JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – If one Missouri Senator has a say, students will get theirs.

Senate Bill 873, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Graham (D-Columbia), would make student curators/governors on Missouri University governing boards voting members at select schools, including the University of Missouri- Columbia.

Graham believes because students foot the bill, and are the ‘majority shareholders,’ in the university that they should get a say in how their money is spent. “It gives the student curator a voice and a vote and it’ll force the other members of the board to really hear the students, not in a patronizing way, in a real way.Southern’s Board consists of eight voting members and one non voting student. In its current form, SB 873 does not give voting power to the student representative on Southern’s Board.

Currently, Southern students are represented on the board by Carolyn White, senior biology major.

Graham said he only listed certain schools, however “anyone interested in having their school included should come see me.” Though the bill would give students a vote on issues like fees, tuition hikes and the selection of a university president, voting students would not be able to cast their vote on personnel matters.