As an SRJC student who has covered budgets for more than a year at the Oak Leaf, I figured the Student Trustee seat on SRJC’s Board of Trustees would be a perfect place for me. I could use that knowledge to back up the student’s voice, your voice, at the meetings.

It turns out, the seat would be a perfect place for anyone—it doesn’t require any ability, knowledge or training.

After I submitted my intent-to-run paperwork, I received an information packet from Student Affairs detailing my duties. “The Student Trustee may not attend closed sessions,” the policy manual stated. So, the Student Trustee is not allowed to attend the important sessions, the ones with all the real information? How can the Student Trustee make an informed decision if he or she isn’t privy to all the information?

It turns out it doesn’t matter. “The Student Trustee can cast a non-binding advisory vote in open session,” the policy manual stated. “The vote shall not be included in determining the vote required to carry any measure before the board.”

So if the Student Trustee is not privy to all the workings of the board and cannot vote, what can he or she do? “The Student Trustee shall serve as a liaison between the Board of Trustees and the Associated Students,” the policy manual stated. The Student Trustee, in essence, is a messenger for the Board of Trustees to avoid having to talk to the Associated Students directly.

The position is entirely powerless and pointless.

When I figured this out, I thought maybe I’d advocate for real student representation on the Board of Trustees, but the policy manual likewise blocked that. “Each year the Board of Trustees will review, and may modify, the privileges granted to the Student Trustee.” Like I said, pointless and powerless.

The Board of Trustees seat at SRJC is really nothing more than a filler for a college application, a chance to tell a student’s next college, “I served in a student leadership position!” Unfortunately, the Student Trustee will not actually gain any experience as a leader because nothing is expected from the student. The student is a leader in name and title only.

The Student Trustee seat at SRJC is really nothing more than a filler for a college application, a chance to tell a student’s next college, “I served in a student leadership position!” Unfortunately, the Student Trustee will not actually gain any experience as a leader because nothing is expected from the student. The student is a leader in name and title only.

Any student could gain much more understanding and experience just by going to the Board of Trustees meetings and speaking during open comment in support of or against items.

If a student wants some units and a position, he or she should join the Oak Leaf and cover the meetings. At least that way the student is fostering journalism skills—useful for any major or job influenced by mass media; so any.