The Student Health Advisory Board, previously known as the Student Health Advisory Council, is being reinstated on campus after being inactive for the past year.

Rebecca Michelsen, a health educator at Marquette, said the board was inactive due to staff turnover. The board is being reestablished this year to continue to examine ways SHS can better serve students, she said.

Students are currently being recruited for this year’s board, which is set to begin meeting Sept. 29.

The Student Health Advisory Board links the Student Health Service with the student body. The board voices students’ concerns about SHS’s quality of health service, Michelsen said. 

“Board members will help the rest of the students with their health experience at Marquette,” Michelsen said.

Board members are expected to review patient satisfaction surveys and comment cards, which are found in SHS’s waiting room.

Dana Mills, director of SHS, has worked with the Student Health Advisory Board before and recognizes its importance.

“A student advisory board has the important role of providing feedback to us in Student Health from the student perspectives,” Mills said.

Mills said SHS would like the board to be a credible campus voice about student health concerns. He also said it is essential to have quality health services on a college campus. Student advisors report issues the student body wants addressed, services students want and the level of health care provided, Mills said.

“We are seeking their input, but decisions will still rest with Student Health and university leadership,” Mills said. “Beyond that, we may want to test different ideas with this knowledgeable consumer advisory group that may come up in our strategic planning and problem-solving that directly impact students.”

Mills said students should view the Student Health Advisory Board as a go-between and a way to voice their opinions on Marquette’s health care.

“The existence of a student advisory group provides another avenue for engaging students in real life issues that ultimately impact their quality of life on campus,” Mills said.

Erin Schulte, a 2003 Marquette alumna, was on the board during the 2000-’01 school year. She represented Peer Health Education. When she was on the council, one of the initiatives the group evaluated was whether the current student health fee should be increased.

Schulte said students on the board should not be afraid to make a decision that might be difficult or unpopular.

“Always evaluate the benefits it will create in the future,” Schulte said. “Take your role seriously and consider the impact your decisions will make in a month, a year, or five years.”