Committee Supports Change to Student BOG Appointment Process

The Senate Judiciary Committee Monday backed a bill to replace how the student representative to the state Board of Governors is selected.

The bill, SB 1508, by Sen. Bill Montford, D-Apalachicola, would allow Gov. Rick Scott to appoint the student representative, rather than the Florida Student Association selecting a student body president from among the state universities.

Legislators have criticized the current method of appointment for the student representative as exclusionary to those not in the association.

The association is comprised of student body presidents of nearly all the universities, which has membership dues. Florida State University does not participate.