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Saint Benedict golfer is trustworthy as a trustee

By Gary Brown
NCAA.org

College of Saint Benedict golfer Kathryn Hauff will always have an ace in the hole when she talks about her college experience.

Hauff, an NCAA Elite 88 Award winner at the 2010 Division III Women’s Golf Championships (presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 88 championships) and an all-everything at Saint Benedict, also is one of just two student-athletes in the history of the college to serve on the school’s board of trustees.

Student-body peers elected Hauff, who also serves on the student senate at Saint Benedict, to fill the one position on the board reserved for a student. The junior has been in that role for two years, and she takes the responsibility seriously.

“The trustees are exceptionally welcoming and they value the student voice,” she said. “But despite the board’s appreciative disposition, I still get nervous before speaking up. It helps to tell myself, ‘The students elected you to speak on their behalf – to not do so is to let them down.’

“I was elected to be their voice. I have a responsibility to take advantage of that privilege.”

According to Saint Benedict President MaryAnn Baenninger, Hauff provides that voice effectively.

“This role requires a lot of self-starter behavior and for the student to be responsible to attend the meetings and keep confidential certain things that can’t be made public,” Baenninger said. “All of that requires a maturity that these students have been selected for.

“In Kathryn’s case, athletics has contributed to that maturity. She knows how to manage her time, behave under pressure and the importance of having a public persona that reflects well not only on herself but also on the institution. Skills that a nationally ranked athlete might possess transfer really well to serving on a board.”

The all-women’s school has offered the student-trustee opportunity for many years. The purpose is for the board to get a strong student voice and perspective on important issues, Baenninger said. The student member of the board has all the rights and privileges that other board members have, so she needs to view her role not as just an advocate for students but also the institution.

As such, Hauff has been privy to sensitive discussions, including tuition increases and changes in academic programs.

Baenninger noted Hauff’s ability, though, to be more than just an advocate for students.

“For example, take the issue of a tuition increase,” she said. “No student wants that, but Kathryn – because she has the knowledge of why it is occurring and how we are spending money responsibly – there are nonconfidential things that she can explain to her student colleagues. And they’ll take her word for it more than they would take mine.”

The Saint Benedict president also said Hauff, like the student trustees who preceded her, are energized by much more than just the issues that affect students directly, such as food and parking.

“In my experience, that hasn’t been the case,” Baenninger said. “They really look at the institution as a whole. They can get equally as excited about the budget as they can about the faculty who are being recommended for tenure or building a new building or questions about curriculum changes in fields outside of that student’s expertise.

“Non-student board members will tend to use the student member as a resource to help them understand the role of the student. So they respond a lot to board member questions about what it’s like to be a student here. That’s an interesting interaction for someone like Kathryn, who’s only 20 years old, interacting with board members in their 50s on a peer level – that’s really gratifying.”

Hauff credits her experience as a student-athlete and the ability to stretch her boundaries at Saint Benedict for being able to step up to the challenge of being a trustee.

“Being a student-athlete has taught me much more about life than I expected,” said the woman who’s been golfing since she was 10. “Not only have I been pushed to excel athletically, but I feel my experience has strengthened my character and taught me the value of hard work.

“I also like the fact that Saint Ben’s pushes me in all aspects of my college career. They give me every resource possible to ensure that I succeed athletically as well as academically. They also challenge me to find opportunities for leadership and service. A life in proportion is the most important skill Saint Ben’s has taught me.”

After graduation, Hauff wants to earn a juris doctorate with a joint Ph.D. in higher education. She said her passion lies with enabling underprivileged individuals to attend college and receive an education.

“I have been incredibly fortunate and given so many opportunities to succeed in life,” she said. “Those privileges would be in vain if I didn’t use them to help others. I will probably work in higher education for some years until I feel I am prepared for the responsibility government requires.”

So far, she has proven she can handle the government part.

“I have seen her in an academic setting – presenting research for her thesis in a class, and I’ve seen her stating her case now in board meetings and in the student senate,” Baenninger said. “She is able to express herself with a high level of clarity and incisiveness.”

That’s high praise for a trustee who sits in meetings in which the president’s evaluation is reviewed.

“And yes, she is completely able to remain within the ethical bounds of the board and keep the confidences that she needs to keep as a member of the board, which is often difficult for students,” Baenninger said. “For example, I share my annual evaluation with the board, and Kathryn isn’t asked to leave the room when that happens. That’s a pretty large ethical responsibility to keep that kind of personnel issue to herself.”

Again, Hauff said, that’s partly due to having been a student-athlete.

“Collegiate golf has taught me to be poised when faced with obstacles, be my best when my best is needed, and persevere relentlessly,” she said. “There isn’t any substitution for hard work, whether it be in golf, school or any endeavor.”