Dillard University Student Government Association President issued a letter to the University’s Board of Trustees calling for greater student representation On Dec. 31st, 2024.
Abbey-Lynn Gonzalez, SGA President, wrote the letter in response to Dr. Monique Guillory’s recent appointment as Dillard’s ninth President. She said she would have liked the board to consider student opinion more thoroughly in making this decision and that Dillard students deserve to be represented on the board.
“The lack of transparency and inclusivity in this process leaves students feeling overlooked and undermines trust in the institution’s leadership,” stated Gonzalez in her letter.
In the past, SGA presidents have typically been consulted in this decision prior to it being finalized, this time the SGA president wasn’t even aware of the decision that was to be made. Gonzalez remarked that the issue at hand is not with Dr. Guillory, but with the Board of Trustees foregoing the official search process and claiming to have consulted the SGA President and Mr. & Mrs. Dillard prior to the decision being made, which Gonzalez denies.
The board chose to conduct a cost-benefit analysis in place of doing a national search, it states in the Board of Trustees response letter, written by Board Chair, Micheal D. Jones, Esq.
“I feel it’s because they believe we are not properly equipped, but that is definitely untrue. I feel as if our student leaders have shown in more ways than one that we can handle the situation,” said Gonzales. She said she believes it’s time they reconsider and allow a student to sit on the board, especially because it’s been five years since the first call for student representation on the board and now they have the backing of alumna who have witnessed the issues Gonzales hopes to resolve with this representation.
A large concern with having student representation on the board is confidentiality. Matters such as raising tuition, letting go of faculty and staff, and other sensitive topics are discussed in board meetings.
“Because a Board of Trustees is a fiduciary rather than a representative body, according to the leading organizations involving higher education, best practices advise that universities should seek student input, but students should not serve on governing Boards with access to highly sensitive information,” wrote Jones in his letter.
Dr. Guillory hopes that an effort to increase communication would be productive in solving this tension between the board and students. She hopes to start a newsletter and host office hours for students to speak with her one-on-one to express their issues and concerns.
“I know how important this relationship is and for students to feel trust and confidence in administration and I’m going to do everything I can to strengthen that relationship and ensure students ‘Look, you’re going to know everything I know’,” she said.
