Board of Trustees

Brandon A. Kline

Personal Statement:
I have served as a pod representative in SBA this year, and have taken an active role in student governance. My assignments on both the Internal Budget Committee and the Rules Committee have exposed me to a wide-range of issues that impact all of us. My experience has prepared me to represent the concerns and perspectives of the law campus on the Board of Trustees.

Goals:
I am interested in higher education in general, and will take a particular interest in the budgetary policies governing SBA’s relationship with the central campus administration. My chief goal is increased flexibility in the realm of club and organization travel funds. I am also concerned about our health insurance options and the cost. Finally, I will seek expanded hours of operation for certain campus facilities, because of the varying schedules of law students.

Ron K. Cheng

Personal Statement:
My name is Ron K. Cheng and I am currently a 2L. I would be a good fit for this office due to my extensive leadership experience in student advocacy.

I have served as an officer in several organizations on campus and was most active with the Business Law Society in the past two years. I have rowed with the Scales of Justice (Dragonboat Team), debated with the Federalist Society, oriented incoming 1Ls, and participated in OLIO to make Oregon more diverse. I also participated in many organizations to help meet their needs, offering my skills in graphic design and manual labor. These experiences allow me to understand the challenges and difficulties that students and organizations face. More importantly, my experiences give me the skills necessary to find creative solutions so that law students can succeed.

I bring to the table over 10 years of public service and professional experience. I served on the SGA Board of Governors during my tenure at West Virginia University and was elected Vice President and Chairman the following year. In 2011, I was named Student Leader of the Year by the local NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) for my service to minority rights. During my term at WVU, I represented over 65,000 students and helped pass a legislative bill to protect students from predatory landlords. I helped develop the club sports recreational facilities to accommodate student need and I worked with the university to develop a new student wellness center.

I am comfortable sitting on professional boards and committees and have the professional demeanor needed to get things done. I am passionate about student rights and will stand strongly to defend our interests. As a rising 3L, I will have gone through with you every step of the way and will continue to do so.

Goals:
If elected, I would like to continue on the trajectory of the strategic plan laid out by President Glassner to make Lewis & Clark a more nationally recognized and prestigious institution. It is very important to me that SBA receives a budget increase without increasing student tuition and fees. SBA provides the funding for all the great organizations on campus. Many of these progressive organizations contribute to the welfare of our education and social lives, but too many of them are underfunded. The current budget is too small to be effective. Frankly, we need more money. With more money, we will be able to support more student organizations and make positive changes to the community. Funding can be achieved in several ways and I intend to seek creative avenues to help law students most.

I will strive to keep student tuition as low as possible without compromising the quality of our education. I will also promote fiscal responsibility at the college so that the value of our education matches the dollar of our tuition.

What is very important to me is taking initiative to secure job placement for our students in these unstable economic times. I hope to expand law school job searches to include JD advantage and other professional occupations. I want to help students take advantage of the resources offered at the law school and the undergraduate campus.

I am committed to cultural initiatives and I intend to partner with the State Bar’s Diversity & Inclusion department to make our institution more diverse and accessible.

Cruz H Turcott

Personal Statement:
This position calls for an institution-wide representative of the law school, and you deserve someone who can bring together the needs of our students with the unique mission of the entire college. Lewis and Clark combines an identity steeped in the Pacific Northwest and an international perspective on education. As a student representative on the Board of Trustees, with roots in the Northwest and a life spent all over the globe, I feel I believe that I will compliment the school’s identity well.

As a committee member to the Board of Trustees, I pledge to represent you professionally. Prior to law school I spent six years in business management, working successfully in demanding positions of executive and fiduciary responsibility. I will bring these experiences to the table in order to effectively represent all the student here at our law school.

Goals:
This law school is one of Lewis and Clark’s strongest assets, and we deserve a strong advocate with strong communication skills.

I want to ensure that your unique needs as law students are part of the parent institution’s decision-making process. Our tuition dollars need to be deployed in the most efficient and beneficial way possible. I want to ensure that decisions are made with an eye towards sustainable financial health and continued growth. Year-over-year increases in tuition are not a sustainable business model. The law school provides many excellent services for students, but we can do better. The school’s long-term plans  must include a solution to our transportation and parking shortfall. Student study areas should not be sacrificed for new faculty offices.