A voice without a vote is futile. Imagine a governing body that promises to listen to the concerns of its people, without giving them any means to enforce that obligation. Unfortunately, this isn’t a hypothetical. At Yale, students have been consistently denied the right to vote on something of utmost importance — our education. 

Yale Corporation has a board of 17 members. These 17 people make the ultimate decisions for the college. It is this board that appoints the dean of the college and decides whether or not to divest from fossil fuels. In fact, many of the issues students advocate for could be resolved from a board vote. Power is absolutely centralized to the board.

The breakdown of the board is as follows: 10 “successor” trustees (two six-year terms), six alumni trustees (one six-year term) and the University president. The governor of Connecticut and the lieutenant governor of Connecticut are ex officio members. The successor trustees are chosen by the previous board, and the alumni trustees are voted in by Yale alumni. The majority of the board is not elected, but appointed. Let’s be clear: the restriction of elections is not an accident. In an announcement regarding the elimination of the petition process for the alumni spots, the board stated, “Legal sources hold that board members, as fiduciaries, must represent the interests of the institution, not of any particular constituency.”

We, the students, are that constituency. Students are a vital part of the Yale community and other than the faculty population, are the most affected by the University’s structural policies, operations and practices. So long as Yale wants to remain as a university, the student body must be considered as a crucial component of the academy and academic enterprise. The legitimacy of Yale as a true, equitable, and leading institution of higher education rests upon the diverse voices, viewpoints, experiences and perspectives of its people. 

Students, as the heart and soul of Yale, should have input and shared power in decision-making over how the University operates and consent over the direction of our education. We are equally valuable shareholders who deserve more representation. The solution? Enfranchise students and change the structure of the Yale Corporation.

Call it impossible, radical or any other hyperbolous word that diminishes the idea, but it is most definitely a real solution that would bring about tangible, positive change. First, the abolition of successor trustees would ensure that every member is voted with input from the people who make Yale what it is. Second, by enfranchising students, the board will be forced to pay attention to valid issues we bring to their attention. When 71 percent of students believe the Corporation should do something yet nothing occurs, there’s a problem. With elections, we can ensure the trustees are held accountable to their promise to make good decisions for Yale, and Yale alone. Employees must have a vote, too.

The argument the board has made in regard to the board members being immune from a popular vote falls short. No mention was made of the legal sources that agree elected officials are held to the same fiduciary standard they want to protect. Making trustees elected officials would not jeopardize the important fiduciary standard. If anything, voting acts as a checks-and-balances system to ensure our trustees are doing their job well and strengthening the fiduciary standard.

The point of enfranchisement is not to politicize the board. Indeed, dramatic polarization of the board would not be in the best interests of anyone. Rather, the goal is to ensure socially-just and equitable outcomes; this is only possible if students have a direct and, ultimately, powerful voice in what goes on in their university. Trustee candidates would need to recognize and meet the ever evolving needs of students. Otherwise, we are at the whim of the Corporation. Indeed, the success of the institution is highly dependent upon the contributions of its students. 

Yale students are the most exceptional in the world. We were admitted to this institution because of our strong intellect and passions for life. If any student body in the world is going to make this venture into a new collegiate system, it should be ours. Should someone try to stop us, we must be resilient and resistant. With enough courage, we can take what is rightfully ours and use the power of voting to make our community better. 

Kyle Hovannesian is a  First-Year in Berkeley College.  Contact him at kyle.hovannesian@yale.edu.