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Every Pennsylvania state-owned university has a Council of Trustees. Each council has a student member who is approved by PASSHE’s Chancellor and appointed by the governor. On May 24, 2021 Madison Whitcomb was sworn in as the newest student member on the COT for Millersville University.
The trustees are responsible for making recommendations to the chancellor for the appointment and dismissal of the president. They also approve the university budget, new academic programs, contracts, and fees other than tuition. The president frequently consults with the trustees about University issues.
Whitcomb is a rising senior from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. She is an honors college student who is dual majoring in Mathematics and Economics. As student trustee, she serves as the ex officio member of SGA and sits on COT’s Programs Committee. In addition, she serves as a Resident Assistant, an Honors College Ambassador, a member of the Homecoming Parade Committee and member of the Economics Society. She looks forward to being a part of different university-affiliated groups moving forward.
Whitcomb was chosen from a list of many applicants to be the student trustee. After her initial application was reviewed, a committee chose candidates to move onto a second round of the process. This included an interview with the committee, consisting of members of the council, the Student Government Association, as well as the Student Affairs & Enrollment Management division. Whitcomb says that her experience in administrative-related and leadership positions set her apart from the competition.
“As a freshman, I was asked to travel to the Capitol for PASSHE Advocacy Day with a group, including President Wubah, to talk to our state representatives and senators about the importance of increasing state appropriations for PASSHE. By sophomore year, I was working in the Office of The President and involved with various committees and leadership boards.”
In preparation for her new role, Whitcomb has been working closely with former Student Trustee Adam Bachman and other groups to ensure a smooth transition of power. She is currently collaborating with the President of the Student Government Association, Leizel Schlott, to develop both common and individual goals. She expects to gather information before trustee meetings to formulate an agenda that combines student-voiced and administrative goals.
Whitcomb is dedicated to her role of accurately representing the students’ voice here at MU. She has already worked with IT to create a student trustee email (student.trustee@millersville.edu) to which students can send their comments and concerns. Her other goals as a member include continuing to develop the relationship between student trustees and the SGA, as well as creating a student trustee guidebook.
To read more about Millersville’s Council of Trustees and their work, click here.
