Student Involvement in Decision-Making Guide

A guide to support student, college, and university leaders

This guide was created to support both students and college and university leaders in their work connected to Board Policy 2.3 and System Procedure 2.3.1 – Student Involvement in Decision-Making. Student involvement in decision-making is an important learning experience for student leaders at all Minnesota State colleges and universities.

Board Policy 2.3 and System Procedure 2.3.1 outline minimum requirements for the student review and consultation processes. College and university leaders are encouraged to go beyond the minimum requirements to increase the educational impact of this experience for student leaders at their college or university. This guide provides ideas to support campuses that want to go beyond the minimum requirements.

Across Minnesota State, student participation and involvement are integral parts of student leadership and development. Student representatives are a part of the decision-making process on campus, at the system office, and on the Board of Trustees. Some issues require ongoing student representation while others require consultation or review. Two key elements to student participation and involvement are trust and collaboration.

Strengthening Student Involvement on Committees

  • Provide students with a written description of each committee and the work it does (e.g. charge document, purpose, membership, meeting schedule)
  • Create opportunities for students to have a mentor
  • Have someone who knows the students introduce them to the committee leader prior to their first meeting
  • Host a brief orientation to a committee’s operations and structure at the first committee meeting of the year
  • Plan committee meetings to accommodate student schedules where possible
  • Ensure that student representatives are asked for their perspectives during committee meetings
  • Fill vacancies that occur during the academic year, where appropriate
  • Invite students to appoint members to all appropriate committees and allow student leadership to decide which committees to prioritize for appointment
  • Provide a timely summary of committee meetings so information can be shared as necessary

Fostering Trust through Proactive Communication

  • Build relationships with student leaders through informal visits and discussions throughout the year
  • Ensure students are informed about pertinent issues
  • Keep conversations straightforward to ensure participants have a clear and mutual understanding of the process and their role
  • Explain jargon and acronyms related to meetings, Higher Learning Commission requirements, statutes, or administrative matters
  • Actively seek to improve the consultation process
  • Set shared improvement goals and fulfill commitments
  • College and university leaders should actively listen to student concerns and address them promptly
  • Students should be encouraged to share suggestions for improvement with college and university leaders to foster transparency and collaboration

Cultivating Collaboration through Common Goals

  • Establish clear collaboration expectations and support mechanisms
  • Outline achievable timelines and resource needs • Develop a system for sharing progress updates on shared goals
  • Seek input from student leaders on how college and university leaders can support student government objectives
  • Recognize mutually beneficial achievements
  • Identify common interests to encourage joint efforts
  • Promote and share successes widely to inspire further collaboration and engagement

Student Consultation

Consultation happens during the decision-making process to ensure:

  • Awareness
  • Input
  • Feedback
  • Recommendations
  • Respect

General Consultation Tips

  • Maintain open lines of communication regarding the consultation process and its significance.
  • Meet with student leaders early in the fall semester to kick-start the engagement process, align goals, and emphasize the importance of staying informed.
  • Consider having a leadership transition meeting after student association elections have occurred with both outgoing and incoming student leaders.
  • Provide agendas and supporting materials, in advance of the meeting to all parties.
  • Student association advisors and college and university leaders should provide regular updates to each other related to consultation conversations, meetings, and communications.
  • Encourage students to ask questions freely during meetings and provide sufficient time for thorough discussion and consideration of the topic before any recommendation is proposed.
  • Address unanswered questions from previous meetings in subsequent meetings.
  • Stay informed about the legislative budget cycle; writing letters can be challenging if the legislative session is ongoing. Be prepared to adapt to legislative changes.

Budget Consultation Tips for Campus Leaders

  • Initiate discussions about the budget process with the college or university finance officer in early fall to develop a consultation plan to educate student leaders about the financial picture of the institution.
  • Schedule consultation meetings to reserve calendar dates and times as early as possible, ensuring everyone's availability for timely meetings.
  • Create and provide a "Budget Guide" for students to easily reference during meetings.

Campus Student Association Letter

When a college or university proposal requires student consultation and board approval, a letter written by the campus student association to the Board of Trustees is required.

This letter could include the following elements:

  • How many meetings took place and what were they like?
  • What materials were provided to you?
  • Were your questions answered?
  • Do you understand the financial constraints and budget opportunities facing your college or university?
  • Do you believe the college and university leaders understand your concerns and are respectfully considering them? 
  • Do you have any other feedback to share?
  • Please note that taking a formal position (i.e. vote) on the issue(s) involved is not required and is at the discretion of the campus student association.
  • The letter should state if the campus student association has taken a formal position, has no position, or is neutral on the issue(s) involved.

The college or university’s administration will communicate the letter’s submission deadline to the campus student association.

The campus student association should discuss and determine who will coordinate the sending of the final letter to the Board of Trustees via email or the United States Postal Service.

Board of Trustees email:

Kari Campbell
Kari.campbell@minnstate.edu
Executive Director, Office of the Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees mailing address

Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
30 East 7th Street
St. Paul, MN 55101-7804

Consultation Letter Guidance for Students

Use a letterhead that identifies the college or university if possible.

YOUR NAME, YOUR TITLE
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY NAME
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY ADDRESS
CITY, STATE, ZIP
DATE

Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
30 East 7th Street
St. Paul, MN 55101-7804

Dear Trustees,

The first paragraph might be a brief introduction. Repeat what college or university you are from, what role you fill within your campus association, and why you are sending this letter. For example, “My name is John/Jane Q. Public and I am the campus student association president from XYZ College or University. This letter will describe the consultation process our campus student association experienced this year.”

The second paragraph could describe your experience. How frequently have you met with college or university leaders to discuss the topic on which you were being consulted? Did you have sufficient notice of the time and location of the meeting(s)? Were you given materials ahead of time? Did you understand the opportunities and constraints facing your institution regarding the topic? Were your questions answered, either at the meeting or by follow-up contact?

The third paragraph might describe your opinion on the quality of the consultation. Was the conversation respectful and do you believe the college or university leaders in attendance listened to your input and concerns?

The fourth paragraph could give you the opportunity to register any formal position (i.e., vote) your campus student association has taken on the issue(s) involved. If your campus student association has not taken a position (i.e., vote) you could state that. Please note that taking an official position or vote is not required and is at the discretion of the campus student association.

A fifth paragraph might provide an opportunity to mention any other feedback or concerns about the issue(s).

In closing, you may wish to thank the trustees for the opportunity to provide the board with information about the consultation process at your college or university and provide your contact information.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME,YOUR TITLE
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

Given the time of year this letter is submitted, you may wish to provide both your school email address and an alternate address you check more frequently during the summer.

Include in the CC line:

  • College or University President
  • Executive Director, Board of Trustees
  • Student Association Advisor
  • College or University Financial Officer

Contact

For questions about student involvement in decision-making, please contact:

Shawn Anderson
Shawn.Anderson@MinnState.edu 
System Director for Student Development and Success

Paul Shepherd
Paul.Shepherd@MinnState.edu 
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management 

Additional Reference

System Procedure 7.3.12 Scholarships