Letter: Why are there no students on Trask's replacement committee?

I am writing to express my surprise that the search committee for a new Executive Vice President will include no students, as was reported in the Chronicle. For a position with such a substantial impact on the future of Duke University, I would think that having student voices in the room when the decision is made about who to hire is vital.

Students at Duke are the lifeblood of the institution, and a vital constituency for long-term decisions about our strategic direction of the university. We serve on the Board of Trustees and in almost every other level of University governance, as well as on past leadership search committees. It seems to me that students should have a seat at the table rather than merely being solicited for input by a body in which they have no part.

Elliot Mamet is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Political Science.