Tyler Boswell
A new member of Carleton’s Board of Governors, Tyler Boswell is a fourth-year undergraduate law student in the Faculty of Public Affairs. Tyler has been an active member in clubs and associations throughout his tenure at Carleton, but is now eager to lend his voice to one of the university’s highest governance bodies.
Back when he was in high school and was deciding which university to attend, Tyler was sure he wanted to pick a program that reflected his interests in politics and public administration. Yet, in his search to find the perfect university fit, Tyler almost missed out on his chance to become a Raven when he dismissed Carleton entirely.
“It was my mom who nudged me towards Ottawa, I didn’t even have it on my radar,” explained Tyler. “She said if you’re going to do anything politically related you should probably be in the capital.”
Tyler moved into residence in 2017, and has loved campus ever since. Originally accepted into Carleton’s Bachelor of Global and International Studies program, Tyler started to notice that his law electives better suited his interests and decided to change his major. Now, as he inches towards graduation, he is starting to draft a plan for his future.
“I am not sure what is next, but I am looking at applying for a Master’s in Urban Planning,” said Tyler. “I would still like to maintain a policy side of things and work for a city. I think ultimately I want to come back to Ottawa, but that is a much longer term plan, and is subject to change.”
Joining the Board of Governors this year as an Undergraduate Student representative, Tyler brings an abundance of experience in tow. Over the last three years, he has worked as the Vice-President Internal for the Carleton Academic Student Government, sits on the CUSA Sustainability Advisory Council, and was Carleton’s first Living Planet Leader. Additionally, last year, he served on Carleton’s Senate as a student representative. Looking back now, he believes his time as a Senator was a valuable experience.
“Senate was a good introduction into a large academic body that governs formally,” explained Tyler. “It has a very formal agenda, and a lot of different attitudes and approaches. I think seeing faculties working together was an interesting dynamic.”
With such an extensive resume and keen involvement in Carleton’s extra-curricular activities, governance, and clubs, it is no surprise that Tyler showed interest in becoming a Board of Governor’s member. He ran for one of the two undergraduate student seats in 2019, but was unfortunately unsuccessful. In 2020, when election time rolled around again, Tyler decided to throw his hat in the ring and ultimately ran a successful campaign. Now that he is officially a member, Tyler is excited to share his outlook with his fellow governors.
“I believe the four [student governors] hold a lot of weight, because we are the ones on the ground,” described Tyler. “It is important to have a student perspective, as we are the ones facing different challenges, and it is easy to forget what student life is like once you graduate and move on.”
As Tyler enters his final year as a Carleton undergrad, he hopes to inspire new and incoming Ravens. As a board member, Tyler wants to encourage other students to get involved with Carleton’s governance, and showcase the Board of Governors impact on everyday student life.
“The board is an overlooked position, and students are not thinking critically about governance every day,” said Tyler. “For example, even how traffic is conducted. You may be thinking ‘oh well, I always take a really long time at this intersection,’ but students are not thinking about the policies that are behind the traffic.”
Whether it be joining the Board of Governors or not, Tyler’s advice to students is simple: if you don’t ask, you won’t get it. Tyler believes that university is more than just school, and should be filled with interesting opportunities and chances to grow.
“Always go for it! There are lots of opportunities I came across where I applied even though I thought people were way more qualified than I was,” explained Tyler. “You are only here for a short period of time, so make the most of it!”
Tyler is serving a one year term on the Board of Governors from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. He sits on the Building Program Committee.
Click here to view the 2020-2021 Board of Governors membership.