Meet Mimi Pieper
Taking the Lead in SOU Governance
Mimi Pieper is a Junior in the Honors College, a Computer Science major, and a Student Board Member on the Southern Oregon University (SOU) Governing Board of Trustees. She has “taken the lead” in many ways through this position. Mimi sought this position because she wanted to learn how businesses work. She also said this was a chance for her to serve the SOU community and to give back to the school through her volunteer efforts.
Mimi wrote about her experience serving on the SOU Governing Board of Trustees:
One of my Take the Lead Projects I undertook was being the Student Board Member on the Southern Oregon University (SOU) Governing Board of Trustees. It was a highly valuable experience for me because it taught me how a big organization runs along with leadership skills, communication skills, and truly invaluable experience.
When I first applied to the position I didn’t have much of an idea of what would be expected from me and was somewhat entering blind. I was quickly brought up to speed by the excellent and welcoming people at SOU and on the Board.
I am part of the larger Board with a full vote and I am expected to make informed decisions on university direction as well as vote on changes and policies. I have a fiduciary duty to remain informed about the university’s state and review all meeting material before any meeting. I also am expected to be present at as many meetings as I can feasibly go to, usually coming before classes and clubs. I am on two committees as well, the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, and currently the Finance and Administration committee. Board members change from one committee to another each year, so I will likely change committees for the coming year. However, all Student Trustees are on the EDI Committee on a semi-permanent basis. All committees are focused on subsections of the SOU daily operations and plans. As a trustee, I am also expected to show up to certain events for donors, retreats, dinners, football games, and so on. These are very fun events, usually where you get to meet all sorts of interesting people.
Being on the SOU Governing Board taught me so much. I learned how to be an effective leader and greatly improved my communication skills. I learned how the finances and administration of SOU are decided, how money is allocated, how grants are attained, what they can be used for, how to work with foundations, how to allocate budgets, and much more. I learned how to converse with donors, how to converse with state legislators, how to attend dinners, and many other soft skills. I learned how board meetings operate, how bylaws are followed, and how to communicate while a member of a board. While being a student trustee is a lot of work with a high level of attention needed, it is very valuable. It is a wonderful experience that truly makes you grow so much.
More information about board members and the role of the board can be found here.
