The Lake Land College (LLC) Board of Trustees has recently reviewed and updated the terms required to be eligible for candidacy in the upcoming spring Student Trustee elections. This new update will broaden students’ horizons and further align with state requirements.
The position of Student Trustee, currently held by Jay Bliler for the 2025-2026 academic year, aims to “keep the pulse of the student body,” says Bliler. Some of his requirements this year have been to give a student report to the Board of Trustees each month, and hold an advisory vote while also taking student concerns and interests to the Board. When asked what his favorite part of serving as Student Trustee so far has been, Bliler said, “I really enjoy just hearing all of the different perspectives,” along with “learning how the college works” in a broader sense.
The alterations to Board Policy 02.02 – Student Trustee, which is where base-level eligibility requirements for the position and its elections are found, were first introduced in this past November’s Board of Trustees meeting. The changes were brought forth by Jean Anne Highland, Chief of Staff at LLC, in collaboration with President Dr. Josh Bullock.
In a joint response made by Highland and Bullock, the changes were requested in order to better align the college’s policy with language found within the Illinois Community College Act (110 ILCS 805/3-7.24). This was done in an effort to comply with the act and “not place requirements on Student Trustee applicants that are not in the current law.”
The portion of the Illinois Community College Act (110 ILCS 805/3-7.24) that prompted this revision states that “Each community college board shall have one non-voting member who is a student enrolled in the community college under the jurisdiction of the board.”
A sole decider on why Lake Land’s Board Policy 02.02 – Student Trustee had to be changed was due to additional requirements that were no longer compliant with the Illinois Community College Act’s new language. In the previous rendition of the policy, Student Trustee candidates were required to “be enrolled as full-time students and be citizens of the United States, residents of the state and the Lake Land College district.”
This language has since been removed. The revised qualifications for a candidate’s eligibility at Lake Land College are now simply, on the date of the election being held, to “be enrolled as full-time students,” according to the updated Board Policy 02.02 – Student Trustee. This change now effectively complies with the Illinois Community College Act while simultaneously allowing easier access for students who are considering running for the position.
Reminder, however, that these changes determine eligibility for candidacy, and elections, held by the Student Government Association (SGA), are scheduled to continue without interruption.
As to the position of the Student Trustee’s future with these relaxed qualifications, “Our hope is that every student who has a desire and meets the requirements of the Illinois Community College Act has an opportunity to run for this position,” said Highland and Bullock.
Student Trustee Bliler, regarding the effects of the move and his time as Student Trustee, said, “I hope that [future Student Trustees] enjoy learning about the college and take heart in the fact that the college cares so much about the students.”
The Board of Trustees at Lake Land College is committed to maintaining regulations that align with state and federal directives, while also supporting student success, evident by the new updates to Board Policy 02.02 – Student Trustee.
