Student Trustee Application and Selection

2026 Graduate/Professional Student Trustee Application

If you are a currently enrolled graduate or professional student and Ohio resident who will attend Ohio State through at least May 2028, consider applying to serve as the next graduate/professional student member of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees. Applications are due by 12:00 p.m. (noon) EST on Friday, January 30, 2026. Please submit your application electronically to the Board of Trustees Office at board@osu.edu. Full details are available in the application form.

Information Sessions

Ohio State's current graduate/professional student trustee, Dr. Kendall Buchan, will host several information sessions to help prospective applicants better understand the role and application process. Sessions are scheduled for the following times.

• Tuesday, January 13, 2026, from 12-1 p.m.
• Wednesday, January, 14, 2026, from 6-7 p.m.
• Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 4-5 p.m.

Additional information is forthcoming, and recordings of select sessions will be posted on this page for those unable to participate.

About the Role

The Board of Trustees is the highest level of governance at The Ohio State University. It serves as the chief fiduciary and strategic body of the university, and its decisions ultimately shape the future of Ohio State and directly impact students, faculty and staff. The board consists of up to 20 members: 15 voting Ohio residents, two non-voting student trustees (one graduate or professional student and one undergraduate student) and up to three non-voting charter trustees who are non-Ohio residents. All members, except for the charter trustees, are appointed by the governor of Ohio with the advice and consent of the Ohio Senate. 

Student trustees serve two-year terms, attend board and committee meetings, and vote at the committee level. The board and its committees meet quarterly, and additional events occur throughout the year. As a trustee, the selected student will be expected to attend board functions; stay up to date on campus, higher education and relevant news; and be able to balance this responsibility with other personal and academic commitments.

Eligibility Requirements

Each applicant must: 

• Be an Ohio resident (and remain an Ohio resident for at least the next two years, details below)
• Attend Ohio State until at least May 2028
• Be and remain in good academic standing
• Not be on disciplinary probation
• Be currently enrolled as a graduate or professional student at the time of application

Ohio Residency Requirement

Ohio’s residency requirements for all elected and appointed officials (including Ohio State student trustees) are set forth by the Ohio Constitution, which requires that “no person shall be elected or appointed to any office in this state unless possessed of the qualifications of an elector” (Article XV, Section 4). Further, under Article V, Section 1, it states that “every citizen of the United States, of the age of 18 years, who has been a resident of the state, county, township, or ward, such time as may be provided by law, and has been registered to vote for 30 days, has the qualifications of an elector, and is entitled to vote at all elections. Any elector who fails to vote in at least one election during any period of four consecutive years shall cease to be an elector unless he again registers to vote.”

Therefore, a student must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, a resident of the state of Ohio, and have been registered to vote in the state of Ohio for at least 30 days before they may be appointed to the trustee position. For more details on voter eligibility and residency requirements, please visit the Secretary of State website.

Selection Process

Interested candidates must first submit a completed application. Applications are redacted and reviewed as part of a blind review process conducted by the Student Trustee Selection Committee. Appointed annually, this committee consists of the two current student members of the Board of Trustees; representatives from each of the major student government groups at Ohio State (Council of Graduate Students, Inter-Professional Council and Undergraduate Student Government); and at least one university staff member and one current or former faculty member.

After reviewing all applications, the selection committee will interview a group of selected applicants and, ultimately, identify finalists to recommend to the governor’s office for consideration. The governor’s office will interview the finalists and appoint one student to serve a two-year term, pending confirmation by the Ohio Senate.