The application for becoming a member of the board of student trustees is currently open. Until May 9, students have the opportunity to submit an application to join the Bellevue College Board of Trustees. After the application closes, the submissions are reviewed from May 22 to 26, and three to five candidates are then forwarded to Governor Jay Inslee on May 29. “The Governor’s Office will contact the applicants to have them complete an application through the Governor’s Office. Then, the Governor’s Office will schedule interviews with the selected applicants. Depending on the number of applicants, it may take some time before the Governor’s Office selects and appoints the Student Trustee,” Amy McCrory, a program specialist and a supervisor for the Student Engagement Front Desk and Student Business Center (SBC), shared. Bellevue College’s Office of Student Engagement website states, “This is an opportunity to serve and help make Bellevue College and the surrounding community better.”
This is a paid position with a stipend of approximately $3,200 for the whole academic year (August through June). “The stipend covers their attendance at the meeting as well as pre-work and post-work they do for meetings. There are also potential opportunities for paid travel or attending virtual conferences throughout the year, but they are not guaranteed,” McCrory shared.
Becoming a student trustee means you serve to bring student voices and perspectives to the Board of Trustees. “The Board and its members act as stewards of the college on behalf of the community and the state,” the Student Trustee Frequently Asked Questions page shares. “The Board has responsibility for the college’s strategic direction, policies, budgets, collective bargaining (union) agreements, and some personnel matters such as hiring and evaluating the president. The Student Trustee participates in all these areas except those exempted by Washington State law, specifically personnel matters and collective bargaining agreements.”
To apply, students must meet the minimum eligibility requirements listed below. In addition to these requirements, the applicant must also provide a cover letter, résumé or curriculum vitae, unofficial transcript, academic plan for the 2023-2024 academic year signed by an academic advisor, and two professional or academic letters of recommendation. The first phase of the application also requires students to answer two short response questions and two overarching essay questions. To see the questions and to apply, please refer to the application site.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Completed 24 college level credits at Bellevue College.
- Registered for at least 12 credits at the time of application.
- Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
- Plan to be enrolled at Bellevue College as a full-time student (12 credits or more per quarter) for the 2023-2024 academic year.
- Not on academic probation and in compliance with student conduct code requirements (Staff will check with the Student Conduct Officer for conduct concerns that may impact your application).
- Must attend the Board of Trustees Meeting once a month from June 2023 to June 2024.
- Must live in the Bellevue College Service District: Bellevue, Issaquah, Mercer Island, North Bend. View a map of the Service Area.
- Available during summer 2023 for training and during the academic calendar year for monthly Board Trustee Meetings.
- For the 2023-2024 academic year, you cannot be employed by Bellevue College.
If an applicant is selected as a finalist, they will be asked to complete the Gubernatorial Application for appointment to Board/Commission and sign a release to perform a Background check by the Washington State Patrol.
Upon a student being appointed to the board, they may be eligible for the $2,000 Merle S. Landerholm Scholarship. Bellevue College will reach out to the student if they qualify. To read about the history of this scholarship, see Bellevue College’s dedicated page to Merle Landerholm.
To learn about past student trustees, see the Office of Student Engagement’s page.
If you have further questions, please refer to Bellevue College’s Office of Student Engagement dedicated page to Student Trustee Frequently Asked Questions or reach out to the Student Programs Leadership Advisor LaMeshia Reese-Taylor (l.reese-taylor@bellevuecollege.edu).
