Of course the public and press aren’t invited. Hours of conversation, back-and-forths and transgressions occur behind closed doors each month. The fact that it happens is the only forthcoming piece of information our trustees have allowed the public. The rest is left to our imaginations.

In that following Friday meeting, where the public and press actually are allowed, there is little or no discussion. Instead, there’s a nice, tidy group of officials casting their votes for the record without any known thoughts behind them.

Not only do trustees claim this process is common, normal and needed, they also say it’s perfectly legal. The state’s open meetings legislation allows citizens the right to know how governments operate by way of attending proceedings and accessing meeting records. According to the act, a meeting is the “convening of a public body at which a quorum is present for the purpose of deliberating toward or rendering a decision on a public policy.”

This “right” MSU has to hold informal meetings is based on an interpretation of a 1999 Michigan Supreme Court ruling, which allows certain bodies to hold closed sessions when selecting a president. There is some disagreement among law experts and media advocates about whether this is a good excuse. Aside from the legal debate, there is a deeper issue at hand. Right or wrong, the trustees are not acting in the public’s best interest.

These trustees hand down almighty proclamations from their thrones like royalty when, in fact, they’re elected officials. They’ve been entrusted by voters across Michigan to address the university’s affairs responsibly and transparently. They’ve utterly failed.

There are many public bodies that conduct themselves in less than perfect ways. Here, we have a board claiming informal meetings are just the way of government.

By hiding in clandestine meetings, MSU trustees refuse to take responsibility or accountability. That isn’t the government their constituency wants. Even more disturbingly, Trustee Colleen McNamara also said informal meetings “give me the chance to ask stupid, dumb questions without finding myself quoted in the paper the next day for asking a dumb question.”

Having the board’s appearance as a main concern is beyond inexcusable. If trustees can’t handle public criticism — constructive or otherwise about their reasoning or decisions — or looking a little stupid sometimes, then they don’t deserve their positions. There are no special conditions to holding a public office. Adjust or resign.

These people decide students’ tuition rates. They update degree requirements. They sign off on any university construction projects. Of course we want an explanation for their decisions. If these trustees don’t have the decency or respect to trust voters with the information behind important decisions, then why should we trust them to make those decisions?

As long as this continues to happen, it always will be an issue.