President’s Column: The Value of Student Voice

By Dr. Allen Burgad, Interim President

We held our first VCSU Student Advisory Council meeting this past week! The council includes a diverse group of ten student leaders representing campus organizations, clubs, academic programs, and extracurricular activities.

During our meeting, I shared with the students that over 100 decisions, some more significant than others, are made daily, weekly, and monthly across our campus, affecting daily operations and long-term outcomes for VCSU students, the campus, and our community. In our thinking, planning, and implementation, we must begin with the “why” and the “purpose.” Without that, it becomes difficult to build the collective will to move it forward. And without that shared will and sense of purpose, we cannot fully leverage the knowledge, skills, and expertise of our faculty, staff, and students to achieve meaningful outcomes.

We also discussed the importance and value of student voice in shaping VCSU’s culture, climate, and future. Our students bring valuable perspectives, ideas, and experiences that help us better understand what we do well and where we can continue to advance. Their voices are an important part of our decision-making and our continued efforts to enhance student experiences and success.

I am grateful to these student leaders for sharing their time and thoughts and helping guide our mission and vision at VCSU. I look forward to learning from their perspectives and working together to continue moving VCSU forward. I would like to thank and recognize our students for serving on the VCSU Student Advisory Council.

VCSU Student Advisory Council Members

Richard Sheppard, Robbie Kastengren, Vanessa Oase, Ahleeya Nicola, Matthew Cruz, Evan Gonzalez, Cooper Monilaws, Peyton Sauter, Savannah Thu, Hayden Wildanen