The Student Trustee Handbook

A Framework for Advocacy and Impact

A Resource Provided by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

A Message from PTK’s President and CEO

Dear Student Trustee,

I believe that community colleges are most effective when students have a seat at the table—and now you do. As a student trustee, you represent more than just yourself—you represent all students.

I encourage you to begin your role by getting to know the students at your college—their backgrounds, challenges, barriers to success, needs, and aspirations. Although this doesn’t sound difficult, it will be if you do it correctly. Community colleges are the most diverse institutions in higher education, which means that community college students come from all backgrounds and walks of life. Your goal should be to explore and understand their diverse viewpoints, so you can effectively advocate for all students.

We offer this handbook as a supplement to the information and training you receive from your college president. We hope that it will serve as a resource to help you better understand the importance of board service, your role as a student trustee, the basics of advocacy, and how to best contribute to the higher education conversation in your community and state.

As a student and as a trustee, your voice matters more than ever. Don’t be shy. Participate in board discussions, ask thoughtful questions, and be willing to lead and follow. Congratulations, and thank you for your willingness to serve!

Sincerely,

Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner President and CEO Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

Welcome to Student Leadership

Dear Student Leader, Congratulations! You have been selected to represent your peers by serving as a community college trustee. Your role as a student representative to your college’s board is an important one. Not only do you represent your community college peers, but you also serve as an important resource for college leaders by providing insight into the student experience.

As a student at Bergen Community College, I had the opportunity to serve as Phi Theta Kappa’s International President and as the Student Representative to the Phi Theta Kappa Board of Directors. After graduation, I have continued to advocate for community college students in my current role as the Alumni Representative of the Phi Theta Kappa Board of Directors.

As you transition from your community college to a transfer institution or into the workplace, your work as a community college advocate does not end—it is the beginning of your work. As you move to the next chapters of your life, I encourage you to continue to be an advocate for your peers, your community college, and to be an ambassador for all community colleges.

Sincerely,

Amanda Karpinski-Gorman Alumni Representative Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Board of Directors

Editorial Board

Lynn Tincher-Ladner, Ph.D. President and CEO, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

2023-2024 Phi Theta Kappa International Officers

Liam Blakeway

International President Lone Star College - CyFair Texas

Seong Kim

International Vice President - Division I

Northampton Community College - Monroe Pennsylvania

Leticia Laranjeira

International Vice President - Division II Dallas College - North Lake Campus Texas

Luis Medina

International Vice President - Division III College of DuPage Illinois

Jasmine Garcia

International Vice President - Division IV Mohave Community College Arizona

Chapter 1: The Trustee Role

Students in Governance

College governance and board structure vary from state to state and college to college. While some student representatives are elected, others are appointed. Some schools don’t have student trustees at all.

Student trustees typically serve a short term with the majority of terms being one year in length. Duties and expectations of student trustees also vary from school to school. At some colleges, they have full voting privileges. Most often, they serve in an advisory capacity and inform the work of college leaders by providing a student perspective.

Regardless of your situation, your role serves a primary purpose—to offer insight and to make recommendations about policies and practices that significantly affect students.

Most board action happens at board meetings. The majority of your work will take place here. Your role is to show up, be present, and be a voice for students when important decisions are being made.

Here are a few board meeting basics to remember:

• Prioritize ACTIVE listening.

• Build strong relationships across campus with college leaders and other students.

• Ask questions.

• Take notes.

• Avoid jumping to conclusions or passing judgement.

To effectively represent students, it is paramount for student trustees to develop and maintain positive relationships with the college president and other board members. If those relationships are negative, the college will suffer (McGinnis, Yaqub, & Boggs, 2020, p. 158).

Representing Students

College is busy—especially for student leaders like you. Managing classes, extracurricular and volunteer activities, work, athletics, and family life can leave little “free” time. But, as a student trustee, building relationships and getting to know your community college peers is a critical part of your responsibilities. Before you start speaking for the student body at your college, you must first listen to it.

Make spending time with your college peers a priority—and not just in the classroom. Attend college events, take part in organizational meetings, and build relationships with diverse members of your college community.

One of the best things about community college students also makes representing those students difficult—community colleges have the most diverse student populations in higher education. Most students are post-traditional, but many are dually enrolled high school students. Some work, many have families, and some are the first in their families to attend college. Some attend school fulltime, while others are enrolled on a part-time basis, and some attend fully online.

Do you see our point?

This diversity—the single best characteristic of community colleges—also makes advocating for community college students so difficult. Community college students have different needs, and, as a student trustee, it is your role to advocate for decisions that meet as many of those needs as possible.

Here are a few suggestions for connecting with your peers:

• Ask the experts. Connect with your school’s Office of Student Life/Student Activities for the best suggestions on which student groups you should reach out to and how best to connect with them.

• Attend club and organization meetings/events. Groups like the Student Government Association, Phi Theta Kappa, SkillsUSA, and the Organization of Latin American Students offer great places to build relationships and learn how you can best support and represent the students at your college. Make sure you participate in meetings and events that reach as many student groups as possible.

• Become a storyteller. Getting to know students by name and by circumstances will become vital to your ability to represent them and tell their stories.

We encourage you to expand your existing network by participating in groups that you are not already a part of.

Representing Yourself

Professional appearance translates into professional behavior and credibility. At board meetings and events, you are expected to dress as other board members do and in business attire (not business casual)–-a step above everyday work attire.

For masculine-centered dress, it is appropriate to wear a tailored suit, with or without a tie depending on the event. For feminine-centered dress, it is appropriate to wear a tailored skirt or pantsuit with a jacket.

If you prefer a more androgynous look, use a classic blazer in combination with other professional elements that feel personal but still polished.

Basics for Creating a Professional Appearance:

• Know the dress code for each event.

• Keep jewelry and visible piercings to a minimum.

• Pay attention to your shoes. Leather should be clean and polished.

• Be mindful of personal hygiene and grooming.

• Avoid clothing that is too tight or revealing.

• Don’t overdo your cologne/perfume.

We understand that purchasing business attire for your role as a student trustee should not be a financial strain. If you do not have professional clothing and are unable to afford it, talk to someone at your college.

It isn’t just about your appearance—the quality of your professional communications also matters. Your written and verbal communications should be on point. Remember that writing is more than grammar and spelling—it includes clarity and persuasiveness too.

Guidelines to achieve well-written communication:

• Develop an outline before you begin.

• Use a grammar tool and spell-checker.

• Read what you have written aloud (or use the read-aloud function).

• Get feedback.

Chances are, you will be using email for many of your communications. Use the previous points for email too.

Tips for email communications:

• Introduce yourself in the first sentence of the email.

• CC only relevant recipients. Be mindful of who should be informed and respect that.

• Use reply-all sparingly. Your response may have nothing to do with them.

• Include a professional signature block.

• Keep emails brief and to the point. If they are long, probably best to put a few points in the email and ask for a call or meeting.

Want more? Phi Theta Kappa’s online professional development course

Competitive Edge gives more advice on bettering your communications skills.

Policy Setting Versus College Operations

As a student, you experience the institution from an outwardfacing perspective. This inherently makes it more difficult to understand and embrace your role as a trustee. A trustee works alongside other college leaders to address issues impacting the college as a whole. As a student trustee, you must wear both hats—representing the interests of students and the interests of the institution.

Outcome Assessments

• Assessments answer the question, “How do we know when the college is achieving a desired outcome?”

• Many high-level assessments and direct assessments of board policy are shared back with the board at the end of a given cycle of implementation.

• Examples may include enrollments, audit results, accreditation results, students success measures like graduation rates, employment placement rates, licensure completion rates etc.

Figure 1.0: Separating board role of policy making from operations of the college.

Board Policy

• Policies answer the question, “What outcomes do we wish the college to achieve?”

• Policies can be stated as rules, regulations, administrative actions, and expectations or expected outcomes for the institution.

College Operations

• Operations answer the question, ”What are the steps to achieve the board’s desired policy outcome?”

• The college president and staff implement the board’s policies through their operations.

• The board is not a part of operational matters.

The Board as a Unit

As a student, you will have strong thoughts about issues that you care passionately about—thoughts and actions that probably landed you in this role. While board members are there to present their individual perspectives, the board’s power functions only as a unit. Your position should never be used to put your special interests ahead of the college’s (or district’s) interest.

Outside of the boardroom, individual members have no real authority. Only as a board unit can the board create policy or facilitate changes.

Later in this document, we will outline strategies to help you increase the priority of any policy or direction you want to change. But know that it takes a lot of legwork before your ideas can make it to the board meeting agenda.

Ethical Behavior

Board members approach their work in the spirit of collaboration and cooperation regardless of individual differences and opinions that arise during debates of points of view. During deliberations, the board considers the reasonable and relevant interests of external and internal constituencies, but in the end, members must agree to abide by and uphold the final majority decision.

Members are prohibited from disclosure or use of confidential information acquired in the course of official duties. This is particularly true of deliberations of the board in closed sessions, which could include an entire board meeting or part of board meeting that is not open to the public or other stakeholders. Deliberations of the board in closed sessions may not be released or discussed in public.

Board members should avoid any conflicts of interest and take steps to mitigate any appearance of impropriety. A conflict of interest is a circumstance in which an individual or organization is unable to remain impartial or able to exploit a professional or official position for their own benefit. A conflict of interest can exist whether any impropriety occurs. A conflict-of-interest policy should require those with a conflict and those who believe they may have a conflict to disclose the conflict and prohibit interested board members from involvement on any matter in which a conflict remains.

Consider these points to guide your behavior.

• Don’t go out on your own. The board delegates the day-to-day management of the college to the college president. Don’t meddle in the operational management of the college.

• Keep your emotions in check. Becoming overly emotional will derail your work. Approach issues with logical and rational reasoning and in the spirit of harmony in finding solutions.

• Avoid conflicts of interest. Find and carefully read your college’s conflict-of-interest statement for board members.

• Maintain confidentiality. What happens in a board meeting, should stay there. Take your role as a student trustee seriously. Do not discuss conversations that take place in those meetings with outside individuals or groups.

Basics of Budgeting

Providing oversight to the college budget is one of the most import jobs of a college trustee. The board and the college president determine the funding priorities for the coming fiscal year. These priorities are reflected in the college’s multiple budgets.

These include three budget types:

• Operating Budget – the main annual unrestricted budget for college operations.

• Restricted Budget – the budget for all single-purpose grant/gift funds provided to the college.

• Capital Budget – the budget for major construction/renovation projects for college facilities.

The budget process often begins by looking at historical numbers but also must consider known factors that will affect the budget, such as changes in grants and contracts, increases in vendor pricing as well as changes in economic conditions.

Budgets include a list of revenue sources and expenses sources. Subtract the expenses from the revenue and you have the institution’s anticipated surplus (we call it surplus and not profit). Businesses have profits, and public colleges are non-profits, and any amount left over is called surplus. Surplus is necessary for contingences, such as savings for large cost projects like computer systems and networks and for unforeseen events like the pandemic and high inflation.

The best thing about community colleges is their diversity—and this includes their budgets. In Figure 2.0, we show an example operating budget for Make My Day Community College, but your college’s budget may look very different.

Throughout the year, monitoring reports allow the board to compare actual revenues and expenditures to the budgeted amounts. Monitoring reports are used to forecast revenues and expenses and enables board members to anticipate cash flow problems. Budgets need to be as accurate as possible, but seeing into the future isn’t easy—even for only one year. Revenues may shortfall due to changes in enrollment, but most often expenses may be higher than anticipated due to unforeseen events like pandemics, inflation, or sudden increased costs for energy or supplies.

Figure 2.0: Sample Budget Balance Sheet

Basics of Parliamentary Procedure

Parliamentary procedure, sometimes referred to as Robert’s Rules of Order, is a time-tested set of rules for conducting business meetings. Using these procedures improves efficiency and makes best use of the board’s time, creates an atmosphere that allows everyone to be heard, and lessens confusion around important decisions.

Here are a few general rules.

• Only one person should speak at a time.

• Remarks should be courteous and personal comments should not be made.

• Raise your hand to speak.

• All remarks must be directed to the chair.

• Silence means consent.

The board navigates a meeting by its agenda, and transitions from conversation to business by making motions, primarily through the main motion. To make a motion, the board member must first be recognized by the chair, and then simply says, “I move…” After the motion is seconded by another member, the board enters a focused discussion, or, in other words, a conversation related only to the current motion.

In discussion, board members obtain the floor through recognition of the chair. Main motions may or may not be followed by amendments and even amendments to the amendment. Think of amendments as bite-sized changes to the main motion.

3 Steps to Debating a Motion in Focused Discussion

1. Make sure no one is lost. Raise your hand to be recognized by the chair, and, if needed, state who you are, and then restate the motion you want to discuss.

2. State your opinion. The goal here is to influence board members to see things the way you see them. As a good rule of thumb, give your strongest three points to support your position. Be mindful to avoid restating points that have already been made.

3. Be direct about the outcome you want. Close your discussion by restating whether you are for or against the motion, and let others know exactly how you want them to vote.

Be sure to follow the central rule of discussion—no member can speak twice on the same motion until everyone else wishing to speak has spoken on it once. Discussion ends when no one seeks the floor to debate. At this time, the chair may ask, “Is there any further discussion?”

The chair will then call for a vote by saying something like, “The question on the adoption of the motion that << restate the motion>>. All those in favor . . .”

Votes are counted by voice or hand, and the board bylaws dictate the threshold for adoption, which is usually by a majority or two-thirds in favor.

Remember, discussions among members with different opinions may give rise to vigorous debate. The board may not always vote the way you want. When this happens, fall back on the idea that the board is a unit, and, once a decision is made, it is a decision of the full board and individual opinions must fade away. We recommend that you listen closely to the types of actions and motions the board uses before participating. Take notes and develop an understanding of the level of detail your board follows when using rules of order. We recommend you use these resources for more on boardroom decorum and etiquette.

• The Official Robert’s Rules of Order Website – Includes a short history of Robert’s Rules, how an organization can adopt it, the basics of parliamentary procedure, a question and answer forum, and an “Ask the Authors” feature.

• Citizen’s Guide to Effective Conduct of Public Meetings Using Parliamentary Procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order in Washington State (2017) – The guide explains the respective roles of mayor or chair, members of the body, and the public and discusses the right way to run public meetings.

Chapter 2: Being Informed

Community College News

Part of being a good board member is being aware of the greater landscape of higher education and specifically community colleges. We suggest subscribing to higher education newsletters and/or following higher education news sources on social media. Following these outlets and reading their daily news will keep you updated on national events, trends, and important research and findings about community colleges.

Here are a few:

• Campus Technology (@Campus_Tech): This newsletter clarifies how AI and other technologies are impacting higher education.

• Diversity Issues in Higher Education (@DiverseIssues): This newsletter highlights the impact and improvement of diversity in higher education.

• Inside Higher Education (@insidehighered): This daily (or weekly) news summary connects you to the breaking news, analysis, and commentary in higher education.

• Lumina Daily News (@LuminaFound): Highlights news sources in the world of learning and work followed by the Lumina Foundation.

Reading community college news will help you develop an open and critical mind, so you can ask better questions and have better answers. It will also help you with new ideas and inform and strengthen your opinion, so you can be a stronger advocate.

Community College Research

Good research guides good decision making. At times, you may need research insights on student learning or the answers to questions like, “How many students work and go to college?” There are several organizations that provide studies and other openly available resources to get to the facts and help boards and others make the most informed decisions possible.

• AACC Fast Facts: A great go-to resource published annually by the American Association for Community Colleges (AACC). It is full of facts about our nation’s community colleges.

• The Community College Center for Student Engagement (CCCSE): Located at the University of Texas in Austin, CCCSE is the place for student survey data and for special research projects on topics such as student mental health, basic needs, student success, improving outcomes for men of color, and more.

• Community College Research Center (CCRC): Located at Columbia University, CCRC has been working in community college research for over 25 years. Their focus areas include high school to college pipeline, advising and student supports, teaching and learning, and college to career.

• The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (Clearinghouse): The Clearinghouse regularly publishes research that supports education, workforce, and learner success. Their work centers around persistence and retention, enrollment trends, transfer, and completion.

While this may seem like a lot of information, no one expects you to read every research paper about community colleges. The resources listed here are trusted and will help you learn about topics you want to know more about. They may be especially important if you are voting on a motion you know nothing about. Information is power, and to boards, information means progress.

Policies Affecting Students

There is a lot that goes into managing a college resulting in numerous policies on a wide variety of topics such as employee leave, information security, travel and expenses, and so on. As a student representative, you should be concerned primarily with policies that affect students. This is exactly why you are on the board—to be the student voice when these policies are changed or when new ones are created. Every college has a policy manual, and one of the most important duties of the board involves maintaining it. One important first step as a board member is to read and understand the policies affecting students. Here are some useful tips.

• Do a word search of the policy manual for the word “student.” This will help you drill into policies that involve students.

• Read the student handbook cover to cover. Here you will find many of the policies affecting students—policies like grading procedures, admissions requirements, attendance policy, tuition and fees, and student discipline.

It is so important for you to know student policies. For example, say a fellow student wants your help because they believe they were falsely charged out-of-state tuition, and they show you their driver’s license to prove it. Your next step would be to read the policy on tuition. In it, you find that students must meet stronger evidentiary measures than a driver’s license to be eligible for in-state tuition rates. They must be able to prove they have been a resident of the state for at least one year.

The lesson here is to be informed and always get the facts before you act. In your research of student policies, you may have questions—things you don’t understand. If this happens, be sure to direct your questions to the appropriate person. For example, if it is a financial aid question, you will want to seek out the Director of Financial Aid. If you don’t know whom to ask, reach out to the college president’s assistant or the person in charge of organizing the board meetings— this person can tell you whom you need to ask.

Paying for College

Students identify financial need and paying for college as their single largest barrier to attending college. Make it part of your trustee education to understand your local and state financial aid opportunities for students as well as federal programs for grants and loans.

• Pell Grant: For those who qualify, the maximum Pell grant is $7,395—that covers 100% of community college tuition and fees at nearly every college. The average amount students receive is $4,200. Pell grants are also available for part-time students.

• State Aid: All states have their own financial aid programs. Some are based on need and some merit. They help fill the gaps when Pell doesn’t.

• Institutional Aid: Community colleges come to the rescue by fundraising locally to help students. They also give merit- and performance-based scholarships (for students participating in sports, band, etc.) for a campus life experience.

• Other Sources: One opportunity is the growing number of Promise (free college) Programs. Scholarships can be found everywhere. Meet with your college financial director to learn more about scholarships given by local businesses, organizations, and private sources.

• Student Loans: These are available through federal or private lenders. Student loans are there but should be used as a last resort. Only 18% of community college students rely on loans to help pay for college.

The point is there are many ways to help pay or discount the full cost of community college. At any college, the way to access these financial benefits is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). States may also require a separate application and colleges may have an additional application related to institutional aid.

Student Success

It is important to know that community colleges define student success in terms of their outputs. They consider a student who completes a degree/ certificate or one who successfully transfers to a four-year college or university a positive outcome.

Community colleges measure completion rates by counting students who enroll full-time with no previous credits and allowing them up to three years to graduate. For students enrolled in workforce-ready programs, colleges measure the rates of students who gain employment (placement rates) after program completion; and, whenever possible, their income earnings.

As a college trustee and student, you know that student success is much more about the process than it is about the product. You, and students like you, want a college experience that provides opportunities to engage academically, professionally, and socially. The word engagement sounds like you need to be married to college to do well, but it isn’t like that at all.

“Engagement” is just a word used in higher education that means you are seeking experiences that will make you grow, inside and outside classroom.

Research on student success is vast, but all of it (yes all of it) boils down to one conclusion. Students who are fully engaged with their college experience are much more likely to be successful—to complete college, get a good job, and keep that good job.

Students can engage with their college experience in four ways. They overlap at times, and it is important to be intentional about working within and across all four.

1. Academic Engagement. Some students absolutely know what they want to be when they grow up. They seek outside readings and dive deep into the curriculum. For example, they may be steadfast on being an engineer and may find themselves highly engaged with learning and understanding calculus. If they want to be a superior welder, they may spend extra time perfecting their craft—more than is needed for satisfactory.

2. Faculty Engagement. This is where community colleges shine. If you ask students what meant the most during their time at community college, most of the time they will point to a faculty member (or two) who really took an interest in their success. Community colleges are known for having small class sizes where faculty members get to know their students by name and circumstances. Faculty engagement means you know their names too. You see them when you have a problem—you know where their offices are and the online office hours they keep.

3. Peer Engagement. Whether you are working together on class projects, studying in groups, or just being together in social settings—engaging with other students is one of the best ways to enhance your college experience. Peer engagement is no accident – students must seek it out. And because community colleges are diverse places, community college students have opportunities to learn from students from diverse backgrounds. Embracing (and even seeking out) that diversity can be the best investment you make in your future – because that is the same kind of diversity you will encounter in the workplace.

4. Institutional Engagement. This type of engagement is about making sure you know what resources your college has in place to help you succeed both inside and outside the classrooms. Institutional engagement means you know your college advisor by name, where to find help when you need it, where to find tutoring and mental health services, and what to do if you are hungry. It means you have made participation in co-curricular programs and activities a priority and have found a sense of belonging in organizations like PTK, SGA, or SkillsUSA.

Research shows that students who don’t make time to engage are at greater risk for dropping out—no matter how smart they are. In your work leading students, it is part of your job to connect students to high-impact activities that promote student engagement and student success.

Chapter 3: Advocacy

Now that you are aware of how the board conducts business, and you are more informed of the issues and challenges facing community colleges, you are ready to step into one of the primary roles you will have as a trustee member—advocacy. As a trustee and student, think of advocacy as a broad umbrella term for any action that brings a positive benefit to students, your college, and community.

Advocacy can be difficult and complex, but as a student, you can translate advocacy changes into meaningful impacts on the lives of students. Many different kinds of advocacy exist, and in this chapter, we introduce the types that students find themselves involved in the most—legislative and grassroots.

Your College’s Plan

If you plan to be an advocate, you need to know better what you are advocating for. Your time as a student trustee is short, and most likely, your college will be in the middle of a planning cycle. Whether that is a three, five, or 10-year plan, it is critical that you know the current direction and be educated on the mission and top priorities of the institution. Lean on the mission and plans for your college— these things will help you be a better advocate, and if you are a voting member, this information will help you make better decisions.

• Mission: Read your college’s mission, and then, read it again. Think of the mission as a ruler to measure everything you do as a trustee member.

• Vision: If your college has a vision statement, read it too. It is important because it represents the institution’s most desired state of being. They might not ever achieve their vision, but they are continually working towards it.

• Values: Values are standards of behavior as a student and trustee. You can’t learn values, instead, your actions and behaviors must always align with them. If a value is diversity, for example, you embrace and believe in the positive impacts of having many different people, cultures, voices, opinions, and backgrounds have on student learning and decision-making at your institution. Not all colleges have a list of values, but most do.

• Priorities: Read your college’s strategic plan or college-level goals. Priorities need support from others and that support might be financial, community, philanthropic, business and industry, and, at times, at a national level to build new industries. This is where advocacy comes in and will be your most important role as a trustee member.

Your college’s mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities should be published. If they aren’t, ask for them. They will serve as a valuable roadmap to conversations with others as you work with the board and as a leader and advocate for your college.

Legislative Advocacy

Legislative advocacy includes advocating for favorable policy change and providing important information and context to state and national political leaders. It also stresses the importance of the work of community, junior, and technical colleges as they relate to meeting the nation’s workforce demand. It has become common for colleges to engage students in helping with this important work. Your goal should be to raise awareness of current issues and make them real by sharing your stories and passion.

Here are a few pointers to help guide your efforts.

• Don’t underestimate the power of your story. Become a strong storyteller. Your story—and the stories of other students—is your superpower. Stories trigger connection and inspire action. Your story is important, and so are the stories of others. Representing students means knowing their stories. The voices of students most affected will be central to your narrative. While focusing on students’ challenges, stories should also promote their grit, resilience, and persistence.

• Use impactful relevant details. Paint a picture of yourself or someone else and the types of students they represent. These details will provide memorable and compelling evidence. Political leaders respond to information that impacts their local constituents. When they go to vote, they remember the stories they heard. Your job is to let them know exactly how education policies affect students’ lives—the lives of ordinary people in their district or state.

• Listen to the experts and practice. If you aren’t experienced with telling stories, listen to the experts—popular podcasts and TED Talks are a few resources to help you improve your story-telling game. Also, practice makes progress—use storytelling as a daily communications strategy with your coworkers, friends, and family.

• Mix data and research into your stories. Policymakers respond to data combined with a well written, compelling story that resonates with their constituents and, at times, the broader public. For example, citation of research findings and data illustrating the numbers of students or the economic impact of their legislative support is important information to include with your stories. We encourage you to work with your college when developing quantitative and economic impact of legislative decisions.

• Prepare a one-page leave-behind piece. Include an executive summary, background information or introduction to the points of the problem, a table or data piece illustrating how your story affects a larger group of students in your state/nation or college, and a list of recommendations of exactly the type of change you want.

Exercise I: Legislative Advocacy in Action –Workforce Pell

As an example, let’s consider the Pell Grant for community college students. From a federal perspective, the 2022 bipartisan budget earmarked a $400 increase to the maximum Pell Grant–the largest Pell Grant increase in a decade. This law increases the maximum Pell Grant to $6,895 in 2023-2024. But, for community colleges, there is still work to be done.

At your college, student and industry demands have required your administration to develop numerous short-term programs to help students get into good paying jobs or a better job as quickly as possible. Many of these programs are shorter than one year and some, shorter than a semester. Under the current law, students enrolled in short programs are ineligible for Pell Grants. This advocacy work has been referred to by many as “Workforce Pell.” You have been asked to attend the ACCT Legislative Summit in 2024, and your college’s top priority is to fund Workforce Pell. What is your plan to advocate for Workforce Pell?

Exercise II: Legislative Advocacy in Action –The Help Grant

In your state, let’s (hypothetically) propose there is a state financial aid program, the Help Grant, geared toward helping low-income families pay the tuition and required fees not covered by the Pell Grant. This year, a bill has been put forward to discontinue this grant. This really hits home for you, because you received the Help Grant, and without it, you wouldn’t be able to attend college. You also know many other students on the Help Grant, and some who experience food insecurity and are already at risk for dropping out of college. Your college president asks you to attend the state legislative summit and talk to the state legislators from your college’s district about the importance of the Help Grant. What is your plan for saving the grant?

Grassroots Advocacy

Grassroots advocacy is like legislative advocacy with one large exception–advocacy efforts center around raising awareness of an issue among the public. In contrast to direct lobbying, grassroots advocacy takes place in local communities. Advocacy with the public is used for many purposes – we outline some important types here.

Grassroots advocacy can focus on changing economic policies or organizing public pressure for policy change. Love Wins, for example, is a form of grassroots legislative advocacy where members of the LBGTQ+ community and partners focused on gay rights and legislative changes to allow for gay marriage. At the height of the campaign, Twitter reported getting over 20,000 Love Wins tweets per minute.

Grassroots advocacy may involve targeting current patterns of behavior. As an example, When We All Vote is a national, nonpartisan initiative on a mission to change the culture around voting and to increase participation in each and every election by helping to close the race and age gap. Grassroots advocacy may also involve creating or removing a physical structure, or it may also be about providing social and economic resources to help improve or prevent a problem. The point is, advocacy is a broad concept, but it all points to working with a group or an organization to bring about a change.

As a student and a trustee, you will work as an advocate for resources to help your college fulfill its mission of teaching and learning. As an advocate, you may find yourself talking with business and industry, community members, or with students about the priorities and needs of your college.

Examples of what community colleges might need grassroots advocacy efforts for:

• Local taxpayer support for a new building

• Increasing numbers of community members attending college

• Business and industry support for a new workforce development program

• Student support for peer-tutoring and a college-wide mentorship program

Paying attention to the board meeting agenda will clue you into opportunities for grassroots advocacy. The best way your local community can support its college is by tuning into their offerings and opportunities. Your college is always seeking support from the local public, particularly when it comes to attending the college.

Exercise III: Grassroots Advocacy in Action –Overcoming Community College Stigma

Most people know that community colleges are less expensive. In 2023, the average annual cost of tuition and required fees at a community college is $3,860, a full 60% less than a four-year public university which averages $10,940. People also know community colleges are accessible. They are around when you need them and have flexible offerings. What the public doesn’t know as much about is the quality of community colleges. As a student, you know firsthand the quality of a community college education.

In 2021, a small group of elected community college student leaders, just like you, decided to take on the issue of community college stigma. Instead of approaching the issue from the standpoint of a deficit model, these student leaders used an asset model—focusing on the positive aspects and benefits of enrolling in a community college. Under the leadership of Phi Theta Kappa’s 2020-2021 International Officer Team, “Community College Stigma” was transformed to “Community College Smart” or CCsmart. Visit CCsmart.org for the Community College Advocacy Campaign. How would you implement CCsmart in your community?

Advocacy Strategies as a Student Trustee

This section outlines strategies to guide you in advocating for change within your college. As you craft your approach, be mindful that your desired changes may require a new policy or changes to an existing one. They may encompass college programs, services, or even physical structures, all of which could require substantial college resources to implement.

In your approach and your work, remember that you are a board member--- an ultimate team player---and the board is your team. Be professional and work in the spirit of collaboration always remembering to treat people the way you would want to be treated.

As you begin your role, know that your position and influence matter. Also, the availability of resources matters and may affect the outcome. Don’t let this deter your work, rather keep it in mind that your idea may be deferred to another time but that should not derail your interest in bringing it forward.

Strategy 1: Get Buy-in

Before you create a full proposal for your idea, it is important have preliminary discussions about its feasibility. It could be possible that the board has visited the issue before. Changes could already be in progress, or learning from the history of the matter better could inform your approach.

Here is a story to illustrate how importance of getting buy-in from others. Several years ago, a student created an online petition at change.org requesting that Phi Theta Kappa allow prison students to access membership. The outcry from students was extraordinary with many signing the petition for change. Unbeknown to these students, Phi Theta Kappa’s board had been discussing this change for some time. The board had already reviewed recidivism data and talked with advisors, college presidents and members. At the time the petition started, the board had already agreed to formally vote and make the change. The student could have saved time and effort by first approaching a member of the board to learn the history of the matter before launching an unnecessary petition.

The point is, don’t surprise anyone. We strongly encourage you to make an appointment to talk with the college president before you do anything. Appealing directly to them may get them to help you get it done. While you may not be satisfied with the outcome of this initial discussions, it is very important

to start with them. For this initial meeting, consider creating a one-pager as a leave behind piece to reinforce you message. In it clearly state your goals and an outline of what you would like to see changed and why.

If this meeting goes well, or even if it doesn’t, next schedule a meeting with the board chair. Use the same approach as you did with the president to generate interest and buy-in for your change.

Strategy 2: Create a Proposal

Advocacy is a solution to a problem, so be clear about what that problem is and back up your assertions with information and research. Be sure to include evidence that the problem exists locally and is impacting your college. Do your best to keep your proposal to five pages maximum.

Consider including the following sections in your proposal:

• Executive Summary: After you write your plan, then create an executive summary that gives an overview of the main points of the plan as part of the introduction.

• Outline the Problem: Clearly state the issue you want to address. How big is the problem? For example, how many students does this problem affect? If necessary, include pertinent background information to the problem.

• Qualitative Research: Show the results of research studies, and more importantly, do your own research by perhaps showing the results of a student or community survey.

• Testimonials or Stories: In addition to quantitative research, you want to show qualitative research too. Listen to constituents and summarize your findings, highlighting powerful quotes from their interviews.

• Recommendations: List what exactly needs to happen to address the change. For a change in policy, list both the current wording and the desired wording applying the change.

• Outcomes: Identify what you predict the college will gain by implementing your proposal. For example, How many students will benefit? or Will college completion rates increase?

• Budget: In some cases, your efforts will require financial support, and a budget or at least a budget outline would be necessary when making your appeal to the board.

Strategy 3: Present Your Proposal

You may want to share your full proposal with the board chair and college president. Often, they will provide you with valuable feedback that will help your proposal be a success. Eventually, your goal is to get a spot on the board agenda and present your proposal for discussion, and hopefully, a motion to vote from the full board.

6 Pointers for your final presentation:

• Distribute your proposal ahead of time and most likely with the “board packet” or “board book” materials.

• Don’t read from a script and follow your proposal during your presentation.

• Use very few slides, if any. One slide may help you drive home a point.

• Know your history and address what the board has heard or decided regarding the subject in the past.

• Anticipate questions and practice your answers ahead of time.

• Be direct when you close your presentation and state the actions you want from the board.

Beyond the Trustee Role

We hope after your trustee role and graduation, you will continue your work as an ambassador and always be a promoter of your college. We hope you will tell people about the wonderful faculty, small class size, and amazing opportunities they can find there. It is time the public know that community colleges are more than affordable and accessible—they are quality institutions of higher learning, and you are the best evidence of that quality. From this point forward, you aren’t just an ambassador for your college but for all community colleges.

Phi Theta Kappa is committed to the elimination of unlawful discrimination in connection with all employment relationships, business operations, and programs. Discrimination based on gender, family or marital status, race, color, national origin, military of veteran status, economic status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, genetic information or history, age, disability, political affiliation, and cultural and religious backgrounds is prohibited.