
In a time of uncertainty, student voices matter the most, and that’s why it’s so important to consider running for student trustee for the 2021-2022 school year. There are plenty of benefits to running for student trustee: not only do you get to sit on the Board and make important decisions for our college, you also receive special opportunities that most students do not. It is an absolute privilege to be the student trustee, and it will help you gain plenty of leadership skills and experience for the future!

Lauren Hassen
Moraine Valley Student Trustee
2020-21
To be eligible to run for student trustee, you must meet these requirements: be a citizen of the United States, be of the age of 18 years or older at time of election, be a resident of the Moraine Valley Community College district, be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours each semester, not be concurrently enrolled in high school, have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours at Moraine Valley Community College, have active involvement in co-curricular activities, attend two board meetings (prior to April 20) to grasp an understanding of the procedures followed. The final Board meeting dates prior to election are Nov. 17, Dec. 17, Feb. 16 and March 16. Board meetings are currently online so you can contact me at hassenl2@student.morainevalley.edu or Dean of Students and Compliance Officer Kent Marshall at marshallk34@morainevalley.edu to gain access to these meetings.
You must have and maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better, maintain good academic and disciplinary conduct, not concurrently hold the position of editor-in-chief of The Glacier or editor-in-chief of The Mastodon, and not be a full-time or part-time employee of the college, not including student employment.

You can find in-depth application details in your MV Portal by going to Students > Resources > Student Services > Student Life > Forms. The application does require one essay and two letters of recommendation. The deadline for submission of applications will be Friday, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m. Your application will be reviewed by a committee of students, staff, faculty, and staff members (Election Committee). Then, the Election Committee will decide who will be eligible to run in the student election to be held during the week of March 8. The elected student trustee will take office in April 2021.
The functions of the student trustee have somewhat shifted because of our online transition, but most of your expectations as a trustee will be similar to how it would be in-person. You are expected to fulfill the responsibilities of the Student Trustee as described in Board Policies, attend all MVCC Board of Trustees meetings as a representative of Student Government Association and the student body (one per month plus the Board Retreat meeting), present a report at monthly Board meetings, attend all SGA meetings (held virtually), report minutes of the Board meetings at SGA meetings, act as a liaison between the SGA and the Board of Trustees, attend majority of Illinois Community College Board Student Advisory Committee meetings (currently held virtually), communicate regularly with the SGA advisor, Student Life Staff, and other administrators, and write a bi-weekly article for The Glacier.
If you would like to get some more personal intel on how it is being a student trustee, you can contact me, we can set up a Zoom call, and I can discuss all of the ways being a student trustee has benefited me in my personal, occupational, and educational life.
It’s a great privilege to be a student trustee and know that you are the voice of all the students at MVCC. It will come with responsibility, but at the same time it’s a great experience that is shaped around your leadership skills, and teaches you the importance of being a stakeholder. If you have any questions you can contact me through my email hassenl2@student.morainevalley.edu or you can contact DeWitt Scott, adviser, SGA, at (708) 974-5619 or sga@morainevalley.edu.
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