Gov. Bruce Rauner has designated SIUC’s student trustee Allen Shelton as a voting representative on the SIU Board of trustees.

The governor’s press office released a statement earlier today naming Shelton as the voting member, which allows him to weigh in on important university policy decisions such as budgetary issues and academic requirements. He is the first student representative in two years to have the vote.

 “This is just an awesome day, and I’m very excited,” Shelton said.

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Shelton said elected student representatives from the SIU System were concerned Rauner would let another year go by without appointing either student trustee with voting power. Rauner vetoed a bill last month to amend the Southern Illinois University Management Act, allowing both student trustees to vote, because he believed it would dilute “the insight gained from the other trustees’ years of professional experience.”

The decision comes one day after Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville’s student body president Madeline McCune launched an online petition urging Rauner to appoint either Shelton or SIUE’s trustee Dillon Santoni as a voting member. The petition garnered 250 supporters overnight.

The governor’s press office did not say whether or not the petition was influential in the decision.

Shelton said he is excited for the students he represents and said he will continue to work with Santoni to ensure concerns of the SIU System are given adequate attention.

“We work really closely with the (SIUE Representatives) because at the end of the day we’re all one system,” Shelton said.“(The other board members) respect our opinions, we respect theirs, and we work together to hash out issues about the university system,” Shelton said.

Santoni said voting power on the board is what the students need right now and is happy with the governor’s decision.

As the board’s only non-voting member, Santoni said he still feels very confident in his ability to work alongside Shelton to voice the opinions of his constituents at SIUE.

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“Allen and I have found that we have a pretty close relationship, and that we respond to each other well and work together well,” he said.

Santoni said there was never a lack of representation on the board because the other members have been receptive of the student trustees’ opinions, but Shelton’s appointment is a positive message to the public and to students.

“Mostly, having the vote allows us to be … a little bit more decisive when it comes to the issues on campus …” he said

Bill Lukitsch can be contacted at [email protected] or on Twitter @Bill_LukitschDE.