Goutman named young trustee

Former class president Stephen Goutman has been named to The Johns Hopkins University Board of Trustees as Young Trustee for the Class of 2002.

One Young Trustee is selected from each graduating class to serve a four-year term with the University's primary governing body.

"Each year of his service, Goutman will attend the Board's four meetings and will be treated as a regular trustee with one vote per issue," said Jerome D. Schnydman, secretary of the Board of Trustees and executive assistant to University President William R. Brody.

The only aspect that differentiates him from regular trustees is his shorter term of service: four years as opposed to the traditional six. Goutman cannot renew his membership.

Pitted against eight other applicants, Goutman underwent a rigorous application process for the position, which began with the spring election.

"Seniors have to get a certain number of names on their nomination form and they are then put on the ballot," said Schnydman.

The spring student elections then narrowed down the number of contenders to five.

"The top five vote getters are the ones who are presented to the nominating committee of the Board of Trustees," said Schnydman.

Goutman submitted a page-long biography and underwent an interview process as part of the next step.

He said he remembered very little of the interview, not even the people who interviewed him.

"I was nervous, quite nervous at the interview," he said. All he recalled was "important people drilling me with questions."

At the interview, he detailed his ambitions for the University, addressing communications and the need for a greater emphasis on the humanities.

"Communications is pretty key between the many different campuses and even Homewood," he said. "Maybe I can suggest some new ways to facilitate communication between the different departments."

He said that he wants a greater concentration on the humanities and the arts program to "bring a different student to Hopkins" and change the general conception of Hopkins as a bustling medical center to one that also exemplifies the best of the humanities.

He further discussed implementation of an honor code and academic ethics.

While he was not present for their interviews, he felt the other candidates for Young Trustee were highly qualified.

"Everyone had an equal shot -- we all had our unique experiences at Hopkins," he said. "But I demonstrated that I thought this through and I had some ideas I wanted to accomplish at Hopkins."

Goutman was selected by the nominating committee and will now serve a four-year term, effective July 2002.

He said he anticipates working with a diverse Board of Trustees.

"There's a lot of successful people with the Board of Trustees and I can learn from them," he said.

Goutman will be attending the University of Chicago Medical School in less than three weeks. Although entering a new life, he views the position as a way to remain in touch with his memories of Hopkins.

"Young Trustee is a position that I get to give back to an institution that I love," he said. "There's no question that I love Hopkins.