Kelan Nee
Guest Writer
The Governance Committee of the Board of Trustees recently nominated Elliot Mamet, current Colorado College junior, to the position of student trustee. His inauguration will be official only after an election by the full Board.
Mamet said in an interview that the student trustee is “the sole student member of the Board of Trustees.” The Board, he explained, is the governing body of the college. According to Mamet, the Board considers “questions of fundamental importance to Colorado College’s collective identity.”
Among the Board’s several important functions is the management of the school’s endowment and investments, approving tuition rates, and hiring the college’s president when necessary. Mamet explained that the Board “doesn’t play a role in day-to-day administrative functions,” but focuses on the “long-term strategic goals” of the college.
When asked about his motivations behind applying for the position, Mamet expressed his pride in Colorado College. He explained that he is “deeply proud of Colorado College” and believes in the school’s role “as a place of liberal learning.” Mamet explained his particular admiration in the college’s measures regarding “environmental stewardship,” in addition to “spirit of innovation” inherent in the structure of the Block Plan. In his application, Mamet wrote that he hopes to be able to contribute to the “longevity and health” of the college and to “ensure Colorado College remains a site of emancipation through the quest for truth” if elected to the position of student trustee.
When questioned on his strategies to reach his overall goal, Mamet responded with a simple yet powerful answer: “My primary goal will be to foster a constructive and meaningful dialogue between students and trustees,” he explained. Additionally, Mamet hopes to explore how the school can “improve the commitment to environmental sustainability.”
Mamet also hopes to reach out to “underrepresented” communities in student leadership and plans to “advocate for an enhanced student voice in selecting the student trustee in the future.” Collaboration with CCSGA is also possible, in order to create understanding and response to “student concerns” from the Board of Trustees.
Mamet’s tentative position is unique because the student trustee is not elected by the student body, but by the very Board that the nominee will serve. Additionally, unlike the student body president and vice president, the student trustee is an unpaid position receiving no monetary stipend.
Mamet, a political science major, is currently studying abroad at the London School of Economics, but plan to return to CC next fall. He has experience in student leadership, which he hopes to bring to the position of student trustee if elected by the Board.
The position began in the 2012-13 academic year with the nomination and election of Samantha Barlow. The current trustee is Joel Begay.