Campus leaders ready to work with student regent

Student leaders say they are looking  forward to working with Gov. Scott McCallum's choice for student member on the UW System Board of Regents — despite his vote to increase tuition.

McCallum appointed UW-Whitewater senior and former student government president Tommie Jones, Jr. to the only student position on the board this summer.

"I think he's going to be great," Student Senate President Andy Oettinger said, although he disagrees with Jones’ choice to increase tuition.

Jones met with Oettinger and other student senators last week on a visit to UW-Eau Claire. The stop is one of many Jones plans on making to UW campuses. He also had plans to visit UW-River Falls and UW-Oshkosh that same week. 

The Board of Regents has 17 members appointed by the governor to make decisions about the universities in the UW System.

In July, Jones used his first vote as student regent to increase tuition at UW schools.

"It was a very difficult thing," Jones said.

The budget included many items that students found necessary and voted for, such as the Davies expansion, he said.

"If I said no to the decisions students have made, I don't think I would have been doing my job as a student," Jones said.

The decision was best for the UW System, he said.

Even though Oettinger disagrees with Jones' vote, he said he understands the difficult position he is in.

But because Jones thinks increasing tuition is best for the UW System, Oettinger said he must remember who's interest Jones should be looking out for.

"He's there to represent the students," Oettinger said."He's got to do what's best for them."

Jones, who is the first African-American student regent to serve on the board, has taken a lot of criticism for his vote to raise tuition.

"I got hammered pretty hard from student groups," Jones said. "But I can defend my decision."

The controversial way student regents are appointed has sparked debate among student governments.

If a student regent is going to be representing the students, they should be chosen by the students, said Matt Fargen, United Council president.

Fargen also has met briefly with Jones, and although he too disagrees with his vote to increase tuition, thinks Jones has the experience to be a good student regent.

“He’s very personable,” Fargen said. “And I’m sure students will ask for accountability from him.”

Jones seems to be a considerable improvement from his successor, Joe Alexander, Fargen said.

Oettinger didn't recall Alexander ever visiting UW-Eau Claire to meet with the Student Senate. 

Fargen and other UC members are pushing to get students more involved in the process of selecting a regent from their peers.

On Oct. 3, UC will hold a hearing with a committee from the state Senate to discuss the idea. Also, UC would like to see another student regent added to the board, a non-traditional student aged 23 or older that would still be appointed by the governor, Fargen said.

By visiting and talking with student governments at the UW campuses, Jones has shown he is dedicated to the job, Fargen said.

“So far, I like most of what I’ve seen from him,” he said.

It was Jones’ experience and charisma that set him apart from the other applicants for the job of student regent,” McCallum's press secretary Debbie Monterrey-Miller said.

“He’s worked with a wide variety of people,” she said. “And this is a time-consuming position. He’s really dedicated to doing this well.”

One requirement of being a regent is attending meetings for two days during each month. Jones will do this while completing his political science major at UW-Whitewater.

The next Board of Regents meeting will be on Oct. 4 and 5 here at UW-Eau Claire.

Jones encourages students to utilize the opportunity to come and meet him and the other regents.

“I’ll be here,” Jones said. “When else do you have the chance to talk to the 17 members that affect the daily life on your campus?”