By Gillian Adkins
The nominations for student trustee are currently being reviewed!
The Student Trustee Application closed on March 31, and now the Student Success and Engagement (SSE) team will be messaging those who filled out interest forms to meet and discuss the role.
At Dominican, the board of trustees essentially acts as a board of directors. It’s made up of 31 members including nuns, alumni, and powerful advisors. Their responsibilities involve setting tuition, budgets, measuring the success of the university, and more.
The board of trustees encourages full-time sophomore and junior students to apply for the student trustee position. This occupation has undergraduates serving on the board as a student representative, upholding board standards, preparing for and attending board meetings, serving on one or two committees of the board, and promoting the university’s mission.
Student trustees do not get a vote in board meetings, and it is currently an unpaid position.
The role is a unique opportunity for students to get hands-on experience working with a board, and it is an excellent leadership opportunity. Dominican is one of the few schools that allows students to be a part of board decisions.
Junior Aldo Cervantes, who is serving as the 2024-2025 student trustee and president of the Campus Activities Board (CAB), said he initially was reluctant to join the board.
However, he became motivated to apply for the position after being involved with CAB and hearing about it from former student trustee Kiara Valenzuela.
“She told me it’s a great opportunity to get to know what the board is like and understand decision-making at Dominican,” he said. “Also, it’s a great thing for career development because a lot of jobs will want to see that you can deal with challenges and work with board members.”
Cervantes explained his classes have taught him a lot about clear communication, which he has been able to apply to the position. His time at Dominican has also helped him get out of his comfort zone and try new opportunities like being a student trustee.
Part of Cervante’s job includes serving on two committees of the board. Cervantes opted to serve on mission and identity, which works closely with the Office of Ministry. He explained that right now the committee is focusing more on the mission and the vision of Dominican. He also works on the student success committee, which focuses on how students can succeed during their four years at the institution. His work has focused on the Pilsen campus and how to better accommodate the growing student body.
His experience working with the board gave him the idea to implement town hall meetings again with Student Government Association (SGA) President Christian Kalekas in order to form a more centralized communication and way for students to voice concerns.
Cervantes explained that the board itself has been very friendly to him, and working with them has been an overall positive experience.
“Well, the board itself, they are very friendly,” he said. “They love interacting with students because, effectively, these are individuals who take time out of their day to help make decisions for Dominican. They’re stakeholders as well.”
When asked what he would say to students who are interested, he said,
“My biggest advice is just learning to build relationships; that’s a big starter,” he said. “Being able to learn how to network– that’s a big thing. And then also how to be a listener. That’s one of the things, because when someone says you gotta learn how to listen, you think an individual is just silent, but [it’s] learning that there are different modes of listening, and you have to learn how to do it effectively for yourself and others.”
Junior Max Kordy is reassured that there are opportunities for students to get involved in decision-making at Dominican.
“I think it’s comforting to know that they care about the students point of view and [that] they’re trying their best to make informed changes to the student body in positive ways.”
Senior Zachary Williams said he wished he knew about this opportunity sooner.
“As a graduating student, I wish I [had] paid more attention to the various ways students can make an impact,” he said.
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