Under Government Regulation No. 56 of 2020, UNS as a Legal Entity State University (PTN-BH) establishes the MWA as the supreme governance body responsible for strategic decision-making, including approval of the university’s strategic plan and annual budget, appointment and dismissal of the Rector, and oversight of non-academic management.

The MWA consists of 17 members, comprising:

• Ex officio members (Minister, Rector, Chair of Academic Senate)
• 4 representatives from society
• 7 representatives from the Academic Senate
• 1 alumni representative
• 1 representative of the educational staff
• 1 elected student representative

The student member is selected through a democratic election process conducted by student representative bodies (e.g., Student Council/Dewan Mahasiswa) before being formally appointed. The position is limited to a one-year non-consecutive term, ensuring continuous renewal and broader student participation. For recent periods, Ahmad Brian Anggoro (Faculty of Economics and Business) served as student representative for 2024–2025, and Muhamad Azhar (Faculty of Agriculture) serves as student representative for 2025–2026.

Importantly, the student representative holds equal voting rights with other MWA members in strategic decision-making processes, including rector selection and policy approval. The student member also holds equal standing in governance and participates directly in high-level decision-making processes. This demonstrates that student participation is substantive rather than symbolic.