Elise Balin
Staff Writer
The University of Wyoming board of trustees announced the three final candidates for the 2020 presidential search and they urged the student body to give input on the presidential selection. However, many students lack education on what this selection means.
The long-awaited finalists for the UW presidential election have been narrowed down to three candidates: Gregory W. Bowman, dean of West Virginia University College of Law; Daniel M. White, chancellor of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks; and Edward Seidel, vice president for Economic Development and Innovation for the University of Illinois System.
“The Board of Trustees seeks public input on the candidates before it fulfills its responsibility to select the new president,” said the UW Institutional Communications press release.
As the board asks for input, a question arises in regard to how aware the average UW student is of the role that the Board of Trustees plays, along with the next president. ASUW President Jason Wilkins said he believes there is a lack of general knowledge within the student body as to the duties of a president and how it impacts students.
“Are they super informed? Probably not, honestly, but I’m not going to say it’s because students don’t care or are uneducated. I think it’s just [a] very complicated situation,” said Wilkins.
Wilkins said the difficulty ASUW faces in terms of getting students engaged is the process revolves around the president being at UW for four years, but the present student body will not be.
“I think it’s interesting because as students, we are investing in getting our four-year education, taking the classes that we need to and maybe getting involved in extracurriculars. So, the overarching role of the president isn’t something that students think about on a day to day basis,” said Wilkins.
Due to the role that ASUW plays within the university, Wilkins said he believes it is the job of the student government to educate students on what the authoritative processes are. Wilkins encourages students to be involved in other issues that may affect campus, not just the presidential search.
“We may not be here throughout the whole time of the presidency, but students just like us are going to be coming and facing the same struggles. I think it’s extremely important that students are engaged with it and I think it’s on the student government to empower them to be engaged. I think we need to give them a reason to care… and show them exactly why they should care,” said Wilkins.
ASUW is planning to be active in communicating with the student body in order to encourage them to give input and complete the surveys offered by the board over the next few days. Wilkins encourages students to attend events offered by the board in order to meet the three candidates and be involved in the process of selecting the next University of Wyoming President.
