Campuses with student trustees often see them as both an efficient way to get a student perspective on issues the board is dealing with and a way to use student trustees' active engagement with student organizations to explain board and administrative decisions to the student body. To maximize the contributions a student member can make on the board, a prompt and effective orientation is crucial. any trustee can enter his or her first board meeting confused, apprehensive, or frustrated if the orientation process is not clearly structured or lacks sufficient depth. As a student joins the board, he or she likely will have a keen understanding of the specific issues facing the student body--but probably little or no background or expertise concerning the board's particular governance procedures and operations; the overarching strategic plan guiding the governing board's decisions; or pressing issues related to fiscal affairs, the university's investment portfolio, or development initiatives. This article offers ways in which student trustees can use their roles to convey students' perspectives on board business.