked with several student board members throughout his time with the Board and said Woodard has been doing his job representing the interest of students.
Though the job is not compensated, it includes hours of reading potential legislation and meeting with donors, Board members, administrators, lobbyists and the individuals who shape the system — tasks Woodard says he’s prioritized.
Woodard said when he began his term, he sat at the far end of the Board table and stuck out as the youngest Board member.
He started reaching out to Board members, establishing relationships and his improving credibility as a student leader.
Now Woodard sits near the middle, the closest to the chairman a student Board member has ever sat: a move he said was subtle, but meaningful.
Rasmussen said during the recent discussion about raising football ticket prices, Woodard held that students should not have to pay more for tickets.
“There needs to be some sort of oversight,” Woodard said about the possibility of escalating ticket prices.
Earlier this year, Woodard said the LSU Foundation proposed plans for a new building that was too costly for the University to build and support. They planned to lease space to the Office of Communications and University Relations.
After evaluating the proposal, Woodard said he did not want the building to cost the University any money and would prefer to have the Foundation focus on funding other facilities at the University.
He said University Athletics are an example of a facilities “arms race” for recruits that should be applied to student recruits as well.
Just as Athletics try to “keep up with the Joneses” to impress potential recruits, the University should do the same for prospective students.
Woodard said another pertinent issue is campus planning.
The Master Plan has not been updated since 2003, and needs to be altered for student demand today, Woodard said.
“These two positions [SG President and student Board member] have gone hand in hand and are really crucial to serving the students,” Woodard said.