CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF STUDENT REGENTS

Student regent contributions to the board are essential in providing an important link between the board and students at Arizona’s public universities. The contributions of the student regent add the student perspective and give direction toward achieving critical components of the board’s enterprise plan. The student regent experience provides university students with an unparalleled opportunity to engage in high-level public service, resulting in leadership development, communications and public relations skills growth and numerous opportunities to engage with state policymakers, leaders and stakeholders. The board appreciates and supports the unique activities of student regents in the context of engagement with students, the board, the Legislature and other stakeholders. 

A student regent position was first established as a non-voting board member in 1978 and the student regent was granted voting privileges during the 1989-90 term. A statute passed by the Legislature in 2000 added a second, non-voting student member to the board. Student regents are appointed for two-year terms with the first year served as a non-voting member and the second as a voting student regent. Each standing board committee includes a student regent, and the voting student regent serves as assistant treasurer for the board.

This year, Student Regent Vianney Careaga developed a new handbook for student regents to help them understand roles and responsibilities of a regent and best practices for engagement and participation. Often the only board member who spends every day on a college campus, student regents provide contributions to the board from the important perspective of the student experience at Arizona’s public universities. The board appreciates Regent Careaga’s vision and passion to help future generations of student regents.