{"id":25698,"date":"2026-05-12T13:43:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T21:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/?page_id=25698"},"modified":"2026-05-12T14:55:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T22:55:06","slug":"student-voice-matters","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/student-voice-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Voice Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243;][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; type=&#8221;1_2&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.wou.edu\/westernhowl\/files\/2026\/05\/welcome-to-wou-Menu-18-x-24-in-1.pdf.jpg&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; type=&#8221;1_2&#8243;][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_button button_text=&#8221;Submit your own Testimonial here!&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; button_url=&#8221;https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSduO0JL2MdhAA06KeMGNvuE2pDK1bUfNeHR2oNaRYQGHI-xmw\/viewform?usp=publish-editor&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; button_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221;][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_testimonial author=&#8221;Ben Barlow&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; job_title=&#8221;M.A. Director, Alumni and Parent Engagement &#8221; company_name=&#8221;Western Oregon University&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;Feeling heard is fundamental to belonging. Student Voice Matters because it ensures that students see themselves reflected in their campus environment, which not only strengthens community but also supports retention and long-term engagement.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=&#8221;Crystal Ross&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; job_title=&#8221;Student Health &amp; Counseling Center, Office Specialist&#8221; company_name=&#8221;Western Oregon University&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our students (I often refer to them as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">my<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> students) are the reason I\u2019m here, so I\u2019m always happy to answer questions in support of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Student voice is essential on a university campus because it ensures that policies, programs, and decisions reflect the real needs and experiences of those they impact most. When students are heard, it strengthens community, promotes accountability, and leads to more inclusive and effective outcomes.\u00a0 Student voice on a university campus matters because it directly shapes how fair, effective, and meaningful the whole college experience is.\u00a0 We truly are here because of our students, and our goal is to do everything we can to help them succeed.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=&#8221;Logan Doerfler &#8217;19&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.5&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; job_title=&#8221;Director of the Veterans Resource Center | Student Affairs&#8221; company_name=&#8221;Western Oregon University&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Student Voices Matter <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">in higher education! We are here to serve students and help them grow into professional, educated members of society. As a staff member, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Student Voice Matter<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> because they are closest to the experiences we aim to improve. When we actively listen and respond, we make better decisions and build a more responsive and supportive campus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">That&#8217;s why building trust with our students is so crucial, they can help us serve them better, and we both grow from that relationship.<\/span>&#8220;<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_testimonial][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Submit your own Testimonial here! &#8220;Feeling&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1645,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"Student Voice Matters","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-25698","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1645"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25698"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25698\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25717,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25698\/revisions\/25717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}