Jeffrey N. Goldsmith, a 1982 graduate of Penn State, has announced his candidacy for one of the three available positions as an alumni representative to the board of trustees in the upcoming elections.

As a student, Goldsmith was a member of Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity and served as a student government senator and headed the Consumer Affairs Committee for the Organization of Town Independent Students (OTIS). But it was Goldsmith’s involvement as president of Students for PennPIRG, a student-run public interest organization, that made him realize the structure of the Board, lent itself to conflicts that were not in the best interest of the university, according to a news release.

According to the release, Goldsmith’s platform consist of five parts: an apology to the Paterno family; structural reform using the recommendations of former auditor General Jack Wagner as a starting point; Reforming the board’s rules of operation; enacting policies to avoid conflicts of interest on the part of board members; and working to ensure access to quality education for all students.