The College of Arts and Humanities is seeking members for the student advisory board to represent the department by making decisions and being the voice of student concerns.

Akeem Forbes, the student dean of college of arts and humanities, said being part of the advisory board is a way to bond students and administration in the decision-making process.

Forbes, a sophomore English major, is currently representing his department through the student advisory board.

Board members serve as the liaison between students in their department and the administration by reporting student concerns to departmental leaders, he said.

Forbes said the board aims to help in the scholarship fair and perform one community service project before the end of this semester.

He said the board hopes to create an efficient way for students to find scholarships.

“The overall goal for this semester is to promote ourselves to the best of our abilities so students know we are here for them,” Forbes said. “Specifically for my college, we are building the duties as we are building the student advisory board.”

Forbes said some consistent changes that have been addressed in the board include the need for overall staff in departments, minority staff, and considerations for including woman’s studies as a potential major within the college of arts and humanities.

He said the board is also looking to help with enrollment numbers by finding ways to market various departments.

“Each department was saying it is lacking students within the major,” Forbes said. “An idea is to work with the office of admissions and send out letters to prospective students.”

Bring issues from my department and other issues someone contacts me about into the meeting.

The board currently has seven members and is currently in need of student delegates from the foreign language, communications, and philosophy departments.

Forbes said this is his first semester as the student dean, whose position consists of a one-year term.

He said while students who have previously taken the position have not been more involved, he is hoping to build something as the student dean.

“As of right now, my position would be to oversee the student advisory board, collaborate with other student deans, as well as the (student) vice president for academic affairs as it relates to any events or things we want to put on for the campus,” Forbes said.

He said the Student Senate website has a link were those interested in becoming a student advisory board dean can apply.

Forbes said current board members were recommended by their department chairs to serve, and were appointed by the student dean.

He said while the board has not established a concrete way to appoint new members, a voting process has been considered, in which those who meet the requirements will then run to be elected as the representative in their department.

Another process considered is to serve their term until they graduate.

“It may be similar to how Supreme Court is, where someone can sit on the board until they resign or graduate, then someone else is appointed by department chair,” Forbes said.

He said as the student dean, he stressed the importance of students.

“They should be letting their voices be heard, whether it’s going to the student senate meetings and saying what is in their mind, and once we are established, to come to our meetings to address their need,” Forbes said.

Forbes said he wants students to know they can reach out to the student board.

“There are people who are standing in your corner trying to support you and just voice your opinion,” he said. “If you are silent, nothing can be accomplished.”

Debby Hernandez can be reached at 581-2812 or dhernandez5@eiu.edu