Miami University is governed by the Board of Trustees. Within the ranks of the 17 members are two enrolled students meant to be the voice of the student population.
Even though they’re not voting members, Peyton Morrow and Arushi Agrawal attend the five annual board meetings and sit through the various committee meetings designed to update the board on current projects, and they contribute to discussions about topics ranging from campus infrastructure to academic programs.
More specifically, though, Agrawal, a junior Spanish major on the pre-med track, said a lot of her job revolves around listening to students and then bringing those perspectives back to the board.
“We bridge communication between the student body and administration so decisions can reflect real needs on campus,” Agrawal said.
Morrow, a junior biology major, added that joining the board wasn’t a resume-building tactic. Instead, he wanted to get more involved on campus and saw this as fulfilling a passion.
“I just want to help students and make them more aware of what the role does, but also, listen to their concerns and try to voice that to the highest level,” Morrow said.
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Some of the presentations and discussions during board meetings have included approvals of degree programs, updates to Workday’s implementation, admissions updates and tuition revenue compared to years prior.
The last day of the meeting is when the student trustees get their opportunity to “shine,” though. During a five-minute speech, the trustees update the board on what they’ve been working on and provide insight into the campus culture.
“It's [really] student trustees going and meeting other student leaders [and] collaborating on projects that we're working on,” Morrow said. “We try to collaborate as much as possible, just because we can have a bigger impact.”
Agrawal said she has spent her time and energy advocating for students’ mental health and creating a more compassionate curriculum where professors are more willing to work with students.
An example she used was from her sophomore year, where a professor had a policy allowing students to replace one of their exams with the final if they did better.
“That genuinely changed my life, because something happened to my family, and I had to be a daughter before I could be a student,” Agrawal said.
Morrow’s projects run parallel to Agrawal's. He focuses on student life and creating a sense of belonging on campus, as well as expanding mental health resources.
He said one of the things he helped with was the creation of the Student Wellness Advisory Group. Anytime a concern comes up surrounding anything related to student well-being, especially, he said, if it goes down the path of mental health, they’re able to pull from all different sectors of campus.
“... We meet once a month with the associate director for student health and wellness, so right there, we can bring student issues front and center,” Morrow said. “We don't have to carry them up a long chain of people.”
The process to be a trustee is not for the faint of heart.
The Associated Student Government’s president and vice president, along with the two current student trustees, interview students on campus to create a pool of applicants. Out of that pool, they rank their top five and send that list to the Ohio governor’s office, where the Department of Boards and Commissions picks their top candidate after an interviewing process. That recommendation is sent to Governor DeWine, who signs off on the appointee. They then also have to be approved by the Ohio Senate.
The job of a student trustee revolves around listening to students and bringing those perspectives back to the Board of Trustees.
The trustees serve two-year terms – Morrow’s is up next February, and Agrawal's is in 2027.
“I actually feel like I get to make a difference on campus, and I know I’m making a difference and it’s really cool,” Agrawal said. “... I love Miami, and this position has allowed me to see how much support actually goes on behind the scenes to give our students the best experience.”
Other initiatives include building a relationship with the Provost’s Office, working on scheduling changes with the Miami Plan, strengthening first-year orientation and helping implement an inclusive dialogue program in the honors college.
Izzy Whitt, a sophomore triple majoring in finance, accounting and Spanish, said she didn’t know Miami had a Board of Trustees let alone student trustees.
“I don’t think you really learn much about what goes on behind the scenes,” Whitt said. “I just go to class and I do my homework and that’s it.”
She added that, even though she wasn’t aware of the board, she’s happy that people higher up are hearing the student perspective to gain an idea of what’s actually going on around campus.
Agrawal holds a similar opinion.
“The Board of Trustees are voting members that make decisions that directly impact our students,” Agrawal said, “and they 100% need the input of students if they're going to be voting on decisions that directly impact us.”
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