Daniels names student trustee

New IU student trustee  Cora Griffin wowed IU-Purdue University Indianapolis personnel even before she was admitted.

“The summer before her senior year, she and her mother stopped by the booth (at the state fair), because they wanted to know more about IUPUI,” said Andrea Anderson, director of communications and development  and Griffin’s mentor at the university.

 “I was very taken aback by how put together this young woman was — this lively senior in high school who was very mature and knew what she wanted.”

Now, after four years of involvement and leadership in several student organizations on campus, particularly with the IUPUI Student Activities Programming Board and the

IUPUI Student Foundation, Griffin has taken a step greater than the others — one that brings her into a position where her voice will be the voice of all IU students.

Appointed by the governor’s office in July, the graduate student in IUPUI’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs will be the student representation when important decisions are made for the next two years.

And those close to her have faith she will excel in this role.

“This is a woman who I think can make a tremendous impact and make Indianapolis better, make Indiana better and make Indiana University better,” Anderson said. “I just hope that she continues to do that.”

The IDS sat down with Griffin to ask her how she got there and what she plans to do in her new role.

IDS: From where did your interest in student government stem?

Griffin: I was always active in high school. When I came to IUPUI, I wanted a chance to be involved and really help with impact and understanding the system.

IDS: What were you interested in about the student trustee position?

Griffin: I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to understand the IU system, and I’m really able to represent the student voice.

100,000 students are being represented by your voice. I think that’s a great opportunity and a responsibility to give back to all students on all campuses. So it’s something that always really appealed to me — just being able to understand that student perspective.

Knowing that I wanted to go into higher education and foundation work, I thought that this would be a great learning opportunity.

So it’s kind of a mixture of two things — the student interest and the kind of involvement I had had through my undergraduate career, and also knowing the direction I wanted to go to learn more for my career. It just really made a lot of sense to apply.

IDS: How long will you be on the Board of Trustees?

Griffin: As a trustee, I have all of the responsibilities of any other trustee.

You do need to maintain student status, so the student trustee is a two-year appointment opposed to the other trustees, who are either elected or appointed, but they are three-year terms.

Mine is just a year shorter, because it works better with the student cycle. Two years is a little bit easier of a commitment for how our classes and things like that work.

IDS: What are your responsibilities as the student trustee?

Griffin: We are the authority of Indiana University, so we work with President McRobbie.

 Specifically as a student trustee, my responsibilities are to serve on committees as well, which is part of the trustee role, but I also get to work with the AUSA, which is the All University Student Association.

That’s comprised of the presidents of the different campuses. So I get to work with them and just kind of be a resource for that group. In that way, I can still stay very involved with students.

IDS: What is your main goal for this position?

Griffin: My main goal, I think, is to learn as much as I can about the IU system. And also, as an IU student, I was able to study abroad, experience internships and give back to the community and academically excel.

I want to ensure that those opportunities are available for current students and also future generations.

IDS: Do you have anything else you would like to say about your new position?

Griffin: I think I’m just very honored about this appointment and excited to work on behalf of the
students.